About

Peace to all my readers! My name is Tyreek, I’m just a regular guy that loves to travel whenever I get the opportunity!

I’m from the United States, the state of Maryland to be more specific. I’m half African-American and Japanese, so I guess you can say I always had a natural affinity for the outside world. Growing up in a multi-cultural household, I was exposed to the best of two different worlds and this had a tremendous effect on me.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

My Background:

Traveling has always been something I’ve had a passion for, even before I started (if that makes any sense). As a child in elementary school, I would spin the globe in the classroom and point to a random country on it. I often wondered, “What do these people look like?” “What do they eat?” “What’s the language there?” As I got older, I became interested in nations and how they interacted with one another. Naturally, I decided to study international relations and Japanese in college. It was here where I studied abroad in Nagasaki, Japan in 2011 and got my first real exposure living abroad. By 2012, the year I graduated, I was off to South Korea to teach to satisfy my wanderlust. After two years in South Korea, I moved to Tokyo, Japan to pursue my master’s degree. Thereafter, I worked as a consultant in Shanghai, China for two years. All of these positions eventually led me to my dream job, which allows me to work overseas for the remainder of my career.

My Travel Philosophy:

I am a huge proponent of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. I prefer to travel to places and see things that most do not want. If given the opportunity to travel to Germany for a week or Papua New Guinea to do a homestay in a village, I’d pick the latter. I enjoy places off the beaten track and challenging myself. While I’m young, I will take the opportunity to hike, climb, run, and take the risks to see and do what I want. With the world rapidly becoming globalized, I wish to see the places that will likely change the fastest. The nomadic lifestyle in Central Asia, indigenous cultures, etc.

My Goal:

Simply to inspire others to travel and step outside of their comfort zone. The world is a lot less scary than you think. In fact, the countries regarded as the least desirable tend to have some of the most hospitable people. I hope this blog serves as a point of reference for many to step out and get out there.

Ultimately, I’d like to visit every country in the world. To my knowledge, there has not been an African-American or Japanese person to do so, so I’d like to be the first, or at least one of the very few to do so. The journey will be long, but it’s a challenge I am willing to accept.

How I Afford to Travel:

No secret really. I just save my money. I live a modest lifestyle, a minimalist you could say. Most importantly, I give myself a monthly budget. That’s the key to traveling really, making a proper budget. Many often say they don’t have money to travel, but will spend $200+ a month on drinks at the bar, happy hour, and buying bottles. This adds up overtime!

Thanks for reading and following me on my journey!