Zipkick Blogger: Dave Brett from Travel Dave

Zipkick Blogger:  Dave Brett from Travel Dave 

 

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

Has to be my first trip to Finland, it changed everything. This was my first time travelling solo on my own, first time encountering a culture, my first taste of independence, my first time over packing and lugging a huge wheelie bag around a country!

Took a lot out of my first trip to Finland and I’m truly grateful for all the Finnish people that made me feel so welcome and kick started my travelling addiction.

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

Would for sure head directly to Cuba, sort out one of those old school apartments with 2nd hand furniture with the mattress on the floor, grab a box of cigars and a bottle of Rum, open the window shades, listen to the Latin American music blasting out from the cafe across the road and get on with some Hemingway style writing sessions. I love to write with atmosphere, it helps massively with my flow and makes writing most enjoyable.

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

This year I visited Laos for the first time and was invited to a rice field to help plough the lands with a few local farmers for the day. My job for the day was to manage the farms Ox called Suzuki. Not wanting to look silly amongst my newly adopted Laos friends I decided to go along that I knew how to plough a rice field with an Ox.

Suzuki was a very powerful Ox and I underestimated it’s speed as I ended up roaming around half the paddy field in record time. The local farmers enjoyed the whole show, not sure we farmed much rice that day.

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

TripIt is my favourite app as its perfect for lazy travellers like myself who hate planning and prefer doing. All I have to do is simply book my travels and TripIt organises everything for me automatically and keeps it in one easy to find place. If I didn’t have TripIt, I’d probably have to hire someone, It’s a life saver for those constantly travelling on the road.

5- What place do you wish more people have seen?

South Korea, I feel it gets overlooked. I love the Korean culture, Korean Food, Korean way of life, its unique and most importantly an extremely fun country to visit. The moment I left Korea I wanted to go back again, can’t wait to return

6- Best advice you have been given and by whom?

The World is meant to be experienced not Imagined – Chris Guillebeau

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

I was exploring Langkawi, Malaysia and a local (now good friend) invited me around to his family home and his family prepared some local Malaysian food for me to try and experience. It was great spending time with him and his family and trying food how it should be prepared, with people around a table at home, it was a lovely experience and was for sure the highlight of my trip to the island.

8- What inspired you to travel for extended periods of time or live in a new
Country?

I read a book called know before you go by, Tom Griffiths back in 2007, it was a book focused on taking a Gap Year and he later found the website gapyear.com. The booked explained why you should take a gap year, funnily enough, I used it to hack my life, he suggested 10 or so different methods of taking a year out and why you should do it. I thought to myself, why can’t I do 10 gap years?

It’s now 2015 and I’m still on my gap year, its working, I think I should call it a gap life, maybe a good idea for a new blog.

9- I am a zip kick blogger because….

Community is important and its awesome to share the world with the world through numbers, I’m happy to be apart of the Zipkicker community.

Find out more about Dave and follow him:

Facebook// Twitter// Instagram//TravelDave

 

Hello, my Name is Dave Brett, I’m 26 years old and I was born and raised in the city of London in the United Kingdom. Travelled to 86 countries, studied and lived in Finland, Wales and The Netherlands, worked and lived in Singapore, Thailand, Switzerland and the USA and this has all been made possible by being frugal and sticking to a backpackers budget, working remotely and living a digital nomadic lifestlye.