Meet the Crew: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

Posted: 4/30/2020

It takes a village to maintain this web site going. From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or working the boards, I’ve loads of assist. I merely couldn’t run the web site, write, journey, eat, sleep, or something in between if I didn’t have the assist and assist of an incredible group of individuals.

It’s not simply me writing and posting about my travels. I’ve an enormous group of full-time employees serving to juggle all the things.

I noticed loads of you don’t notice that so, immediately, I needed to introduce the crew to you.

So, with out additional ado, right here’s they’re:
 

Erica

Erica has been working for me for nearly six and a half years and is the occasions director of The Nomadic Community, our journey neighborhood. She retains this neighborhood thriving. In her personal phrases:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to high school in Virginia. Throughout a quarter-life disaster at age 21, I selected to complete my final 12 months of school on an journey in Qatar! From that second on, my life revolved round touring cheaply with the cash I earned from waitressing. That funds bought me to show English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines within the Caribbean and Costa Rica; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned house to Connecticut, decided to get a job in journey. Quickly after, I met Nomadic Matt at a journey meet-up in NYC, and the remaining is historical past.

I whole-heartedly consider that touring makes associates of strangers, and the extra associates there are on this planet, the extra peace there’s on this planet.

13 Info about Me

1. At 15, I helped construct a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.
2. 1. I cooked an American Thanksgiving feast for my Thai co-English lecturers in Thailand the place barely any of the mashed potatoes, carrots and peas have been eaten so my host-grandmother fed in to the monks for the next week unbeknownst to me.
3. I’ve minimize off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!
4. I as soon as hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught 4 and made soup. I used to be a vegetarian on the time.
5. In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable dwelling neighborhood known as Rancho Mastatal, the place I realized the way to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and construct a home out of cob.
6. I spent 11 days on a coconut water solely quick at a yoga retreat in Cambodia, twice
7. I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was in a position to simply save sufficient cash for 21 months of continuous journey. I additionally taught the scholars the way to use “boo” colloquially.
8. This music video I made was once one of many prime hits whenever you looked for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
9. In Zambia, my pal and I got a stay hen as a gift. We have been vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand denims within the city’s market.
10. I bought 19 folks (the scholars and lecturers on a FLYTE journey) into an airport lounge in Ecuador without cost. I feel that’s a journey hacking report!
11. My school schooling was totally free. How? I bought a ton of tiny scholarships (I utilized for everybody I may get my arms on) that added up, being a Residential Assistant within the dorms, and finding out in Qatar really saved me cash (in the most costly nation on this planet).
12. In Korea, I dated a man who spoke no English and we mainly communicated by drawing photos and reciting American rap lyrics.
13. Final summer season, I took a visit to Tunisia with some associates. I want I may have stayed longer – what a cool nation!

 

Chris O.

Chris joined the crew because the part-time supervisor of the boards again in 2015. Since then, he’s transitioned to full-time and has branched out into the Celebrity Running a blog program and helps me with all of our numerous admin duties. In his personal phrases:

I grew up in a small city in Ontario, Canada, and spent my childhood listening to punk rock, studying Star Wars novels, and usually getting as much as no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I made a decision to present journey a attempt. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have by no means appeared again! It wasn’t lengthy after that journey that I took a break from college (the place I used to be finding out historical past and theatre) to maneuver to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve roughly been wandering round ever since. Some notable adventures embrace taking the Trans-Siberian Railway throughout Russia and Mongolia, strolling the Camino de Santiago twice, and happening a 10-day highway journey round Iceland with full strangers.

Once I’m not touring, I stay in Sweden and could be discovered studying, writing, or hanging out with my rescue canine, Grimo.

13 Info about Me

1. I spent 9 months dwelling in Buddhist monasteries.
2. I lived in a tent for a 12 months.
3. I used to be as soon as stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the identical journey.
4. I haven’t had alcohol in 16 years.
5. I’ve damaged all my fingers and toes, and my nostril thrice, and I’ve fractured each my wrists.
6. I labored on an natural farm for 11 years.
7. I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.
8. I grew up subsequent door to Avril Lavigne.
9. I wrote a e-book (and am engaged on one other one)
10. I performed inter-mural Quidditch in highschool and was our crew’s Seeker.
11. I’ve a Star Wars tattoo.
12. I’ve been vegan for 15 years.
13. I’ve a scar from a combat that broke out over which Norse god was “the perfect.”

 

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all of the tech and improvement work for the web site. He retains it working, fixes any errors you discover, and offers with my continuously altering design needs. In his personal phrases:

I’m dwelling the nice life in Western Australia by the seashore with my wonderful household. I bought into the world of running a blog after quitting my job, backpacking round Europe and, as all Aussies do, enterprise a working vacation within the UK. Like all of us who journey and fall in love with it, no person desires to go house afterwards.

That journey bought me into making a journey weblog a few years in the past, which is how I first got here to know Matt. I’ve since repurposed my IT expertise from my outdated life and shaped my very own enterprise to assist out different bloggers with their web sites.

13 Info about Me

1. I like Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).
2. I’ve labored with Matt the longest out of anybody right here. (Take that crew!)
3. I took off to backpack Europe after I was 29.
4. I’m an advocate for Vegemite and consider all guests to Australia should do that nationwide treasure.
5. One among my favourite actions is to take an extended highway journey, particularly with household and associates.
6. I do not know how four-way cease indicators in the usA. don’t all find yourself as accidents.
7. I don’t drink Fosters. It’s a horrible beer. Nobody in Australia really drinks it.
8. I like to think about myself as an beginner photographer.
9. I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the trainer.
10. My first job was working in a grocery store.
11. I can’t sleep on a aircraft – irrespective of how lengthy the flight is.
12. I can identify each Thomas the Tank Engine character due to my son.
13. I don’t drink espresso or get folks’s love for it. Tea all the best way!

 

Raimee

Raimee does all of our social media and content material advertising. She schedules posts, tweaks my horrible pictures so they give the impression of being good on Instagram, builds out our content material calendar, analyzes information, edits video, creates digital advertising campaigns, and designs our social media graphics! In her personal phrases:

Once I was simply 14 years outdated, I took my first worldwide journey to Honduras and Belize with my household. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with folks from all walks of life, and studying about myself and the world by the facility of journey! After graduating with a level in promoting and advertising from Michigan State College and 4 years as a digital advertising specialist, I noticed that company life was not for me. My insatiable have to expertise the world past a desk led me to seek for a job-related to journey. I’ve adopted this weblog for a few years, and now I get to work for it remotely whereas I strategize, handle, and report on the social media accounts — and I like each second of it!

13 Info about Me

1. I’m obsessive about Harry Potter. I’ve learn every e-book not less than 10 instances. If I informed you what number of instances I’ve watched the flicks, you in all probability wouldn’t consider me.
2. I as soon as frolicked with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at a Pink Wings sport in Detroit, and really stored my cool the entire time (facet word: He’s a SUPER good man!)
3. Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was the most effective days of my life.
4. My mother was obsessive about the 80’s horror film Evil Lifeless directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.
5. After having visited about 30 nations, Iceland remains to be my favourite.
6. My largest journey dream is to take a highway journey round New Zealand!
7. I attempt to learn 1-2 e-book(s) EVERY week!
8. I used to play the saxophone (and I want I nonetheless did!)
9. I conquered my worry of heights by leaping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!
10. I like languages and was near being fluent in German throughout school.
11. I’ve acted in a number of impartial and brief movies and as an additional in some community TV exhibits (I even have an IMDB web page!)
12. In one other life, I might have been a movie director/producer. Perhaps some day!
13. My favourite quantity is 13.

 

Carmela

Carmela is the Government Director of our non-profit FLYTE that makes journey accessible to underserved youth from throughout the nation. She handles something and all the things from fundraising, working with our accomplice colleges to plan scholar journeys overseas, connecting with our unbelievable donor neighborhood, and managing our volunteer crew.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I had the privilege of taking my first worldwide journey after I was three to go to my household within the Philippines the place I refused to experience the native jeepneys as a result of they didn’t have seatbelts! Since then, my love for journey has developed. In 2012, my husband, Raymund, and I took a around the world honeymoon that was presupposed to scratch the journey itch (lol). We got here again house to NYC for a number of years earlier than taking the leap to turn out to be full-time distant employees, and have lived all around the world ever since.

Once I’m not working FLYTE, I like planning journeys (even when they’re not my very own), training yoga, mountain climbing, mountain climbing, studying, consuming, and consuming cookies (that are their very own meals group, in my view).

1. I LOVE Math! I’ve a level in it, taught statistics to varsity college students, and few matters make me happier than a nicely functioning Excel spreadsheet.
2. I come from a household of educators. My mother and father have been each lecturers earlier than they immigrated to the US from the Philippines within the 70’s. Earlier than I left to journey, I labored for the Chancellor of NYC Public Colleges, the most important faculty district within the nation, and now working FLYTE is just about my dream job as a result of it combines my love for schooling with journey.
3. The Infamous BIG and I share the identical birthday. Juicy is one in all my favourite songs.
4. I nonetheless don’t absolutely perceive the way to use Twitter.
5. I like suspenseful motion pictures & TV exhibits, however hate the sensation of being in suspense, so I usually learn what occurs earlier than watching so I can loosen up and luxuriate in my viewing expertise.
6. My favourite cartoon is Alvin & the Chipmunks. I nonetheless have an Alvin doll that I used to be gifted on my 1st birthday. It bears no resemblance to the precise Alvin Seville anymore.
7. I attended an all women highschool and a girls’s school – that setting there largely formed who I’m immediately.
8. My responsible pleasure is watching Terrace Home – the Japanese equal to the Actual World.
9. My dad has an equivalent twin brother they usually used to play tips on me and my cousin after we have been youthful. It’s equally humorous and traumatizing.
10. I hate raisins, particularly in cookies.
11. I’m an solely youngster, however have over 30 first cousins. I like them as in the event that they have been my precise siblings.
12. Raymund and I met in Hawaii. For that, and plenty of different causes, it’s my most favourite place on this planet.
13. I do know each lyric to each track from the Sound of Music.

 

Nomadic Matt

And, lastly, there’s me. You in all probability know quite a bit about me after twelve years of running a blog (typically I overlook how lengthy it’s been), however right here’s a fast refresh:

Rising up in Boston, I used to be by no means an enormous traveler. I didn’t take my first journey abroad till 2004. That journey modified my life and opened me as much as the probabilities the world needed to provide. One 12 months later, I went to Thailand, the place I met 5 backpackers who impressed me to give up my job and journey the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking journey — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Info about Me

1. I like politics as a lot as I like journey and can debate for the enjoyment for it.
2. I like to cook dinner.
3. Once I was in highschool, I used to be my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I do know — tremendous nerdy, proper? It bought me a free journey NYC with my pal (who got here in quantity two!).
4. I at all times fear concerning the future and sometimes use my time again house to develop expertise wanted for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper pal Vanessa for instructing me about seeds!
5. I as soon as met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.
6. I’m an unabashed Taylor Swift fan.
7. I don’t drink espresso.
8. I consider aliens exist. It’s mathematically unimaginable they don’t.
9. I’m fearful of flying.
10. I realized to swing dance so I may throw myself a Gatsby-themed celebration.
11. Either side of my household got here by Ellis Island and you may see their names on the wall the place they listing all of the immigrants.
12. I was the top of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Membership that promoted vitality effectivity.
13. I went to varsity to be a highschool historical past trainer.

***

So there you’ve got it! The Nomadic Matt crew! It’s bizarre to assume this weblog I began to easily be on-line résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven folks to run. I at all times thought the extra techniques, automation, merchandise, and passive revenue I arrange, the simpler it will be. I may simply sit on a seashore. Nevertheless it appears the extra we do, the extra we create, the extra initiatives I inform the crew we’re taking up, the extra assist we require. I assume that’s the nature of the beast however I might have it no different means. I like what we do right here. We assist lots of people notice their desires.

And a man couldn’t ask for higher co-workers to assist make that occur.

P.S. – We’ve launched a brand new Patreon the place you will get tales and suggestions I don’t share on this weblog, a non-public Fb group, cellphone calls with me and the crew, stay Q&As, postcards from the highway, signed copies of my books, and rather more! Click on right here to get entry!

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