John Blomquist: Climbing Expert Regales Travels to Central America

Host of Chalk Talk, a Climbing Industry Podcast.

John Blomquist remembers his travels to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Running through the jungle, sometimes in pouring rain.

Host Ian Robinson made a great travel buddy.

John loved Costa Rica so much he got married there years later.

Introducing the champ, John Blomquist.

“Punta Mona, it’s kind of like this Garden of Eden & you’re greeted by people with the biggest smiles on their faces, because they’re living in heaven.” – John Blomquist (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • Recently started a climbing podcast, Chalk Talk
  • Traveled to Costa Rica with host Ian Robinson in 2007
  • Went to Puerta Viejo en route to Punta Mona
  • Punta Mona is a center for Regenerative Design and Botanical studies, founded by Stephen Brooks
  • How he got lost in the jungle by himself, nearly killed by a coconut
  • Ran through the jungle in the pouring rain with Ian
  • Got married on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica
  • How the unfortunate growth of Costa Rica has lead to it loosing it’s charm
  • After Costa Rica, went to Nicaragua, to Ometepe Island
  • stayed at El Zopilote on Ometepe
  • Traveled to San Juan del Sur
  • More tales of his travels to come on the Love Affair Travel podcast

“Nicaragua still has that developing country charm & it’s such a treat.” – John Blomquist (Tweet It)

Lovely Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Chalk Talk

Music Credits:

Jake Ducey: Almost Died yet Found Purpose

Author of a new book The Purpose Principles.

Jake Ducey is curious about what creates both success and failure.

He left business school to write and travel.

A fall in heavy Indonesian rain caused his life to flash before his eyes.

He headed home to write his first book, which was a huge success.

Now it’s time for his second book to be released to the world.

Say hello to the talented young author, Jake Ducey.

“What can really propel us to do incredible things is being courageous in spite of the fear.” – Jake Ducey (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • Left business school at age 19
  • Decided he wanted to write, and most people did that by traveling
  • Was in Indonesia, hiking in the pouring rain when he slipped and fell
  • Life flashed before his eyes, he cut his travels short to go home to write
  • Didn’t really know how to start writing, started by copying The Great Gatsby like Hunter S. Thompson
  • Finished his transcript, then couldn’t find a publisher
  • Self published Into the Wind, hit top 300 on Amazon, sold 15,000 copies
  • Read The Success Principles by Jack Canfield then when on to meet him at an event
  • Canfield wrote the foreword to his newest book
  • Talks about his Indiegogo expertise and the importance of creating personal connection
  • Was never afraid to just send an email asking for what he wanted
  • Decided to do his own publicity for new book, The Purpose Principles
  • Went to deliver donated bicycles with Tom Shadyac
  • People need to be acknowledged and need to know that their lives matter

“When we take matters into our own hands life really responds.” – Jake Ducey (Tweet It)

Lovely Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Music Credits:

Niall Doherty: How to Write a World Class Book and Cross the Pacific Ocean on a Cargo Ship

Niall is back on the show.

He’s the first guest to be featured for the second time on the Love Affair Travel podcast (he was Episode 1).

Since our first interview Niall has gone a long way on his journey.

We caught up with him just after his pacific crossing.

He wrote an amazing book and is here to tell us all about it.

Give it up for the avid traveller, Niall Doherty.

“I’m not sure if I burn more cash or more fuel.” – Niall Doherty  (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • How to decide if a cargo ship pacific crossing is the right decision
  • Strange stories of South Korea
  • About Disrupting the Rabblement
  • How Niall lives a nomadic life
  • The value of tracking expenses and how to do it
  • The emotional challenges of living and moving in India
  • New ways to understand gratitude
  • The challenges of environmental decision making
  • Book recommendations for rational thinkers
  • How to get comfortable with flirting
  • Business strategies for those who don’t live in one place
  • The role of work and success
  • Daily routines and how Niall’s evolve from country to country
  • How to start a blog
  • The future of Disrupting the Rabblement

Lovely Links:

Business | Manliness | Travel

Suggested Books:

Music Credits:

Take Action:

If given the opportunity to travel abroad and earn online, could you have a healthy work ethic and not be distracted by your awesome new lifestyle?

Jellaine Ross: The Mindset Behind Cherry Blooms

The first time I met Jellaine was when she showed up for a CouchSurf. She was working on a travel blog then called Backpacking in Stilettos. Her mindset was fascinating back then, and where it took her is the stuff of legends.

Despite debt, career and family problems she grew a million dollar business on her own. She didn’t have investors or a team to help her out. All she had was an unbreakable confidence that she would make it.

That’s exactly what she did.  I’m honored to introduce, Jellaine Ross.

“Law of attraction works. If you want something, put it out there and go and get it.” – Jellaine Ross (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • The story of the birth of Cherry Blooms
  • Identifying ultimate dreams… and achieving them
  • The story of the first product and taking it to the flea market
  • How to leave the corporate job, and commit to the dream of creating financial freedom
  • Inspirational books and authors
  • Her six week trip to Europe that shaped her as a dreamer
  • How previous experience in PR cultivated a vast product knowledge
  • Advice for starting a new business, developing a new product and making the first million
  • The importance of studying and reading
  • Listening to audio books to grow business acumen on the road
  • Three things Jellaine recommends to keep in mind when building a business
  • On the struggle of building a business
  • On fearlessness
  • The future of Cherry Blooms

Lovely Links:

Cherry Blooms | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Music Credit:

Benjamin Jenks: Hitchhiking the USA and a New Perspective on Fear

A spontaneous decision led to a journey across America.

All with the goal of meeting people from all walks of life.

On that path he learned that helping people enriches, enhances and reflects who we are as human beings.

So sit tight for the stop-motion video genius.

The one and only, Benjamin Jenks.

“Once you realise that we will all pass away some day, there is no fear.” – Benjamin Jenks (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • How Benjamin started with a travel blog and no clue how to sustain himself
  • Willing Workers On Organic Farms (WWOOF) experiences on a flower farm
  • Tales of the Bayou with Timmy Joe Thibodeau, the French-Cajun outlaw
  • Quality of life vs. nominal value of your money
  • Hitchhiking USA… Yay or Nay?
  • The spiritual journey of entrepreneurship
  • How to travel on the cheap

Lovely Links:

  • Learn more about Gary Snyder the model for Kerouac’s “Dharma Bums”
  • Find out about Couchsurfing
  • Connect with Benjamin:

Adventure Sauce | Twitter | Facebook

Books Mentioned:

Music Credits:

Take Action:

Head over to AdventureSauce.com to learn more about Benjamin.

He’s got lots of sweet GIFs over there like this one.

Colin Wright: Muggings, Minimalism and the Exile Lifestyle

Image Property of Colin Wright

This handsome devil moves to a new country every year.

His readers decide where he will go next.

After 4 year on the road, he’s started a publishing company.

We talk about muggings, baliwood and making money.

So plug in those ear buds, hit play and get outside for a beautiful walk.

Colin Wright is on the show. Tell the WORLD!

“I want to have the things that make me truly happy, but nothing more.” – Colin Wright  (Tweet It)

Travel Topics:

  • Despite co-founding a publishing company in Montana, he spends part of his time in Iceland of all places
  • How Colin’s Exile Lifestyle works
  • How he developed the plan for this lifestyle despite having a blank passport and having never left the USA
  • Living in Argentina for four months as his first expedition
  • The unexpected similarity of Romanian and Argentine Spanish
  • On Romanian cost of living, hospitality and internet speed
  • What his financial situation was like before leaving the USA
  • How the tragic state of New Zealand’s internet shattered his business, yet helped him refocus his aspirations on publishing
  • Why publishing is the best vehicle to realize your ideal lifestyle
  • Useful tips on avoiding victimization in impoverished countries
  • Colin’s (surprisingly) heroic story of punching a guy to avoid getting mugged
  • The risks of getting mugged in Christchurch, New Zealand
  • How New Zealand is one of the safest, easiest countries to travel in the world
  • MINIMALISM | from 8 computers and a walk in closet to carry on luggage
  • The value of traveling light
  • Humanism… We’re all human first and everything on top is icing
  • How the fear of the other doesn’t matter as much as the media and politicians make it out to be
  • Why understanding humanism can be a helpful tool on your journey
  • How to enjoy communication despite having neither language or culture in common
  • On the value of sustainability in consumption, economy and travel
  • On being bullied out of the rainforest by howler monkeys
  • A hilarious tale of playing the Cowboy in a Bollywood movie
  • How travel has effected his entrepreneurial work
  • The value of diversifying income streams
  • About his publishing company/start-up incubator he co-founded
  • The philosophical frame work that Colin has build in Act Accordingly
  • That travel is valuable and the sooner you take advantage of it the better

“The most important thing is that you have what you need, as opposed to owning stuff that is excessive.” – Colin Wright (Tweet It)

Lovely Links:

Exile Lifestyle | ColinIsMy.Name | Asymmetrical PressTwitter

Music Credits:

Take Action:

Did this episode have an effect on you? What are you doing next?

Feel to leave a comment below or share this with your friends.

Shantaram: Gergory David Roberts

I spent long days picking apples while living in the Australian mountains. A departing French guy gave me a giant, beat up, old novel that was partially being eaten by black mold. This novel changed my life. It’s called Shantaram. Every evening after tremendous days of fruit picking, I would pull my lawn chair from the van I was living in, brew a cup of instant coffee and read this amazing book as the vibrant sun set across the enormous Australian sky.

This novel was my savior. I was enthralled. It wrapped me in so many layers of intrigue: adventure, adversity, travel, language, drugs, war, death, poverty, purpose…

I can’t recommend the book enough. I think it played a pivotal role in my decision to continue travel working. If you’d like to buy Shantaram on Amazon, please us my affiliate link (?) to support my writing. Thank you.

In the video below, Roberts talks about some of the stories that he writes about in the book. Enjoy ->

Video #1 

 I recommend you watch all eight of them.


Notice how Roberts mentions that he became a doctor not because he went there to save people or to help, it happened inadvertently; the job became him. This is a key understanding to long term travel. You can have your goal, but expect that your travels will change you. You will meld to the circumstances and in this transition, you will learn invaluable life lessons.

I’ve heard rumors that Johnny Depp bought the rights to the book and plans to make it a Hollywood move. I’m a big fan of Johnny’s and him doing the character of Linbaba sounds like a dream.

“The contours of all our virtues are shaped by adversity”