Interview with Matthew Kepnes of Nomadic Matt
Matt, please give my readers a background about yourself. What made you want to start nomadicmatt.com?
Well, I knew I wanted to get out of the cubicle, and I knew I loved travel. I wanted a job that got me out of the cubicle and exploring the world. Maybe I should become a travel writer I thought. I bet writing guidebooks would be pretty cool and that would get me out of the house! It sounded perfect. I created the website as a way to build up an online resume. However, the website took off and the rest is history.
In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the best food? and the worst food?
Thailand and England, respectively.
When you first started traveling, did your family support your decision?
They were of course nervous when I left and no parent wants their kid to leave for such a long time but overall, yes they were very supportive and still are.
Did you always have a love of travel or did you develop your passion for traveling as you got older?
I got the travel bug when I was 23. I had just come back from Costa Rica, my first trip overseas without my parents. I was hooked after that. Travel was all I could think of. I loved the sense of freedom and possibility.
What impact has nomadicmatt.com had on your life?
It's what I do now - it's my job. It's opened doors, given me a great social life, and more opportunity than I ever would have imagined.
What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
Every destination I have never been to is exciting to me. I like the newness of everywhere. The last place I was recently was Warsaw, Poland.
What has been the most surprising destination you've been to? Meaning, you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally a different experience than you had imagined.
I've been to so many destinations, it's really hard to keep track of all of that. However, I would say a lot of people put Warsaw down but I loved the city. It was diverse, energetic, tons of beautiful parks, great modern architecture, and a wide range of food options. I don't know why people hate it. I love it.
If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential in your life, which destination would you chose?
Thailand. It was where I met the people who inspired me to travel, it's where I've spent the most time, it's the place I first called home outside America. I have a lot of good memories from Thailand.
Matt, if you could travel with any celebrity for one week, who would you chose and why?
Anthony Bourdain. We'd eat good food, drink good beer, and get up to no good. That is as long as he travels like he does on his TV show.
What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
Go, go now, and go slowly.
In 10 years, do you see yourself still traveling or slowing down?
I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow, let alone ten years from now. All I can say is that I am still enjoying what I am doing right now and I'll keep doing it while I like it. We'll see what the future holds when it comes. I'm just enjoy the moment.
Thanks Matt for the interview. Please visit his blog @ Nomadic Matt