I still remember the first time I ever met Matt Kepnes. It was outside a club in Bangkok, and as a mutual friend connected us he walked up, stuck out his hand and said “hi, I’m Nomadic Matt.”
He was a minor celebrity in my world, where I’d just spent the last year doing research on backpacking the world, so to meet the guy with one of the pioneering travel websites felt like a pretty big deal.
That was over 9 years ago, and I’m now fortunate enough to call Matt a good friend.
We’ve traveled all over the world together. Tasting whiskey in Scotland, drinking cocktails in Manhattan, dodging protesters in Thailand, or getting bougie in Paris.
Apparently Matt and I aren’t very good at taking photos, however. So here’s a video of us in Scotland:
When it comes to travel, he’s my go to resource for just about everything (especially if you’re looking for a good sushi spot).
But there’s a reason both he and his website are at the top of my short list when I need advice: he’s been everywhere.
Or at least, it seems like he has.
Since 2006, Matt has truly been, well, nomadic.
Sure he might keep an apartment in NYC or Austin, but he’s rarely been there (trust me, I’ve tried to visit).
And you don’t travel that far, for that long, without learning a lot along the way.
10 Years a Nomad: A Travel Memoir
He recapped a lot of those things he learned in his first book “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day.” And if you’re looking for a how to guide on how to travel on the cheap, then stop what you’re doing right now, and go buy that book.
But obviously as with anyone, there’s a story behind the man, the brand, and the adventures.
It’s not like he as always been a self-assured globe-trotter, and it’s that fact that sets the scene for his latest book “10 Years a Nomad.”
This is Matt’s travel memoir where he shares both the stories about how he became a full time traveler, as well as tales from the road that will make every cubicle jockey’s heart beat a little bit faster and say “I wanna do that.”
Back in 2008 and 2009 when I was just starting this website and thinking about my next steps, it was books like “Vagabonding,” the “4 Hour Workweek,” or “The Art of Non-Conformity” that helped me dive headfirst into a lifestyle I never expected.
If you’re where I was back then? Dreaming of travel, and a life with more freedom? Then 10 Years a Nomad might be just the book you need to find inspiration, humor, and a little bit of courage to pursue your own dream and story.
Yes, it’s a travel book, but what I found interesting was the honest and introspective look at the why behind the lifestyle and travel, as I think it adds an extra layer of perspective often missing in the standard travel memoir.
The way Matt tangles story telling with at times self-deprecating stories makes this book seem real, and the lifestyle attainable as well.
But I guess the highest praise I can give 10 Years a Nomad is this…
I’ve had a lot of friends write books. And I rarely read them cover to cover, and especially not in two days.
When I started reading Matt’s latest, I was genuinely enthralled. Maybe it was because I had some familiarity with him or the destinations, or perhaps it was because I saw a little bit of myself in the story.
Either way, it is a fantastic read, and if you’re someone who is aspiring on any level to pursue a “Location Rebel” lifestyle, then this book gets my highest recommendation.
Buy 10 Years a Nomad on Amazon Here
Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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