John is a travel blogger from Dublin who has lived in Ireland all my life, except for a brief stint in Chicago. John calls himself a part time traveller, as he couldn’t possibly afford to travel full time with his love for comfortable things, but he does have a connection to the world of travel in his work, as a hotel operations and bar manager.
Carpediemeire is his travel blog based on the travels of his Hungarian wife Beata and himself. His idea of blogging grew from a love of photography. He rarely leaves home without a camera, and even if he does his phone is always in his hand for his photography rescue. “Capturing the beauty of the world around me is without a doubt my favourite thing to do. Even more than travelling. But in my mind the two go hand in hand.”
John adds to when he started traveling- “Interestingly for a travel blogger, my love of travelling didn’t come from a childhood of travels. It came from a childhood of not travelling. I guess I’m trying to make up for lost time now. My first trip out of Ireland was when I was 19, and even then my early trips were what I would call “lads” holidays. Drinking, clubbing and lying by the pool. However as I grew older I realised that why I enjoyed travelling was down to none of these things.”
John definitely is devoted to this profound passion of sharing travel stories and meeting with fellow travellers from around the world. He is the founder and host of the very popular Travel Tribe on Twitter.
“I guess I travel first and foremost to expand my horizons, learn about new cultures and ultimately to have new experiences. I believe the last point is key for me, life needs variety, and wherever I can find something that challenges my sense of adventure, then I am at my happiest. That’s why travel home or abroad always invigorates my soul. It doesn’t necessarily to be far flung places of the world. Learning about history is of course a primary motivator for my travels too, and the places I visit. Is there anywhere cooler on Earth than being in a castle? “
“The best lesson to be learned from travelling is a profound appreciation of other peoples and cultures. Intolerance in this world is growing at an alarming rate and most of it is seeded in ignorance. Travel breaks down the walls of race and religion. I was mesmerised by my trip to Morocco, a vastly different world to that in Ireland. While I’ve always been open minded, the trip really expanded it. The rich culture and the nuances of the Islamic traditions left me spellbound. Only throughout travel can we really learn more about this world, and stop the labelling that is tearing apart the fabric of society. The world really needs to travel more, and expand its horizons. “
“I believe this is something that has changed with the years of writing the travel blog. I started the blog as a means to showcase my photos from my trips. Social media didn’t bring the level of fulfilment that I was seeking and I imagined a blog would. Long story short, it brought so much more than expected.
My blog has always had a niche of Irish and European travel, but has never been more specific than that. History and culture are a constant vein in my themes. Throughout, my aim has always been to convey my personality in my writing. It has brought as many challenges as anything, but also gravest personal reward. Like everything in life it’s had to adapt to my way of travel, and also to 2020. The city breaks of early Carpediemeire have inevitably been replaced by socially distanced hiking posts. But bearing in mind that my blog is as much about Carpe Diem in its content as in its name, then it’s right on track.
It’s all about living the moment wherever and whenever that might be, and sharing it with my readers. If i can present it in a way that brings a wry smile to the face of the reader as much as increase their wanderlust then I think I’ve nailed my mission.
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Every traveller has a unique story and perspective, especially when they are from different parts of the world. In this ongoing traveller interview series with top travel content creators in my network, I interview a few travel bloggers and influencers “How Travel Influences Your Life?”
2 comments
Nice to know a little more about John! đ
Yes, John is an inspiration indeed.