Growing up in a family that loved traveling really changed the way I saw the world. We loved taking time to travel someplace and explore on our own terms, never taking guided trips or hiring tour guides. This instilled in me a passion to explore and travel the world.

I decided to start small. Me and my buddy started making plans to pack up our motorcycles are drive to places that were in the 500km range from where we lived. The first road trip I took really changed the way I perceived the idea of travel; that one road trip taught me so much more than any geography class ever did. Armed with a camera, I was determined to find and experience the actual local life of our destination. I knew convincing my parents to let me take my motorcycle on a road trip would be a hard task, so I never ended up telling them.

Once we reached our destination, I wanted to explore the place and see it through the eyes of a local, not just do the touristy stuff. I wanted to see what living there as a local would be like. This mindset really impacted everything we did. We were able to sample the local street food, meet and talk to locals, and ask them about what it was like living in a tourist infested city. Needless to say, it was one of the most eye opening trips I had ever taken, forever changing the way I traveled.

Often, people miss out on so much because they just experience what the city can offer to them as tourists. Of course the resorts are cool and fancy, but nothing beats the experience of actually getting down and dirty and finding out things for yourself, stuff that’s not always featured in travel magazines and websites. There have been many trips since our first maiden one and now my parents know about my trips. Also tell your parents before you leave for a trip; it wasn’t long before they found out and they weren’t nearly as impressed as I had imagined.