Meet the Nomads – John Spirov of Inspiring Travellers

Couldn’t believe it but this is my 100th Interview. Time really flies so fast. And what better way to kick off this 100th post than by featuring the couple behind Insipiring Travellers.

John and Andrea are the couple behind InspiringTravellers.com. For this week’s Meet the Nomads, we will feature John Spirov. John is an engineer, writer and a musician. He and Andrea started their travel blog last 2010 to influence, inspire and motivate their readers to travel.

You’ll find a lot of helpful tips that you could definitely put into use on your next travels. My favourite segment on their blog is their collection of posts about various foods around the world. Aside from featuring various cuisines, John also shares some information about various beers that he have tried in his trips.

Get to know more about John and visit him and Andrea at Inspiring Travellers.

But before you do that, check out my short interview with John.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

“I got a taste when I was 10 years old on a trip to Europe with my family. But 13 years later when I travelled to Europe again, I knew there was too much to see in the world.”

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

“I got mugged in Prague late one evening and woke up in a jail cell the next afternoon. They’d taken everything, including my passport and left me with only a concussion.”

What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?

“Meeting my wife, Andrea in the best hostel in the world in 2004: Youth Hostel Plakias.”

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

“That I’m a lot happier on the road than I am stuck in one place.”

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

“Knowing that there’s another great person around the corner to meet keeps me going. Yes it can get tiring but so can routine and I’d rather have my routine be travel than waking up to an alarm clock every day.”

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

“John Malkovich because I think he knows a few different languages, his voice is brilliant and I’d love to pick his brain whilst on the road.”

Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

“Berlin, Germany – because you can be who you want to be there and nobody cares. And that’s just the way I like it.”

What’s your best tip for newbie traveller?

“The first thing I do when I’m in a new place is walk the streets without looking at the map and just see how the people live and what’s around me.”

What’s the funniest and silliest thing you’ve ever done while travelling?

“Choosing to do an all-nighter during the running of the bulls in Pamplona rather than catching the bus back to the campsite. I lost my wallet that night and ended up stuck at the campsite for three days by myself waiting for my replacement credit card when everyone else had left.”

What do you think about yourself?

“I think I’m a pretty well-rounded character. I live by two mottos: 1. Those who show no respect get no respect. 2. I don’t judge and I don’t like to be judged.”

“Inspiring Travellers is a collection of stories from our travels and also those of the people we meet along the way. We write about what inspires us and we also hope to inspire others to get out there and see the world. We also write about food and my personal favourite topic: beer.” – John Spirov

Editor’s Note: All pics are provided by John.

Next: Alexandra Kovacova of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler. Previously: Gregory Rodgers of Vagabonding Life. For more interviews with travel bloggers, check out the archives of Meet the Nomads.