Interview with Tom Blodgett

Tom has been one of my best friends ever since I moved to Seattle. We've been on many great adventures together across US, Canada and Mexico. Some highlights over the years would be when we drove to Yellowstone hitting every brewery we could find along the way. There's nothing like chugging a growler outside Big Sky Brewery only to fill it minutes later. Then there was the 12 mile hike out to the Enchanted Valley in Olympics with his visiting sister. Tom was also a major influence in our own decision to go travelling. I remember the time he posted a date on our fridge for us to leave. While we never made that date it did get the ball rolling.  

How long have you been traveling?

I've not "worked" since mid-October 2010 (except for two days hand-whacking a tedious Vermont landscape) and volunteering. I haven't always been on the move, like the couple months resting in a Vermont cabin, yet I have retained the freedom to move around at anytime. A right which I exercise frequently, from bus trips around the U.S., to Asia, and now thru Central America.

What was the hardest thing to leave behind?

Wonderful people everywhere, and every time -- locals, travelers, family, etc -- of which I always promise to return to (and mostly have, or will). Secondly, a pair of sturdy sandals I lost early on (followed by numerous hats, sun shades, and shirts).

Any favorite countries, cities or villages?

Each country and city has been lovable for different reasons making this a difficult, and common, question. China and Japan really moved me, followed by Cambodia (specifically Battambang). New York and New Orleans had amazing energies; Beijing, Hong Kong, Hanoi, and Guadalajara (MX) are the best blends of the past and the present (places where tourists don't matter); Lafayette (Louisiana) has its own little magic; and, Luang Prabang is just a heaven of a city on top of a mountain (with the best bar in the world, aptly named Utopia Bar). Most often, it's about the people I meet, and rarely the attractions.

What's one experience you will never forget?

Without neglecting many people, places, and experiences: my favorite recent experience was joining a fellow traveler on his quest to canoe the Mississippi river -- he was the captain and I was the "hitchhiker". Two weeks felt like two months, and it was something that solely happened by chance. It was a risk which gave me insight into a part of America I was wholly unfamiliar with -- the Mighty Mississippi. 

Oddest thing you've eaten and enjoyed?

Lol. Of all the things from farmed dog, to a beating snake heart -- I'd say a boiled egg, which had partially matured, was the oddest (probably considered an "aphrodisiac"). I didn't expect it. Tiny whole-fried frogs and crickets no longer seem odd, and are delicious. The list grows. Suggestions?

Funniest experience on the road so far?

I have thousands of inside jokes and infinite blunders, known and unknown to me. Bathroom mistakes, and drinking escapades. One great day, I ended up in Bangkok for Thailand's New Year's, Songkran -- aka, the water festival. Three nights and four full days of being wet. Water guns, water buckets, water balloons -- an unrelenting spray of "cleansing" water which has come a far way from it origins of receiving a monks blessing by water. The touristy streets were a mess of supersoakers and alcohol, so, exhausted, I took to the backstreets and joined up with groups of locals; drinking and laughing as we doused unsuspecting people riding buses, waiting for buses, and walking by. The communication barrier was overcome with laughter, and no one in the city seemed mad about this.

What's been your most recent adventure?

After three weeks of studying Spanish in Xela (Guatemala), I built up a lot of anticipation, then tore off through Guatemala, to Belize and back into Mexico by every form of transportation possible (minus a plane). During this time I hiked an inactive volcano by full moon, kayaked around Lago Atitlan, walked about water caves and limestone pools, spotted the elusive Qetzal, reconnected with traveling friends, snorkeled with sting rays pressing themselves against my body -- and, that's with a strained leg slowing me down. :)

Any tips for people considering long term traveling?

It is possible! -- sometimes just hard to envision. And, as fun and interesting as you've ever imagined. I am not some amazing person, perfect at traveling. I make a lot of mistakes, and I learn from then. Then I make them again. And again. My first thought, at the start of my travels in Japan -- was, "why didn't I think to do this years ago?" My immediate second thought was, "why I am wasting time with regrets?" And I've been fast forward in the school of life since. It's not for everyone, I understand that now; but it works for me.

Define: Adventure

An adventure has never required travel, only being a tourist in your surroundings. Seeking out without direction. Or, with new sights and curiosities in mind. Turning over a rock, or climbing a rock face. Being a "kid" the whole time, who loves every moment of the exploration and does so, eager with endless fascination. Traveling only magnifies the possibilities of adventures.