Welcome back to GO! Interviews. This week we are proud to feature the talented travel blogger Jeannie Mark of Nomadic Chick. Jeannie is getting ready to embark on an incredible journey that will take her from her home in Canada to numerous destinations in Asia. Along the way she will be snapping photos and sharing her adventures on the world wide web. We were delighted when Jeannie agreed to share her travel philosophies with us, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview!

GO!: Hi Jeannie, thanks for joining us today. Shall we start with a brief introduction?

Jeannie: The original moniker I was born with is Jeannie Mark. Yes, aptly named after a sitcom about a genie. Right now, I’m lounging in Calgary, Canada – my birthplace. I’m a full time traveler and writer, about to embark on a long-term round the world adventure. As for why? Dreams are fought - lost or won. This dream? I won hands down.

GO!: Where have your travels taken you so far?

Jeannie: The first leg of my trip is a personal pilgrimage of people, not places. I just began in Calgary, next is Toronto, Montreal, New Brunswick. After that, planning will be focused on “place”. India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia. I harbour images and ideas about each one, it’s time to shatter or discover them.

GO!: How did your blog, Nomadic Chick, come about and what are your goals for the project?

Jeannie: My site sprang from a lengthy unhappiness with the direction my life was taking. I call it mid-life crisis part deux. I found myself in a corporate grind that left me passionless and trapped. I had traveled before, always tapping into a part of myself screaming to emerge – a woman who takes risks, lives in the moment, or loves without overanalyzing. It was time to awaken her full-time.

I started planning a long-term trip, but still felt isolated. You gotta remember, most of my peers are immersed in diapers, mortgages, or careers – not hostels with questionable beds and spotty mosquito netting. The site was hatched to share my story. I truly thought it might garner five readers, but through meeting others and writing from the heart – somehow random people find me, as well as regular readers. It’s been life-changing!

GO!: What was particularly dissatisfying about working in a corporate setting?

Jeannie: Corporations can serve a purpose, it did for me. Nevertheless, ultimately what I discovered is tunnel vision. In North America, if you’re college/university educated, it’s expected that you obtain a 9 to 5 job, buckle down, get married, 2.5 kids, etc. Time and again, I hear this sentence, “It’s better to stay than go – it’s scary out there.” I think the corporate mentality as well as the employee work in tandem to breed an atmosphere of fear. I must stay at this job, because anything else is wrong, bad, unworthy.

Corporate life proved counter-productive for my growth. There were physical (being trapped indoors) and mental limitations. The worst of all is the belief that the only fulfilling life is staying right where you are. This doesn’t explain the droves of emails people extend to me, tales usually laced with unhappiness or inklings to escape. There IS an entire world out there, full of possibilities, not booby traps.

When the international recession hit, I lost a promotion at work. The laughable part is it wasn’t even a position I wanted. Some negative personal events also exploded, which made me question EVERYTHING. Wanting a job that didn’t excite me and being in a place or surrounding myself with people who didn’t fit with who I am. I had it with settling for second best in work - life and relationships followed.

GO!: Did you feel that traveling was your only path to happiness?

Jeannie: Travel is my cure. Travel forces me to let go of past labels I tattooed to my identity years ago. Any time I’ve hit the road, some kind of truth about myself and what I want from life reveals itself. And I genuinely believe interacting and observing other cultures can teach a person new ways of existing, or even add to their own reference point. It’s certainly not a homogenous elixir to all of life’s riddles. Travel is not a savior, but a tool – even a metaphor to be open to risk.

If unending misery is someone’s current existence, and travel is not the answer, my first piece of advice would be to explore what does satisfy them. Even if it seems trivial. A friend of mine loves figuring out problems, and finding solutions. Another one really enjoyed woodworking, but hadn’t done it for years. Whatever brings you joy – small or large - start doing it! What springs from discovery is a spark to include passion in your daily life. Once that happens, I guarantee major changes in career or a relationship will come next. I’m not asserting satisfaction will immediately happen, but taking yourself off the negative treadmill into action plans and positive assertiveness will yield forward movement. Now some folks feel comfortable in misery, in that case, I lack advice for them. You have to want change, bottom line.

If travel is on the bucket list, but logistics prove difficult, my recommendation is to start a blog, hook into social media, and engage others who inspire and offer support. Take weekend excursions or discover places/people in your hometown. We always believe our own cities don’t hold magic. If you awaken that child-like wonder, some amazing things land in your lap.

GO!: How do you financially support your travel lifestyle?

Jeannie: This is where a corporate job proved useful. I paid down debt, and saved enough to embark on this trip. With intentions of quitting my job, I was suddenly laid off and handed a severance that padded my bank account further. So far, so good.

GO!: A quick internet search reveals hundreds of popular travel blogs in every possible niche. Why do you think this form of blogging has become so popular?

The Nomadic Chick in Brazil

Jeannie: As an avid reader of travel blogs, I think the current trend in travel is community. I also read travel literature, but that format can be condescending and off-putting to someone seeking connection and information not sponsored through a travel company or tourism board. Media is about authenticity these days, so the fact that travel bloggers are real people, out there doing it, makes it even more relatable.

I don’t pay much attention to elevating my blog above the norm. Frankly, not even sure what the norm is. My aim is to share stories, useful tips, or highlight interesting people I meet on the road. I’m such a curious person, literally enthusiastic about many passions. If anything, my passions ooze off the computer screen. I just love writing, and the fact that I can do it everyday now - beyond grateful.

I didn’t know what to expect from other travelers. I had worries people would judge me because of my age or place in life. I was enthralled to find the travel community full of engaging personalities and life long friends. People I can slip into conversation with easily – virtual or otherwise. We are all so in love with travel, that competitiveness doesn’t factor in.

GO!: Can you share any tips for aspiring travel writers?

Jeannie: Write and travel. A tip passed to me by Robin Esrock (host of Word Travels). Be sure you are passionate about travel, because travel writing is still a job with pressures and deadlines. Beyond those three obvious tips, build a thick skin by believing in your talent and drive. Rejection is quite normal.

GO!: If you could travel with anyone, alive, dead, or fictional, who would it be and why?

Jeannie: Dorothy Parker. She would offer a witty quip and a strong martini in a tense situation. Jim Morrison, because he recites poetry and knows all the best parties. Lastly, Mr. Darcy. Even though he’d be a sour puss sometimes, every gal needs a smoldering foreign affair.

GO!: It is June 10th, 2015. Where are you and what are you doing?

Jeannie: Swaying in a hammock overlooking the lapping cerulean water from my porch in Itacare. A laptop is nestled in the bosom of my crossed legs. Work awaits, but coconut juice is on hand and whenever my gaze slides up – a breath taking view greets computer weary eyes. A crew of mongrel cats and dogs are lounging or whining for dinner. The sun begins to bleed vermillion, calling out to the horizon. That’s my cue to put down the Mac, walk barefoot towards the house, and start the night meal. My ragtag animals trip over each other jockeying for scraps and attention. Night is falling, but a new day awaits. Always.

GO!: Any last words?

Jeannie: Life is similar to a rollercoaster ride. You climb slowly, but surely, only to plunge downward. As you descend, a mixture of elation and fear gurgles in your belly. We all want assurances, some thread of security, but maybe there isn’t any. What I learned most through this process is to stop clinging, let go, and dammit – take your dreams seriously. A ride of this nature is mapped by dips, never boring – always thrilling. And isn’t that what life should be?

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