Interview With Gareth Leonard of Tourist Townie
•What made you want to start tourist2townie.com?
I was working my ass off for something I didn’t love, something I didn’t believe in. My life revolved around work and I knew there had to be more. I had to do more. So, I scrapped my old life and bought a 1-way ticket to Buenos Aires, Argentina to start chasing my dreams.
I decided to create Tourist2Townie.com to connect with like-minded dream chasers, share unique travel adventures and provide inspiration and advice for regular people who wish to do remarkable things. This site is more of a social experiment and lifestyle design than it is a travel blog. It’s about people more than it is about places. It’s about chasing dreams rather than following the norm.
My goal is to explore the world by going beyond typical travel experiences. I want to see exactly what it takes to become part of a foreign community and to truly understand a place through the people and culture that define it.
•In all of your travels, in your opinion what country has the best food? and the worst food?
Best food has to be a Bandeja Paisa from Medellin, no Ceviche from Peru, no an Uruguayan steak with Argentine Malbec. Worst food is tough… can I say American fast food?
•When you first started traveling, did your family support your decision?
They thought I was nuts but they supported me. It’s when I didn’t stop after a year in Buenos Aires and decided to move to Medellin, Colombia when they became concerned.
•If you had to choose one favorite destination, which one would you chose?
At this moment I’m in Sucre, Bolivia working with BiblioWorks, an organization that builds and facilitates libraries outside the city. With that being said I have to say Bolivia because I don’t know much about it yet and I’m excited about the work. The places I don’t know are my favorites… they turn me on.
•What has been the least exciting destination you've traveled to?
The day there’s a lack of excitement in a destination I’ve visited is the day I have to start thinking about how exciting I am. I hope I can never answer this question.
•Did you always have a love of travel or did you develop your passion for traveling as you got older?
I’ve always had a love for exploring, creating and trying new things. It wasn’t until I got older when I realized travel was a much safer and more appropriate way to fulfill this desire.
•What impact has tourist2townie.com had on your life?
T2T has given me the opportunity to experience life in a way I never imagined. It’s just the beginning in what I hope to be a great story.
What has been the most surprising destination you've been to? Meaning, you had a specific mindset about a certain destination but it was totally a differnet experience than you had imagined.
I was most nervous about moving to Colombia and it turned out to be the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
•If you had to decide which destination has been the most influential in your life, which destination would you chose?
Argentina. It’s where I begin this incredible journey.
•What advice would you give to a newbie traveler?
Step outside your comfort zone and watch yourself grow.
Thanks Gareth for the interview. Please visit his blog @ Tourist Townie
Colca Visuals: Deep Canyons sin Condors
Life in Lima: Erotic Art, Pisco Sours & Dead Bodies
Friend Gareth on FaceBook, Follow him on Twitter and watch his videos on YouTube !