WSGT Travel Influencer Dariece Swift of @goatsontheroad

 

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GoatsonaroadThis week, WSGT is interviewing Dariece Swift of Goats On The Road, a website designed to show others how to turn their travels into a lifestyle.

1.)Where was the first place that you traveled that made you think WOW—travel is amazing (think history book come to life or …..)

As soon as we landed in Bangkok, I knew travel was amazing. It was smack-you-in-the-face culture shock at its finest! But, as far as history goes and ancient sites, I was in awe of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We spent 3 days taking our time exploring the site. The ruins were incredible and seeing monks walking by wearing bright orange robes was icing on the cake. I couldn’t believe (and still can’t believe) that this site isn’t considered a Wonder Of The World. 

2.)If you had unlimited resources, where would you go and what would you do?

We already travel full time, but if we had unlimited money, we would travel to some countries which are more expensive to visit – both in terms of the flight there, and once in-country as well. We’re really interested in visiting Bhutan, Madagascar, Galapagos Islands and Fiji. Hopefully we’ll be able to soon!

3.)What were you afraid to do and how did you find the courage to overcome it?

I’m a bit claustrophobic actually. But when we were in Egypt and found out that we could go through a tunnel and into the largest Pyramid, I took a few breaths, had a little chat with myself and headed on in! I couldn’t NOT go inside one of the oldest structures on earth. 

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4.)What apps do you use regularly that make your life easier?

If you can believe it, we’re actually new to the smart phone scene and have only had ours for 6 months! But, we love the Google Maps app especially and probably use that one most often (we get lost, a lot).

5.)What place do you wish more people had seen?

I wish more people would see Iran. It’s one of the most amazing countries on our planet, and it would be great if people went there and saw that it’s not at all how the western media portrays it.

6.)Best advice you have been given and by whom?

The best advice I was given was from Johnny Ward in an article he wrote. He talked about how he ran a blog that earns $2,000 per month and how people can make money on the road from travel blogging. We were amazed! We started searching the web for info on starting a WordPress blog and soon we had our blog up and running. There was nothing I wanted more than to travel forever. We have now been blogging professionally for 4 years – it’s been the best thing to ever happen to us! 

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7.)When were you surprised by the kindness of strangers on a trip?

Numerous times, but a couple that stand out are when we were in Iran and Mongolia. In Mongolia, we trekked for 8 days on foot, just the two of us, and camped along the way. Each night when we were setting up our tent, Mongolians would come over to us from their (far away) gers (yurts), and see what we were up to. They would always bring us food, or wood for our fire. 

In Iran, we were offered to stay with a couple after knowing them for 5 minutes. We spent 6 nights at their house. They cooked for us, showed us around Esfahan and introduced us to all of their friends and family. We are still good friends with them today.

8.)What inspired you to travel for extended periods of time or live in a new country?

We were bored with the typical 9-5 lifestyle, the “rat race” and constantly being busy doing things we didn’t love. Going to work, going home, making dinner, watching TV, going to bed…and repeat. Then on the weekends, we were exhausted from our week at work, plus there were errands to run and appointments to get to. It just didn’t make sense. 

So, we sold everything, quit our jobs and took off on a year long trip through SE Asia and the Subcontinent. We’ve been travelling ever since. 

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9.)I travel because….

I love seeing how people from other countries live, and learning about their ways of life. Travel makes you less ignorant to the world, cultures and religion. I travel because it’s good for the soul, and it’s what I love. 

Nick and Dariece are the couple behind Goats On The Road, a website designed to show others how to turn their travels into a lifestyle. Masters at making money abroad, they’ve been on the road since 2008 and have explored some of the least visited places on earth. Follow them for travel advice, and to learn how to start a travel blog so that you too can travel more often.

Stay up-to-date with Nick and Dariece through their:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

Twitter

Our next Travel Influencer interview will be up in a week, follow the series here.

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Caitlyn O'Brien

Caitlyn is a 26-year-old Canadian with a passion for travel, futbol, and more recently kayaking in her new Patagonian home: Futaleufú. She teaches English at a local school and loves turning her daily experiences into stories.

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