Traveler Tuesday – Chris of One Weird Globe

Happy to be back for a second week in a row and even more happy to announce that there will be a lot more new faces here every Tuesday! Travel bloggers, like all blogging tribes are kindred spirits and I love getting to know new folks in the far corners of the globe!

With us today is Chris Backe of One Weird Globe and as his blog name suggests, Chris blogs about weird offbeat destinations.

Let's meet Chris.

[1] When and how did you become a traveler?

My family traveled a lot as a kid – road trips to different states and such. During college, the choir took a tour every spring break, though there were very few sightseeing opportunities… I actually didn't discover it until I moved to Korea in 2008. I had read a bunch of stories about expats who just taught and drank and did little else… I resolved to do something different – make my way to a new place, event, or festival – something new every week.

It was in 2010 that I went from ‘traveling for the fun of it and, oh, hey, I keep a blog!' to ‘I'm on a mission'… I began seeking out the weird, oddball, offbeat, or just plain bizarre places I could find. There were a ton around Korea, many of which had never really been written up in English. In a lot of cases, I also found that directions to a place were… lacking, to say the least. “Walk 15 minutes from exit 2 of this subway station” is not enough, sorry, and neither is “turn right where the old fire station used to be”. From then on I made it a point to visit offbeat places and provide really good directions to places I visit.

[2] What is travel to you in 10 words or less?

Seeing, enjoying, and experiencing for myself.

[3] What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

A really nice bus ride can be fun – stretch out and relax… Of the major forms of transportation, it seems the most common across the world, and the large windows put you right on the road to see the life whizzing by. Of course, I'm quite likely to be playing on my iPad or taking notes.

[4] What do you typically do while traveling by plane?

Take notes… play on the iPad… If it's a longer trip I'll pack a paper book as well – there's over 100 on the iPad, but paperbacks won't run out of battery!

[5] What is your favorite travel memory involving food?

There's no specific experience with food that stands out (I'm an ‘eat to live' sort of guy).

[6] What is one blogging tip or lesson that you have learned along the way that you can share with my readers?

Don't be afraid to have an opinion and defend it. Polarizing a crowd means some of the dreck that barely reads you will fall away, and you'll be left with an audience that loves you all the more.

[7] Where to next?

We're living the nomadic traveling lifestyle, my wife and I – currently, we're in Khon Kaen, Thailand – the heart of Isaan in the northeast. At the beginning of October, we're off to the southern part of Thailand for about 4-6 months – our last stop for Thailand and a place with plenty of weird destinations around. (We're traveling the country to find the unusual, offbeat, and bizarre destinations in support of my next book – a guidebook to the offbeat and bizarre corners of the country.)

Thanks Chris!

Chris Backe is the blogger behind One Weird Globe, a travel blog that focuses on the weird and offbeat destinations around the world. He’s lived in Asia since 2008, and is currently in northeast Thailand. He’s written over a dozen books and itineraries, and is working on a new book about offbeat Thailand, due out mid-2015.

You can keep up with Chris on Twitter and Pinterest. Wherever you catch him, I am sure you will enjoy his adventures!