“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

My guest today is Lyam Hitchens, a 24-year-old travel YouTuber, and blogger. He has a passion for adventure and pushing the limits of travel, and hopes to teach and help others along the road. Here’s his story.

What got you into traveling?

Traveling has been something I have always wanted to do. But, I used to be that guy who comes up with excuses after excuses. Like there’s not enough time or not enough money and so on.

After almost 3-4 years of doing this, I’d had enough. Enough of being stuck in the 9-5 job, doing the same thing day in day out. And I haven’t looked back since. I’ve taken 6 separate trips this year. Some long and some short ones, with 1 or 2 more to come before the year is over.

So, I guess my answer would be: not wanting to be stuck as a person doing the same thing every day made me want to travel.

What was your first travel experience like?

My first travel experience was totally unplanned, spontaneous, and adventurous. Within two days of deciding to travel, I was on a ferry from Plymouth, England, sailing across the English channel towards Roscoff, France with nothing but a backpack. I didn’t even have a destination in mind.

How did you take up blogging?

In all honesty, I really don’t know how I started. I suppose it started with wanting to get my stories and information of travel through to a wider audience and being able to help others with travel situations.

Which is your favorite travel destination and why?

Till date, my favorite destination has to be India. The vast size and variety of cultures are overwhelming. You can feel so many emotions within the same city as well as visit some of the most beautiful places known to man. On top of all of this, the local hospitality is second to none.

Can you share one of your memorable travel experiences?

Well, travel is not always glamorous and easy going. Like being stuck on the road for 15 hours or more! But this is not the story I’m about to tell you.

In the beginning of August 2017, my friend and I were traveling from Split, Croatia to Frankfurt, We had easily and successfully hitchhiked from Split to a small camp on the coast of Croatia called Camp Tomas. Spent a night there relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views.

In the morning, when it was time to get back on the road, we had no luck at all. It was noon and still, no one had stopped for us. Another hour passed. Finally, an old car pulled up with 3 passengers inside. We boarded it and continued our journey.

Something seemed a little off. It may have been nothing, but I felt a little uncomfortable. After a few more hours, around five in the afternoon, we stopped at another coastal town. The driver had to meet a friend or so he said. So we circled the block on foot. My friend, I and the 3 other men we were sharing the ride with.

We found a bench to sit on and waited patiently for our driver to come back. Suddenly, we realized that our bags were still in the car! We had no choice but to wait. Twenty minutes passed. Then forty. An hour.

Deep down in the pit of my stomach, I knew he wasn’t returning. But, hoping against hope we still waited. No, he didn’t come back. And there we were. Stranded somewhere without a clue as to how we’d make it to Zadar, Croatia.

Your advice to people who want to travel but think they can’t?

The advice I always give to people is to just book a flight. Even if it is months down the line, once you have done this, you’ve set a goal. Or if you’re more spontaneous, don’t decide on a destination. Just head to an airport and book the next flight abroad.

If it is traveling alone that you are worried about, join Facebook groups like backpack or travel pages. Or sign up on Travelbuddies.com where you can plan and meet people who are visiting the same places as you.

Thanks, Lyam. I’m sure this would be helpful to a lot of people.

You can follow Lyam on:

YouTube – www.youtube.com/c/LyamHitchens

Instagram – www.instagram.com/lifeisadream01

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