Frequently Asked Questions

During my travels, I often get asked many questions. Here are some of the most common questions that I tend to receive either while traveling or via email.

If you have a question that has not been answered on here, please feel free to contact me. I will typically respond within 2 business days.

Question 1: How old are you? Are you married, and do you have kids?

I am 39.

I am not married, nor do I have a significant other. I don’t have any children.

Question 2: When did you start traveling?

I started traveling with relative frequency in 2011 when I did my first solo trip to Taiwan and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand). Prior to that, I only traveled very sporadically and infrequently.

Question 3: How many countries have you visited? Did you actually leave the airport or simply fly over?

As of January 2023, I have visited 102 countries along 6 geopolitical entities that are not recognized countries but form significant territories (Iraqi Kurdistan, Transnistria, Republika Srpska, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and Zanzibar).

I consider visiting a country as getting through immigration and leaving the airport if applicable (Liechtenstein and San Marino had no border formalities). In my opinion, simply staying in an airport for a layover or flying over its territory does not count as visiting a country.

In all cases, I have either arrived via air and passed through immigration and left the airport, or I have taken day trips to places, went through border formalities, and spent the day exploring the area.

Question 4: Are you a full-time traveler or travel writer? What do you do for a living that allows you to do all of this traveling?

I am not a full-time traveler nor a travel writer. I am a university lecturer in a field unrelated to travel and tourism, so I only travel when I have holiday time.

Question 5: Why do you want to visit every country in the world? What will you do after you complete that goal?

I’m fascinated by different cultures, and I love seeing sites that I have only ever read about or seen pictures of in person. I want to get to all of these places to see them with my own eyes and form my own opinions. Also, it’s hard to explain, but there is a certain thrill that I get when I finally see something in real life that I had only heard about secondhand. That feeling of seeing something in real life never gets old.

After I complete my goal, I will probably return to many of these places and visit parts that I did not have a chance to see prior. Also, I will probably look to more challenging and remote places that are not typically seen as tourist destinations.

Question 6: Do you ever get scared or lonely traveling alone?

I always take precautions when I travel to cut down on the chances of something really bad happening. However, there are still times when it can be a little scary, especially when first arriving in a new country and walking into a chaotic arrivals hall in the airport. Admittedly, that is often the scariest part of travel for me. Of course, there are also a host of other travel mistakes that have happened.

I don’t get particularly lonely when traveling alone. Usually, I am busy exploring, taking travel notes, and reviewing/editing photos, so loneliness does not usually affect me.

Question 7: Is traveling solo difficult?

It can be difficult if you’ve never done it before. Unexpected problems can and will appear regardless of the amount of preparation. If you’ve never dealt with something like that before, it can be a bit stressful.

However, the more you travel solo, the easier it becomes since you get used to having to figure things out on your own. In addition, with time, you also become more adept at what to do if something happens and how to fix it.

Question 8: Why should I check out Traveling with a View?

I approach travel from the perspective of a long-term expatriate who is well-established in a career and not looking to live out of a suitcase or be a social media influencer. Therefore, a visitor will not find many articles promoting a long-term “travel or influencer lifestyle” other travel websites tend to do.

Instead, Traveling with a View is my way of sharing my adventures and experiences in a positive way that encourages people to visit these places and see these sites with their own eyes and form their own opinions.

While I do go to commonly-visited places, I also tend to visit a significant number of “off-the-beaten-track” types of places that are not typical and which relatively few people have probably been to. In that way, Traveling with a View helps highlight places that are a bit more unique.

Question 9: How are you different from other travel bloggers and social media influencers?

I am not a social media influencer. I just enjoy sharing my travels with the world. For people who are interested, I have an Instagram account, but I do not have Twitter, Snapchat, or anything else.

To be honest, I view myself as an “everyman” type of traveler/tourist. I always fly economy unless upgraded (very rare but has happened). I do not rough it for the sake of roughing it, and I do not stay in exclusive luxury high-end hotels and resorts that social media tends to be full of. I only stay in places that fit my budget. Most people would classify these places as average (mostly 2-3 stars or maybe 1 or 4 stars on rare occasions and almost never 5 stars).

Also, unlike other travel bloggers or influencers who might receive some kind of compensation from partnerships/sponsorships/collaborations, I do not receive anything like that. I pay 100% of my travel out of my own pocket. I also do not ask hotels, restaurants, or tour companies for free services in exchange for exposure. As a matter of principle, I believe in paying for services rendered like everyone else. I would not do my job for free, so why should I expect people in the hospitality/travel/tourism industry to work for free?

Paying for my travels out-of-pocket keeps me grounded since it is a continual reminder to be reasonable with my budget, cherish the opportunities and experiences I’ve been afforded, and not let my head get too far into the clouds.

Question 10: Are you open to partnerships or networking opportunities?

I am definitely open to discussing partnerships or networking if there is a mutual benefit for both parties. In general, I am most open to doing guest posts or interviews in return for a link to my site on your webpage. I have done this before and have had positive experiences and am open to doing it again. If you are interested in discussing this further or have other proposals for collaboration, please feel free to send me a message.