| Interview with Corporate Whore No More |
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March 18, 2009 RYSA 10 Questions for…Justin from Corporate Whore No More 1. Tell me a little about yourself and where you are right now. Right now? I’m sitting in my parents’ kitchen in Omaha, Neb. Part of quitting your job to travel for a year and a half means that you’ll run out of money and probably camp out at mom and dad’s for awhile. I’m still not a corporate whore; I’ve got a job at a great locally owned restaurant. 2. What made you give up job security and a steady income to travel around the world? A big part of why I decided to break the bonds of the cubicle was that, despite it always being part of “the plan,” I never did a semester abroad in college. I felt that I owed myself some sort of overseas experience and that if I didn’t do it while I was in my 20s, it probably wouldn’t happen. 3. How much of your trip was pre-planned? How did you decide how long you would stay in one location before moving on? Going to China in September 2008, I had even less planned. Again, I had a one-way ticket, this time to Beijing. I read a lot about China before I went, so I had an idea of which regions I wanted to check out. But it was very much by the seat of my pants. About 60 days or so into my time in China, I had an epiphany of sorts. Rather than head on to parts of Southeast Asia, as I had originally planned, I bought a ticket to Buenos Aires. So I went half way around the world for a good steak. 4. Are there any particularly unique festivals or holiday celebrations that you witnessed while traveling? While not unique, one thing I particularly enjoyed was the plethora of government holidays in New Zealand (including the Queen’s birthday, which they don’t even observe in Britain). Kiwis love a day off from work—it always meant a great barbecue and plenty of beer. I also enjoyed a great Christmas Eve dinner, prepared by locals, in Córdoba, Argentina. 5. Any favorite experiences from your travels you can share with us? My time in China was my favorite part of my trip, overall. It was cool to jump off the high dive into such a foreign culture. But a few of my favorite experiences throughout my time abroad are: Learning Chinese drinking games over a candlelit dinner high in the mountains of Sichuan Province after the power went out. Body boarding down a giant sand dune in northern New Zealand. Pretty much every steak in Argentina; beef is a religion there. All my weekends out on Courtenay Place and Cuba Street in Wellington. 6. Any recommendations for solo travelers? The world isn’t as scary as some might have you think. Don’t go to places where you obviously shouldn’t go, such as war zones or natural disaster sites. But in all parts of the globe, you’ll meet other solo travelers and you’ll never be alone. You’ll make friends very easily, because everyone is in the same boat. And it’s often easy to make friends with locals, especially when you’re in a place like China, where there aren’t many foreigners, and you This is the last thing any foreign traveler will have to worry about. I can think of only one time, in the middle of China, when I had access to neither a foreign-dialing phone nor the Internet. In both New Zealand and China, I got a local SIM card. There are Internet cafes everywhere, with Skype-equipped machines. China, believe it or not, generally had the fastest Internet access of any place I visited. You’ll be able to talk to folks at home as much or as little as you’d like. 8. What could you not travel without?I don’t care what people say about enjoying all the sounds of where you are, I would have died without my iPod. Long bus rides go so much faster and it’s a godsend when you have a snorer in your room. And now, I won’t leave home without some duct tape and bubble gum buried somewhere in my bag. I saved the day with these two simple items, helping patch a tire in Sichuan, China. (http://www.corporatewhorenomore.com/2008/09/wow-duct-tape-does-fix-everything.html) But really, there’s not much I “need.” I definitely learned this after losing all sorts of things, not limited to my shoes (twice), flip flops, camera case and even my whole wallet. 9. Any recommendations for traveling on a budget?There are so many resources out there that provide budget travel advice. A big part of traveling cheaply depends on where you go. Obviously it costs more to be in London than in rural China.  The biggest I’ll offer is to eat where the locals eat. Don’t follow the Lonely Planet because those places have already raised their prices. Ask people who work at hostels or local information kiosks for suggestions; they never let you down. 10. Any recommendations for students abroad or thinking of studying abroad, especially in this tough economy?Do it! Don’t let yourself regret this opportunity down the road. Americans don’t have the gap years or overseas experiences that are so common for folks from Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and many other countries. In visiting another place, you’ll meet people not just from there but from across the globe. You’ll learn so much about other cultures and even more about your own. Thanks so much for your time! Corporate Whore No More chronicles Justin’s travels and adventures as he traveled the world for a year and a half, visiting New Zealand, China, Argentina, Uruguay and Panama. He has returned to the United States, resuming ‘normal’ life. Check out his blog to read more about his time abroad. For More Interviews from Travelers and Others, chek out: Interview With The Guys and Gals at EuroCheapo.com! -March 4, 2009 Interview With Karen from EuropeALaCarte Blog -March 5, 2009 Interview with Shannon, who runs the Institute of International Education's website! -March 11, 2009 Interview with Brooke from Brooke vs. the World website -March 16, 2009 Interview with Nick from BudgetGlobeTrotting.com -March 17, 2009 Interview with Justin from Corporate Whore No More website -March 18, 2009 Interview with Gary from Everything Everywhere website -March 19, 2009
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Today we are featuring Justin Gilmore, the writer of 
When I originally set off in September 2007, I had a one-way ticket to Auckland, New Zealand. I had a working-holiday visa and intended to spend the majority of my time in a to-be determined city or town, waiting tables. All I knew was that I had to be back in the States the following June to be the best man in my friend’s poorly timed wedding. Before I settled in Wellington, I hopped from place to place, usually with no sense of how long I’d be there. When it was time to move on, I did. 
stand out anyway. I met so many people who were happy to have visitors in their country and they went out of their way, despite massive language barriers, to make sure I got where I needed to go.