Matthew Kepnes

“Inspiration porn” only goes so far.

I am a nomad at heart, designed to travel, a vagabond who’s most happy when roaming unknown lands.

As I made my way up to my friend’s apartment on that initial walk, I couldn’t help but notice the graffiti, and the abandoned buildings everywhere. Half the buildings are broken down with boarded up windows and look as though they would be filled with squatters.

Travel is transformational. It changes who you are to your very core.

Don’t let money get in the way of travel. If you are creative and flexible about what you want to do, you will find work.

Travel is not a contest. It’s not a race to see who can travel cheaper. It’s someone’s personal route around the world. Don’t take that away from someone.

When I was twenty-five, I quit my job to travel the world because I met five travelers in Thailand who changed my views on how I wanted to live my life.

History is filled with amazing adventures who paved the way for future explorers and inspired generations of wanderlust. Here are some of the best.

Here’s an inspirational travel quote for each week of the year (plus one for good measure) to keep you dreaming of exotic lands.

When I started traveling, my dad asked what I’m running away from. My mother constantly wants to know when I will “settle down” and join the “real world”.

You do not need to be rich to travel.

DO do it in the laundry room: It will be empty — especially at night. There’s really no other reason. Put a few coins in the machine for some extra fun.

You spend two hours each day reading travel blogs and websites.

We’ve all heard the depressing statistic that only 36% of Americans own a passport. That’s really low (about 70% of Australians and 70% of Brits hold a passport) and though that number has been rising the last couple of years, it’s only because Americans are now required to have a passport when entering Mexico and Canada.

I never thought I would still be nomadic. My original round-the-world trip was only supposed to last one year before I went back home, found a “real” job, settled down, and by now, be married, have a house, 2.5 children, and complain about my retirement fund to my friends.