Born and bred in Mexico, Raphael Alexander Zoren is a world traveler who overcame the chains of the local economy and started to earn a global income while traveling.
His main goal is to explore all of the cultural and natural wonders that the world has to offer as well as to engage in all sorts of crazy adventures. Today he explains how to successfully combine travel and work around the world on our latest ‘On The Road’ Interview.
#1: Hello Raphael. It’s nice to have you here. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started to travel. Do you remember your 1st travel experience? Why are you (if that’s so…) passionate about traveling?
My first real travel experience was at the age of 22 when I left Mexico to study in France for one year. It was the first time that I traveled to a whole different continent and once I realized how easy and inexpensive it was to travel from one European country to another I became immediately hooked with the travel addiction.
Right now I’ve been to over 60 countries and there’s no plans of stopping anytime soon!
#2. Now that we know where do you come from… could you tell us where are you heading to? Which are your plans for the future in terms of traveling?
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#3. What do you think of traveling with a purpose or meaning in mind? What do you look for when traveling long term?
I always look to improve the life of the locals. Sometimes, a simple smile is more than enough to make their days better. It’s important to think outside the box and understand that even though not everyone is as privileged as us, we can do our best to help them to be where we are.
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#4. How do you fund your travels? Have you found a job or income source that allows you to be on the road full time? Could you tell us what exactly you do for a living?
#5. Did your job, studies, volunteering experiences or other projects help you to travel the world? Where have you been thanks to those? If so, tell us a bit about those experiences.
I studied Marketing which allowed me to have a better understanding of the psychological and economical needs behind every single person and how we as travelers can help fulfil them.
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#6. What would you recommend to someone who wants to follow your steps? Which kind of training or studies is necessary? Would an investment be needed in the first place? Please, give 3 pieces of advice (you wish to have known before starting) of what to do and what to avoid in order to succeed.
The most important aspect is to be realistic and understand what you can do and what you can’t do. Not all jobs can be done abroad so there’s a point in which you need to learn new skills in order to travel and work at the same time.
More importantly, you need to find a need that needs to be fulfilled in the international markets. For example, all East Asian countries are interested in hiring college graduates to teach English but they’re not interested in hiring college graduates to teach Spanish.
It’s all about knowing which battles can be won and conquering the field.
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#7. What does a perfect day in your life looks like? Do you follow any particular routine?
Right now I’m focusing more on improvising and living each day differently from the previous one. I believe that routines are the doom of all lifestyles and that’s why it’s always important to break the mold.
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#8. Where do you come from originally and where you call home now? Can you give us some local tips we cannot find in a guidebook but you highly recommend about your hometown?
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#9. Do you read, write, draw, listen to music, sing, watch movies or do something else while traveling? How do you interact with technology these days and which gadgets you definitely take with you everywhere? What is your favorite book? And movie?
I travel with a computer and sometimes I Netflix some of my favorite shows (tip: if you’re traveling to a country where Netflix hasn’t arrived yet, I recommend using a VPN to fool the computer into thinking you’re in a different country).When it comes to books, the latest one I read is “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn. If you’re looking for a book that will leave you thinking and thinking, this is it.
The green lights from heaven. Aurora Borealis. Read more today at www.journeywonders.com
A photo posted by Raphael Alexander (@journeywonders) on
#10. Do you keep a bucket list? Which are your craziest travel dreams? Where are your favorite destinations on earth?
I don’t have a bucket list since I think it defeats the point of spontaneity in travel. That being said, I’m definitely looking forwards to doing activities such as skydiving and scuba diving in new exotic destinations.
Life’s too short to confine it to a list yo!
INSPIRED?
Routines are the doom… is what is floating all around the post