Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt

Posted: 4/30/2020

It takes a village to keep this website going. From tech and coding to design to fixing bugs getting readers books when downloads fail to scheduling social media or running the forums, I have a lot of help. I simply couldn’t run the website, write, travel, eat, sleep, or anything in between if I didn’t have the support and help of an amazing group of people.

It’s not just me writing and posting about my travels. I have a big group of full-time staff helping juggle everything.

I realized a lot of you don’t realize that so, today, I wanted to introduce the team to you.

So, without further ado, here’s they are:
 

Erica

Erica has been working for me for almost six and a half years and is the events director of The Nomadic Network, our travel community. She keeps this community thriving. In her own words:

I grew up in Connecticut and went to school in Virginia. During a quarter-life crisis at age 21, I chose to finish my last year of college on an adventure in Qatar! From that moment on, my life revolved around traveling cheaply with the money I earned from waitressing. That budget got me to teach English in Isaan, Thailand, and South Korea; farm on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean and Costa Rica; and volunteer in rural Zambia. At age 26, I returned home to Connecticut, determined to get a job in travel. Soon after, I met Nomadic Matt at a travel meet-up in NYC, and the rest is history.

I whole-heartedly believe that traveling makes friends of strangers, and the more friends there are in the world, the more peace there is in the world.

13 Facts about Me

1. At 15, I helped build a schoolhouse in Nicaragua.
2. 1. I cooked an American Thanksgiving feast for my Thai co-English teachers in Thailand where barely any of the mashed potatoes, carrots and peas were eaten so my host-grandmother fed in to the monks for the following week unbeknownst to me.
3. I’ve cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, twice!
4. I once hunted for possums on the island of St. Vincent with a bunch of Rastafarians. We caught four and made soup. I was a vegetarian at the time.
5. In Costa Rica, I stayed at in a sustainable living community called Rancho Mastatal, where I learned how to farm yuca, make beer out of turmeric, and build a house out of cob.
6. I spent 11 days on a coconut water only fast at a yoga retreat in Cambodia, twice
7. I taught English in South Korea for 14 months and was able to easily save enough money for 21 months of non-stop travel. I also taught the students how to use “boo” colloquially.
8. This music video I made used to be one of the top hits when you searched for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
9. In Zambia, my friend and I were given a live chicken as a present. We were vegetarians, so we traded it for a pair of second-hand jeans in the town’s market.
10. I got 19 people (the students and teachers on a FLYTE trip) into an airport lounge in Ecuador for free. I think that’s a travel hacking record!
11. My college education was entirely free. How? I got a ton of tiny scholarships (I applied for everyone I could get my hands on) that added up, being a Residential Assistant in the dorms, and studying in Qatar actually saved me money (in the most expensive country in the world).
12. In Korea, I dated a guy who spoke no English and we basically communicated through drawing pictures and reciting American rap lyrics.
13. Last summer, I took a trip to Tunisia with some friends. I wish I could have stayed longer – what a cool country!

 

Chris O.

Chris joined the team as the part-time manager of the forums back in 2015. Since then, he’s transitioned to full-time and has branched out into the Superstar Blogging program and helps me with all of our various admin tasks. In his own words:

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and spent my formative years listening to punk rock, reading Star Wars novels, and generally getting up to no good. After ditching my lifelong plan to be a lawyer, I decided to give travel a try. I headed to Costa Rica on a whim and have never looked back! It wasn’t long after that trip that I took a break from university (where I was studying history and theatre) to move to a monastery in Japan in 2007. I’ve more or less been wandering around ever since. Some notable adventures include taking the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia and Mongolia, walking the Camino de Santiago twice, and going on a 10-day road trip around Iceland with complete strangers.

When I’m not traveling, I live in Sweden and can be found reading, writing, or hanging out with my rescue dog, Grimo.

13 Facts about Me

1. I spent nine months living in Buddhist monasteries.
2. I lived in a tent for a year.
3. I was once stalked by a jaguar and chased by a crocodile — on the same trip.
4. I haven’t had alcohol in 16 years.
5. I’ve broken all my fingers and toes, and my nose three times, and I’ve fractured both my wrists.
6. I worked on an organic farm for 11 years.
7. I co-owned a restaurant in Canada.
8. I grew up next door to Avril Lavigne.
9. I wrote a book (and am working on another one)
10. I played inter-mural Quidditch in high school and was our team’s Seeker.
11. I have a Star Wars tattoo.
12. I’ve been vegan for 15 years.
13. I have a scar from a fight that broke out over which Norse god was “the best.”

 

Chris R.

Chris, aka The Aussie Nomad, is a (kinda) former blogger who does all the tech and development work for the website. He keeps it running, fixes any errors you find, and deals with my constantly changing design desires. In his own words:

I’m living the good life in Western Australia by the beach with my amazing family. I got into the world of blogging after quitting my job, backpacking around Europe and, as all Aussies do, undertaking a working holiday in the UK. Like all of us who travel and fall in love with it, nobody wants to go home afterwards.

That adventure got me into creating a travel blog many years ago, which is how I first came to know Matt. I have since repurposed my IT skills from my old life and formed my own business to help out other bloggers with their websites.

13 Facts about Me

1. I love Belgian beer (and I even married a Belgian).
2. I’ve worked with Matt the longest out of anyone here. (Take that team!)
3. I took off to backpack Europe when I was 29.
4. I’m an advocate for Vegemite and believe all visitors to Australia must try this national treasure.
5. One of my favorite activities is to take a long road trip, especially with family and friends.
6. I have no idea how four-way stop signals in the U.S.A. don’t all end up as accidents.
7. I do not drink Fosters. It’s a terrible beer. No one in Australia actually drinks it.
8. I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer.
9. I failed kindergarten as I wouldn’t say goodbye to the teacher.
10. My first job was working in a supermarket.
11. I can’t sleep on a plane – no matter how long the flight is.
12. I can name every Thomas the Tank Engine character thanks to my son.
13. I don’t drink coffee or get people’s love for it. Tea all the way!

 

Raimee

Raimee does all of our social media and content marketing. She schedules posts, tweaks my terrible photos so they look good on Instagram, builds out our content calendar, analyzes data, edits video, creates digital marketing campaigns, and designs our social media graphics! In her own words:

When I was just 14 years old, I took my first international trip to Honduras and Belize with my family. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on experiencing new cultures, connecting with people from all walks of life, and learning about myself and the world through the power of travel! After graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing from Michigan State University and four years as a digital marketing specialist, I realized that corporate life was not for me. My insatiable need to experience the world beyond a desk led me to search for a job-related to travel. I’ve followed this blog for many years, and now I get to work for it remotely while I strategize, manage, and report on the social media accounts — and I love every second of it!

13 Facts about Me

1. I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. I’ve read each book at least 10 times. If I told you how many times I’ve watched the movies, you probably wouldn’t believe me.
2. I once hung out with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter!) at a Red Wings game in Detroit, and actually kept my cool the whole time (side note: He’s a SUPER nice guy!)
3. Visiting the Harry Potter studio tour in London was one of the best days of my life.
4. My mom was obsessed with the 80’s horror movie Evil Dead directed by Sam Raimi, so she named me after him.
5. After having visited about 30 countries, Iceland is still my favorite.
6. My biggest travel dream is to take a road trip around New Zealand!
7. I try to read 1-2 book(s) EVERY week!
8. I used to play the saxophone (and I wish I still did!)
9. I conquered my fear of heights by jumping off a cliff in Croatia — twice!
10. I love languages and was close to being fluent in German during college.
11. I’ve acted in a few independent and short films and as an extra in some network TV shows (I even have an IMDB page!)
12. In another life, I would have been a film director/producer. Maybe some day!
13. My favorite number is 13.

 

Carmela

Carmela is the Executive Director of our non-profit FLYTE that makes travel accessible to underserved youth from across the country. She handles anything and everything from fundraising, working with our partner schools to plan student trips abroad, connecting with our incredible donor community, and managing our volunteer team.

Born and raised in New Jersey, I had the privilege of taking my first international trip when I was 3 to visit my family in the Philippines where I refused to ride the local jeepneys because they didn’t have seatbelts! Since then, my love for travel has evolved. In 2012, my husband, Raymund, and I took a round the world honeymoon that was supposed to scratch the travel itch (lol). We came back home to NYC for a few years before taking the leap to become full-time remote workers, and have lived all over the world ever since.

When I’m not running FLYTE, I love planning trips (even if they’re not my own), practicing yoga, hiking, rock climbing, reading, eating, and eating cookies (which are their own food group, in my opinion).

1. I LOVE Math! I have a degree in it, taught statistics to college students, and few things make me happier than a well functioning Excel spreadsheet.
2. I come from a family of educators. My parents were both teachers before they immigrated to the US from the Philippines in the 70’s. Before I left to travel, I worked for the Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, the largest school district in the country, and now running FLYTE is pretty much my dream job because it combines my love for education with travel.
3. The Notorious BIG and I share the same birthday. Juicy is one of my favorite songs.
4. I still don’t fully understand how to use Twitter.
5. I like suspenseful movies & TV shows, but hate the feeling of being in suspense, so I often read what happens before watching so I can relax and enjoy my viewing experience.
6. My favorite cartoon is Alvin & the Chipmunks. I still have an Alvin doll that I was gifted on my 1st birthday. It bears no resemblance to the actual Alvin Seville anymore.
7. I attended an all girls high school and a women’s college – that environment there largely shaped who I am today.
8. My guilty pleasure is watching Terrace House – the Japanese equivalent to the Real World.
9. My dad has an identical twin brother and they used to play tricks on me and my cousin when we were younger. It’s equally funny and traumatizing.
10. I hate raisins, especially in cookies.
11. I’m an only child, but have over 30 first cousins. I love them as if they were my actual siblings.
12. Raymund and I met in Hawaii. For that, and many other reasons, it’s my most favorite place in the world.
13. I know every lyric to every song from the Sound of Music.

 

Nomadic Matt

And, finally, there’s me. You probably know a lot about me after twelve years of blogging (sometimes I forget how long it’s been), but here’s a quick refresh:

Growing up in Boston, I was never a big traveler. I didn’t take my first trip overseas until 2004. That trip changed my life and opened me up to the possibilities the world had to offer. One year later, I went to Thailand, where I met five backpackers who inspired me to quit my job and travel the world. In 2006, I left for a yearlong backpacking trip — and have been “nomadic” ever since.

13 Facts about Me

1. I love politics as much as I love travel and will debate for the joy for it.
2. I love to cook.
3. When I was in high school, I was my state’s champ in “Magic: the Gathering.” I know — super nerdy, right? It got me a free trip NYC with my friend (who came in number two!).
4. I always worry about the future and often use my time back home to develop skills needed for the Zombie Apocalypse. Shout-out to my prepper friend Vanessa for teaching me about seeds!
5. I once met Paul Giamatti on the streets of NYC and he was as grumpy as I imagined.
6. I am an unabashed Taylor Swift fan.
7. I don’t drink coffee.
8. I believe aliens exist. It’s mathematically impossible they don’t.
9. I’m terrified of flying.
10. I learned to swing dance so I could throw myself a Gatsby-themed birthday party.
11. Both sides of my family came through Ellis Island and you can see their names on the wall where they list all the immigrants.
12. I used to be the head of a program by the Massachusetts Sierra Club that promoted energy efficiency.
13. I went to college to be a high school history teacher.

***

So there you have it! The Nomadic Matt team! It’s weird to think this blog I started to simply be online résumé for freelance jobs now requires eleven people to run. I always thought the more systems, automation, products, and passive income I set up, the easier it would be. I could just sit on a beach. But it seems the more we do, the more we create, the more projects I tell the team we’re taking on, the more help we require. I guess that is the nature of the beast but I would have it no other way. I love what we do here. We help a lot of people realize their dreams.

And a guy couldn’t ask for better co-workers to help make that happen.

P.S. – We’ve launched a new Patreon where you can get stories and tips I don’t share on this blog, a private Facebook group, phone calls with me and the team, live Q&As, postcards from the road, signed copies of my books, and much more! Click here to get access!

The post Meet the Team: The Many Faces of Nomadic Matt appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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