Interview with Dave Anderson of Jones Around The World

VroomVroomVroom was lucky to get an exclusive interview with Dave Anderson of the popular travel blog Jones Around The World. Born and raised in Southern California, he decided to make travelling part of his lifestyle. Having lived in six countries and been to different parts of the world, he has inspired other people to embark on their own journey.

Get to know more about Dave as he talks about his favourite destinations, road trip adventure and shares some backpacking and blogging tips.

Working as an international travel guide is an awesome job because you get to travel to different places and attend parties for free. Why didn’t you pursue that career or something in line with that?

I had been working as a travel guide / social-media manager for two years, and I was just ready for a change.  I definitely have thought about getting back into the guiding industry, but we’ll see if that ever happens.  

Getting a Master’s Degree is not that easy, but you’re able to do that while backpacking in the Philippines. Do you advise students to try and travel as well?

It was definitely challenging, but I would highly recommend it!  While it’s not for everyone, I think a lot of people would really love the “digital student” lifestyle!

Having lived in Sydney for quite some time, what do you love most or misses most about the city?

For me, Sydney is all about the connections that I’ve formed there.  I met some guys from Sydney while I was backpacking in Thailand, and now they are some of my best friends in the world.  I really do look at Sydney as my second home.  There’s always something to do, and the city is simply beautiful.    

Among the places that you’ve been to, what is the most memorable (it could be good or bad)?

Well, my favorite city in the world is Barcelona, Spain.  I’ve lived there for over 6 months during two different summers, and it’s just incredible!  The food, the people, the culture…I love everything about it.  I’m also a big fan of cities with vibrant nightlife, and in that aspect, you can’t find a better city than Barcelona!   

Do you have a bucket list of places that you’ll visit in 2017?

My travel plans in 2017 are slowly coming together.  My goal is to make it to South America at least once, and I’m thinking either Peru or Colombia.  Other than that, I would love to get out to Israel, Croatia, and maybe back to Sri Lanka.

Since you seem to be a pro in backpacking, what places do you recommend first-time backpackers to visit?

Well for first-time backpackers than the best spot to go is South-East Asia.  I think Thailand is probably the most popular place to start, and I would highly recommend it.  The country is so easy to travel around, the food is amazing, and you will meet so many other backpackers!

Have you ever been on a road trip? If so, please share with us your most epic road trip experience.

I love road-trips, and think it’s one of the best ways to travel!  My favorite road-trip would have to be my 3-weeks spent in the Balkans this past summer.  I visited Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania.  It was truly an amazing trip, and I’ll never forget it!  

How long do you see yourself travelling? Any plans of settling down soon?

Well, I think my days of long-term travel / backpacking are over.  I’d love to start focusing on smaller 1-3 month trips.  I don’t have any plans to settle down right now, but I’m thinking that’s what I’ll be doing in 2018.  I’m hoping to find a job sponsorship in Sydney.  

We always ask this random question to the bloggers we interview. If your life will be made into a movie, what title will you give it?

Haha what a good question!  I’d probably say something like “Adventures & Hummus”..?  I’m always up for an adventure, and just love hummus!  

There are many bloggers out there who also wanted to be a successful travel blogger, what advise can you give them?

Just keep traveling, writing content, and be as creative as possible!  

For more awesome stories and amazing photos, follow Dave Anderson of Jones Around The World on social media:

Facebook: @jonesaroundtheworld

Instagram: @jonesaroundtheworld

Twitter: @Jones-y

Pinterest: jonesATWorld

Did you enjoy our interview with Dave Anderson? Click here to find out who made it to VroomVroomVroom’s list of top travel blogs in the world.