Traveller of the Month: Marc from Life Went That Way

Welcome to Traveller of the Month! Each month I’m featuring a world traveller and fellow travel blogger to introduce new stories, tips and ideas to Teaspoon of Adventure readers, plus share the love in the blogging community. Without further ado, let’s meet November’s Traveller of the Month: Marc from Life Went That Way! And if you missed last month’s traveller, get to know Kris here! Hi Marc, please introduce yourself to Teaspoon of Adventure readers! Who are you and what’s your travel story? Hey Riana, I’m Marc, a travel writer and author from New Zealand! I’ve been writing about travel for nearly a year now on my travel blog site, Life Went That Way. I’m a police officer during the day and sometimes at night, but my real passion is in writing. Bringing ideas to life in words is something I’ll never tire of. I was lucky to travel as a kid which exposed me to the world at an early age, but my most pivotal moment was when I packed up and moved to London when I was 19. I ended up staying eight years in the UK and I learned more about life in my first six months than I had in the previous 18 years! Since then, my travel journey has been a continuous one. It has taken me through Australia, Asia, Europe, the US and lately here in NZ where most of my travel has been over the last couple of years with Covid restrictions making life difficult to travel abroad. Selling all my possessions and going overseas with my family for a year was probably the pinnacle of my travel experiences. The learnings and different perspectives you gain from spending so much time on the road are invaluable and I share some of these on my site. How did you decide to start your travel blog and what sort of stories do you share there? I sort of did things a bit backward and wrote a book before I started blogging! In 2020, I wrote and published ‘Twenty’, a travel memoir of sorts that covered twenty years of travel experiences and some personal stuff that happened along the way. I’m proud of it and there are plans for another book but for now, it’s all about Life Went That Way. My first post on Life Went That Way went live in May 2022 – talk about a big moment! It was exciting as well as daunting because I had talked about doing it for a long time. There were no plans at the beginning – just to write. It has evolved since. I’m not your typical travel blogger in the sense of writing itineraries, guides, must-see lists etc. I have done a few of these articles, but my writing is more about the philosophies of travel. The major theme of writing on Life Went That Way is what you learn when you travel and how your travel experiences (or new experiences in general) can be a vessel to make you a better person and ultimately, make the world a better place. At times, travel has been a source of healing, inspiration, adventure and even heartache for me. If my stories and ideas can inspire and encourage a traveller to start on their own personal travel journey, it will be worth it. What do you do when you’re not travelling or writing about travel? I’m really lucky here in NZ to live by the beach in Papamoa on the Pacific Coast on the North Island. You will find me down there most days; it’s my go-to place to wind down, get some inspiration and clear my head. I’m a proud dad to a five-year-old and sixteen-year-old and partner to Sarah, my inspiring Scottish other half. Sarah is widely travelled across the world as well and we are trying to give the same sense of adventure and discovery to my kids. What do you want to inspire other travellers to do? Each of our lives is different. Some can travel easily, others not so. But by making travel a priority, you can make your dreams come true. Even if it takes a little longer than the person next to you. My motivation to inspire travel and new experiences is a very personal one. My dad died when he was 40 years old – I was only 10. He died with a lot of dreams and things he wanted to achieve in his life still ahead of him. This event has largely shaped my desire to live a full life fuelled by travel and new experiences. If I can inspire others to look at their own lives and help them prioritise what they want out of theirs then I’ll be happy. “We only have one crack at this thing called life, so stop delaying your travel dreams and make them happen!” – Marc from Life Went That Way What is the longest trip you’ve ever been on? Nearly eleven months on the road between April 2019 – February 2020. Sarah, my one year old and I went to Australia, Southeast Asia, the UK, Europe and the United States. It was a mixture of camping, staying with friends, visiting family and Airbnb’s; we had the most remarkable adventure. It was a period of transition for all of us, so we sold our possessions and let loose across the world with no end in sight. This type of travel isn’t for everyone, but the experiences and things we learned have changed our lives. If you could live abroad, where would you want to live and why? Hands down, Portugal! As part of our big trip in 2019, we stopped off in Lagos on the Algarve Coast for three months. I had never visited Portugal before but as soon as we arrived, I knew it was somewhere special. Lagos is only a small town but full of history, culture and some of the best beaches in Europe. We were embraced by the local community, we made friends and it was here my writing journey began. When we left in December 2019, we made plans to return permanently in April 2020. But we all know what happened then so plans changed. What’s your best travel memory of the last five years? It just scrapes in the five-year time frame, but spending a month trekking in the Himalayas in October 2018 inspired so much of what has happened in my life since. I believe every traveller needs to have at least one experience that takes them out of their comfort zone and challenges them. The Himalayas is an awe-inspiring place, but it also strips you back and tests you in all sorts of ways. When I visited, I was going through a tough time, personally and professionally, at home. A mixture of the isolation, physical challenges and environment helped give me clarity on so many different parts of my life and what I wanted out of it. It still feels surreal now, but most of the big life changes that have happened since I can relate back to that month in Nepal. If you had to sum up your travel ethos in one phrase, what would it be? Whenever I have life choices to make or big decisions, I always refer to the following quote: “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” – Jack Kerouac What destination is calling your name in 2024? Scotland to visit family and Portugal (again!) are on the radar for early 2024 at this stage. Australia at the end of 2023 is likely and Nepal is always there or thereabouts for a return trip. New Zealand is so far away from anywhere and the cost of flights at the moment is eye-watering so we are in a bit of a holding pattern for anything too crazy right now. What is your unpopular travel opinion? The whole ‘traveller vs tourist’ argument thing that gets brought up every now and then drives me mad no end. Along with the overrated/underrated destination argument. “Travel is a personal thing. Let your curiosities define your path.” – Marc from Life Went That Way Each of our experiences is different; embrace those and don’t let others’ opinions influence you too much. I lived in the north of England for nearly five years. People thought I was mad for spending five minutes up there but those five years probably hold some of my most treasured memories. Where would you recommend a fellow Kiwi go on their first trip out of New Zealand? I think it’s important to start slowly. Travel can be intimidating because no matter where you go, things will be different to some degree. Most Kiwis have their first international travel experience in Australia or the South Pacific Islands (it’s still a three-hour flight!). I think this is the best way to do it. These destinations are similar to ours, the language is widely spoken and the cultures are quite similar in many ways. By taking a trip to somewhere like this, or the equivalent in your own country, you can slowly get comfortable with a different culture and way of life as opposed to having it slap you in the face. Flying to India for your first trip from little old NZ could quite possibly scare you off travel for good! What experiences would you recommend people have in your home country of New Zealand? The best experience you can have in New Zealand is a self-driving holiday. Life here is pretty laid back, there is very little traffic on the roads (compared to overseas), so take your time and enjoy the scenery. The towns and cities are pretty unremarkable if I’m totally honest, but the mountains, lakes and oceans are out of this world. A Steak and Cheese Pie is a must-have (I just had one for lunch!), a bungee jump somewhere and some hiking in the mountains is something I recommend to every visitor. New Zealand can be expensive, but what you don’t hear is that most of the highlights on any itinerary are free to visit. The tourist traps are a bit of fun, but your best memories will come in the outdoors. Do you have any goals for your travel blog? I would like to eventually monetise it, but it’s still early days. I’m still building an audience and figuring it all out! Blogging, writing and all the learnings I’m having along the way are inspiring me to write every day. If I can pass a little of those on to my readers then I’ll be happy. Lastly, where can we find you online? lifewentthatway.com instagram.com/lifewentthatway/ facebook.com/lifewentthatway twitter.com/lifewentthatway Thank you for joining my Traveller of the Month series, Marc! Head on over to Marc’s blog to be inspired by his travel philosophies and make the most of life. Plus, stay tuned for December’s Traveller of the Month! 

The post Traveller of the Month: Marc from Life Went That Way appeared first on Teaspoon of Adventure.