The latest in my World Travellers series is Jamie Campbell from Gaijin Crew who comes from Scotland but blogs from Japan. Here is Jamie’s story…
Who are you?
I’m Jamie. I’m a travel blogger and budget backpacker, always looking for uniques experiences and adventures. My travel blog (Gaijin Crew) focuses on backpacking on a budget and making travel into a lifestyle.
Where are you from?
I’m from Scotland; a small town just east of Edinburgh.
World Travellers: Jamie from Gaijin Crew at Mlount Fuji Summit
Where have you been?
15 countries in total (having just finished school a couple years ago, I’m looking to get that number a lot higher in the coming years), mostly in Europe and Asia.
Where are you now?
I’m writing this from Yuzawa, Japan which is a popular ski town a couple of hours from Tokyo.
What are the top 3 places you’ve visited?
Japan as a whole, Chiang Mai in Thailand and probably Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
World Travellers: Jamie from Gaijin Crew with friend Joe and girlfriend Wakana (Mui Ne sand dunes)
What is the best travel experience you’ve had?
Me and three friends travelled around Japan after we finished our season, working as ski instructors. We got to see so many parts of the country and experience so many aspects of Japanese culture. I gained three friends for life on this trip and it’s when I officially caught the travel bug!
What is the worst travel experience you’ve had?
Visiting Halong Bay in Vietnam. Not the bay itself (it’s incredible), but the fact that our Airbnb host bailed to Hanoi and dodged all of our attempts to contact him, leaving us with no place to stay. On top of that, my girlfriend sliced her foot open on a brick in the street and needed medical supplies, not to mention I also suffered through what was one of the worst meals of my life which resulted in the infamous “traveller’s diarrhoea”! But, if that’s going to be the worst experience of my travels to date, I’m okay with that.
World Travellers: Jamie from Gaijin Crew in Japan Ski-ing
What is the funniest travel experience you’ve had?
New Year’s party in Japan. I think. Kind of a tough night to remember.
What is the scariest travel experience you’ve had?
Almost getting arrested by corrupt police officers in Mui Ne. Luckily our Airbnb host came to save the day.
What is the most random job you have had on your travels?
Working at a hostel/craft beer bar in Tokyo, even though I spoke little to no Japanese. One day, they even had me working as a photographer for a cosplay fashion shoot that was going on!
How do you fund your travels?
Mainly from savings and living as cheaply as possible. When I moved back home for five months I lived with my parents to keep living costs down.
As my travel blog/online business starts growing and bringing in more money, it’ll be able to solely fund my travel lifestyle.
World Travellers: Jamie Campbell from Gaijin Crew exploring Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh
What 3 tips would you give a new traveller before they set off on their adventure?
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Pack light – Choose a backpack (no bigger than 70-litres). I’m not about the suitcase life. It’s called “backpacking”, right? Stick to the essentials and be brutally honest when packing. The smaller your backpack, the more careful and selective you’re forced to be when packing. I personally travel with a single, 40-litre backpack which is accepted as carry on, on flights.
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Save money – Eat like a local (street food and local supermarkets), ride local transport and stay in cheap/free accommodation (backpacker hostels, CouchSurfing). If you want to make travel a lifestyle, sell your car on a site like Autovolo UK or move into a smaller place (you’re not going to be living in it much anyway). The most important thing is to get into the “savings mindset” and make travel a priority. This will make it easier to start living cheaper. What many people don’t realise is that living on the road can often end up being cheaper than staying at home!
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Ignore the mainstream media – We’re often told that the world is this big, scary, dangerous place and that we’ll be okay as long as we remain tucked in our little corner of the world. This is total BS. Remain cautious. Travel smart. But don’t be afraid just because some guy in a suit has told you to be.
What are your future travel plans?
Up in the air at the moment. Countries I’d most like to visit in the near future:
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Australia
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New Zealand
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The Philippines
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India
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Bhutan
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Pakistan
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Finland
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Mexico
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Costa Rica
Hopefully, I’ll be able to visit a few of these in the next year or so!
Biography
I’m a budget backpacker, digital nomad and travel blogger who’s been on the road since leaving high school in 2016. My favourite things about travel are the food (obviously), the adventure and the sense of freedom I feel, living life on the road.
Links
Blog: https://gaijincrew.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GaijinCrewTravel/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GaijinCrew
Thanks to Jamie 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 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!