Innovative explorer with a neverending wanderlust

Fiv: Hello Alex, hope you are good. For everybody who does not know you till now, would you please introduce yourself.

Hi everyone, I’m Alex. You may know me as Swedish Nomad, and as you might be able to tell, I’m originally from Sweden. I might not be so typical Swedish though, as I don’t live that ordinary Swedish everyday life. For the last 1,5 years, I’ve been traveling around the world with my girlfriend, and we made travel into our business. Some people refer to me as a digital nomad since I make my living through internet. But I would rather describe myself as an innovative explorer with a neverending wanderlust who loves to showcase the world through photography.

Fiv: You are a full time traveller and my first question is which country/city do you call your home?

Sweden will always be my home, more specifically Helsingborg, and I’m very thankful for having the luck of being raised and born there. But since leaving Sweden to explore the world I have found quite a few places that I like. Gran Canaria was my first long-trip abroad and will always have a very special place in my heart and soul. Another place that I always feel welcomed and home is Greece. No matter where I go in Greece, it’s always the same warm feelings that arise just as soon as I walk out of the airplane.

However, home is where your heart as, and it’s not as much about the place as the people around you that makes you feel like home.

Fiv: Why and when did you start traveling? What made you fall in love with it?

Ever since I was a little boy I have dreamt of traveling the world. My passion for it was awakened by National Geographic and various tv-shows about dinosaurs, nature and old temples. It was just so mesmerizing to see, so I always knew that I had to get out there and see it for myself. 2010 was the year when I left Sweden for the first time, but it wasn’t until 2015 I decided to travel full-time.

I’m a curious adventurer. I want answers, I enjoy other cultures, and there is just so much out there. I want to go where others haven’t been and tell stories, but also inspire others to explore and go beyond their comfort zone.

Travel, family and friends

Fiv: As a full time traveller, we can imagine you are not home a lot. Do you have a family/children at home. If yes how do you handle it?

I actually have the luck to travel full-time with my girlfriend, who shares my passion for traveling, animals and photography. That make things a lot easier, but of course I do miss my parents and my little brother Adam, who I wish I couldd spend more time with.

I try to talk with them as often as I can, but it’s hard as we’re traveling all the time, and on top of that we also need to update on social media and our blogs. But there’s also a positive aspect of this. When I actually do travel back home to Sweden, the time spent is more valuable and appreciated.

Fiv: Asides the basics (passport, ATM card, backpack), which 3 items are must-have things for you on your trip?

My Camera bag with camera, lenses and such. Other than being a necessity for my work, it’s also one of my biggest passions and I would never travel without it.

Besides that I would never travel without my eye-mask for sleeping. Having my 7-8 hours of sleep is vital, and to be disturbed by light is definitely a big no-no.

On top of that I always bring a Spork, which gives me a fork, knife and a spoon, all in one. It’s a handy travel gadget and very inexpensive, costing less than 2 dollars. It can save a lot of money since it enables you to buy food from supermarkets on the go, and not have to worry on how to eat it.

Fiv: With over 40k followers you are a successful travel blogger and impress the people with your breathtaking pictures. Do you have any advice for one who would like to start a travel blog or any blog for that matter?

Enjoy writing or photography? go for it, and follow your passion. That will give you the best possible motivation. And if you’re serious about blogging, make sure you see it as a business from day 1. If you do that, people will take you more seriously, thus giving you more opportunities and followers.

Love at first sight truly exist

Fiv: Sometimes, we all know travelling is very stressful. Do you as an expert, have a trick for stressful situations?

Take a deep-breath, think about a person that inspires you and ask yourself “what would he/she do in this situation”?

Another good trick is to come prepared. Sure it’s more fun to go with the flow, but if you take the time to read about your destination and other people’s experiences you might notice things before they actually do happen, e.g common scams and such, which couldd be very stressful.

Fiv: It looks like you travel since a long time and you might have met a lot of people from all over the world. Have you ever fallen in love on the roads? Tell me about it.

I actually met my girlfriend on the road, while I was working on Rhodes island in Greece. I was selling tickets for one of the clubs, and there she was, on the beach, and her smile instantly caught my attention. It was almost like in a movie, and if it were I’m sure the background music would be the famous song “happy together” by the turtles. Love at first sight truly exist. With that said, it’s actually a lot easier to fall in love while traveling as you won’t experience everyday problems in the same way.

Fiv: Every country has its own culture and rituals, some countries has animals we never seen before. every country is special. Have you ever come face to face with some extra-ordinary experience? What was it ?

Yes, quite a few. One animal that was very special to meet was the tarsier, who lives only in a certain part of the Philippines. They are so small and super cute with their big eyes! The size of a tarsier is like a normal palm of a human.

“My biggest success so far has been that I’ve found myself and my passion”.

Fiv: You as a professional traveller, do you have some traveling hacks, which is generally not known by people?

Pack everything you think you need and remove half of it, or even better 2/3.

Another travel hack if you’re not a morning person and like to visit famous landmarks. Go there after the tour groups have gone to the next stop.

Most tours begin between 9 and 11, and finish around 1-3 pm. If you go there after that time you’re likely to avoid the biggest crowds But, of course the best thing is to go there by sunrise, as you’ll have it to yourself.

Fiv: Looks like you are very successful in what you do. What has been your biggest success in your opinion so far?

Few people know that the first time I picked up a camera was in November 2015. So, just in one year I have gone from knowing nothing about photography to be a self-taught professional photographer. Now I sell my photos to magazines and have been featured by some of the largest travel magazines out there.
Besides that I must say that my biggest success so far has been that I’ve found myself and my passion. Now I know what I want in life and who I really am and want to be.

Fiv: My last question is. What is your biggest dream, what do you want to achieve in your life?

I want to raise awareness of animal rights. Far too many think of animals as lesser beings than humans, and that’s something I want to change. My biggest dream is to open up big rescue and release centers for endangered animals

Thank you Alex, for the great Interview and your breathtaking pictures!

• If you want to see more about Alex, check out his Instagram: swedishnomad
• or his blog: www.swedishnomad.com