My latest world traveller interview will have you curious and eager to check out his site. Through the eyes and dreams of Mig Pascual we venture from Chicago and Vegas down to Medellin in Colombia with the Curious Nomad!
Who are you?
Mig
Where are you from?
I’m from Chicago, but was living in Las Vegas for the past 5 years prior to starting nomadic life.
Where have you been?
I’ve traveled through Europe, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. See the list of destinations.
World Travellers: Mig Pascual the curious nomad cycling in Panama City!
Where are you now?
Medellin, Colombia – While traveling through Nicaragua, I learned about an opportunity to teach kids and teachers computers and business English in Colombia. I’ll be based here for several months to work on this project.
What are the top 3 places you’ve visited?
Most travelers may say that this is a tough question to answer. I think traveling is more about the people you meet along the journey than particular places you visit.
If I did have to pick three I would say:
1) Barcelona for food and architecture. Plus, I’m interested in learning about Spanish
Imperialism and Colonialism.
2) Nicaragua is new on my list because I think the people are great. I didn’t feel hustled
when taking taxis or buying stuff. Tourism is still developing.
3) Colombia for the warmth and friendliness of the people.
What is the best travel experience you’ve had?
The best experiences I’ve had were never planned in advance. They all happened spontaneously.
While on a bicycle tour through Costa Rica and Panama, I’ve had locals invite me into their home and share their food, a farmer took me to chase pigs, and a friend gifted me their credit card points for a free stay at a 5 star hotel resort on the beach. In the past, I was able to ride a private jet for free (3 times) since it was a work benefit at the last company I worked at.
Now, I’m starting to volunteer more on projects related to hunger, poverty, and education so I’m excited to create more awesomer travel experiences.
World Travellers: Decent view of Granada in Nicaragua as shot by Mig Pascual.
What is the worst travel experience you’ve had?
It would be a toss up between paragliding hung-over after a night of clubbing or getting mugged in Rio.
World Travellers: Mig Pascual volunteering in Guatemala.
What is the funniest travel experience you’ve had?
There are several memories to just have one funny experience, here are three:
• Probably getting strange looks at a café in Barcelona for ordering a lot of food at 5 p.m.
since Spaniards eat dinner late in the evenings.
• When I was three years old I ran into a glass window at a shopping mall in Manila and my family laughed at me.
• Sliding in donkey shit along the trail several times while hiking to the Lost City.
What is the scariest travel experience you’ve had?
The scariest moment would be almost drowning while snorkeling near Lovers Beach in Cabo San Lucas. The tide was quite high and I didn’t have any experience. I got caught near the coral where the waves pulled me towards sea and then slammed me up on the rocks. I couldn’t manage to swim out of the strong current. I ended up climbing on the rocks and cutting myself pretty badly.
What is the most random job you have had on your travels?
I haven’t had totally random jobs yet, but I wanted to learn about the hostel business so I worked at one in Costa Rica. Maybe when I’m done with life on the road, I’d like to build a hostel or place for travelers to connect, share experiences, and learn.
How do you fund your travels?
I got rid of almost everything I owned, sold my car, paid off credit card debt, and saved money to travel for a whole year. Soon, I’ll be looking to work remotely.
What 3 tips would you give a new traveller before they set off on their adventure?
1. Pack light. Everything should be able to fit on a carry on. The less you carry, the further and faster you can move.
2. Be open to where the journey will take you. Allow for serendipity to happen.
3. Ask why. Why do you want to visit X? Discover the reason that is driving your decision to go somewhere. When you know why, it makes deciding and prioritizing places to visit easier.
World Travellers: The curious nomad Mig Pascual does Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Catalonia.
What are your future travel plans?
I’ll be settled in Medellin for a bit to volunteer and work remotely so I can save money for travel to Africa.
Biography:
Mig Pascual is an adventurer, storyteller, and change agent. He is following his dream to travel round-the-world with no fixed plans. His purpose is to explore cultures and volunteer abroad hoping to inspire others to make a difference too.
Links (website, twitter, facebook):
Curious Nomad
Twitter @curiousnomad
Facebook curiousnomadtravel
Thanks to Mig Pascual the Curious Nomad for being the latest in my series of World Travellers! If you travel the world and run a travel blog or are a travel writer, please get in touch, you can be featured (there’s a HUGE waiting list at present), either e-mail jonny (at) dontstopliving (dot) net or head to my contacts page and get connected! You can also subscribe to Don’t Stop Living by filling in the form below! Safe travels!