Tom Stockwell
Hailing from the sunny British Isles, Tom has been working in South Korea since 2009 and travelled on-and-off during that time (mostly off, to tell the truth). Currently saving to travel the world in 2013, Tom has always wanted to see the world ever since he was a six year old who had his head in an atlas and got his kicks through pretending that any surface was a magic carpet. This only happens under the influence of vodka now (he doesn’t drink wine as much as his picture may suggest), but the wanderlust is still there.
You can work pretty much where you want to – on the road, do you find it hard to work or do you just have fun and work when you come back home?
I'm doing a mixture of both right now I guess. South Korea has become my home, and I'm working hard here so that I can go to other amazing destinations around the world - oh, and pay off the credit card debt. My salary is pretty good so I'm able to experience some awesome, once-in-a-lifetime things here, and I can occasionally go abroad during my woeful vacation time. When I go round the world, I don't plan to work but, if funds run low, then I might stay a while in one place and do a few private English lessons or a work-for-board exchange in a hostel to free up or save some funds.
Do you feel many people are envious of your lifestyle?
I think so - until they realise what it entails. I live in a box of an apartment with very few comforts. I'm currently sat on the floor. I get barely any vacation and most of the money I save is going into travelling next year. However, my cost of living is super cheap compared to back home in the UK - a night out costs a fraction of what it does back home, and I'm able to experience the culture of a country that's on the other side of the world.
In which countries have people recognised you, even when you thought nobody would?
Absolutely none. I'm not one of those big ole' famous bloggers - I have what I would call a "loyal and dedicated" fanbase, aka small.
Which three items would you never travel without?
1: Lush R&B hair moisturiser. It works as hair gel, makes my hair nice and shiny, and makes it smell of coconut.
2: My contact lenses. Cos, you know, sight is important whilst travelling.
3: A photo of my partner that I can kiss before I go to sleep every night.
Are there any specific souvenirs or other things you collect from the places you go to?
Fridge magnets! My mum is obsessed with collecting them - she uses them to cover the bumps on her fridge - and she always glows with pride if I bring her anything unusual or from a more remote area. In every city I visit, I make it a point to search for a fridge magnet that she'd like, especially if it's from a country that she hasn't gotten one from yet.
Apart from that, I try to rack up a couple of hangovers from every place I go to. You can't claim to know a place until you've experienced it through beer goggles. Or a vodka visor, in my case.
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