Interview with Swedish Travel Blogger Swedish Nomad

Destinavo.com has had the honor of interviewing the Swedish Travel Blogger – Swedish Nomad who travel around the world full-time with his girlfriend AlienChris.

In this interview you get the chance to get to know him a little more and see who’s behind the travel blog Swedishnomad.com plus some tips and how everything started.

Who is Swedish Nomad?

Most people online has come to known me as Swedish Nomad, but in my everyday life my real name is Alexander Waltner, and I originate from a city in Southern Sweden called Helsingborg. I love to explore the world and meet new cultures.

Besides that, I’m also quite passioned about photography and animal right + responsible travel.

A very important subject that I think should get more attention.

When did you start your travel blog?

I launched Swedishnomad.com the 9 of September 2016, so the blog itself is quite new, but I’ve been traveling since 2010 when I left Sweden for the first time.

How did your passion for traveling begin?

When I was a kid, maybe between 4-7 years old, I became very interested in Dinosaurs and Pyramids, both in Egypt and South America. Instead of watching cartoons, I watched films and tv-series from National Geographic and a Swedish science magazine called “Illustrerad vetenskap.”

My biggest dream back then was to be an archeologist and be able to dig out old fossils and discover ancient temples and pyramids. It seemed so cool, and since then I have always wanted to explore the world.

What is the oddest thing that has happened to you while traveling?

A tricky question! I have seen quite a few strange and experienced culture shocks. But I have to say the oddest thing was when we sat on the train from Jaipur to Agra in India, and suddenly I see a man who takes a dump just next to the train, wide open in public. If this happened in Sweden, that person would probably go to jail or be escorted away by Police. But the funny thing is that it just went by 1-2 minutes before I saw another man doing the same thing.

For fun, I and Christine started to count how many pooping people we saw during our train ride. There wasn’t a lot to do except staring out the window. Along the way we say more odd things, people were doing it together in a group and at the same time having a conversation.
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The groups were mixed; there were both groups with children pooping together, grown-ups, men, and women together.

In a 4-hour train ride, we saw a total of 74 people pooping out in public along the train track.
If you think about, pooping is something everyone do. However, doing it together out in public just next to the train track is something I have never ever seen before, and something I will probably remember all my life.

What is it like to travel with your partner?

It’s actually a lot better than you might think. Some people ask me “How do you stan each other when spending that much time together?” And my answer is always the same “What do you mean?” If you can’t stand each other every day, you’re probably not a great combo.

Sure it’s nice to be alone some time, but that comes naturally. But by being with your partner almost 24/7, you get the chance to discover the world together and get a deeper relationship. If you can travel together, you know it’s for real. Then you get to see all the good and bad sides, and the result will be that you get much closer than in everyday life.

What do you like the most about traveling?

The best part of traveling is to get to new places or be able to out in nature and meet wild animals. That’s a magical feeling that makes you feel home in nature.

Another thing that’s great is that you get to meet so many different people from cultures and countries all over the world. You also get a perspective on life and learn from others, as well as learning a lot about yourself.

What’s your favorite means of transportation (Car/Bus/On foot/Train/Taxi)

I love to walk around by foot because you get to see so much more and get a whole other feeling than by taxi or car. Sure it’s a pain in the a** sometimes, but you also get exercise at the same time.

But I’m not always walking around; I also like to ride the public transportation and see how it differs from other places I’ve been. I don’t like tourist bus or taxi because it’s often more expensive and you also miss out on the chance to meet locals and learn more about their culture.

If you had to pick one place in the world right now, where would you go?

To South Korea, Jeju Island. An Amazing island with beautiful nature, small cozy villages and friendly locals.

What have your trips taught you?

That you won’t be happier by stuff and must do’s, it’s rather the opposite. The less stuff you own the more freedom you get. I have also learned that a traditional life back home in Sweden isn’t something for me.

The most important thing I have learned is that people around the world are much more alike each other than you might think. Even though there are cultural differences, we are really the same. I have also learned that change comes from within and that life gets better if you’re always positive and avoid stress or always wind up on old things.
It’s very easy to live in the now when you travel like I do.

It’s liberating to not have to worry about what’s been or what’s coming. Sure you need to plan ahead at some state, but if you use common sense, most things will solve in one way or another.

If you could just bring one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?

A Swiss Army Knife.

Do you have any tips on how to travel as much as you do?

Yes, I got plenty. Here’s a list of 25 saving tips that will give you more money for traveling. Most of the times it’s about switching priorities, most people, at least in Sweden actually have money to travel a lot more than they do or think they can.

If you want to travel full-time as I do, you need to find a flexible job. As for me, I support myself entirely online, which makes it possible to travel wherever I want as long as there are Internet available. On my blog you will find lots of tips on how to travel more and jobs that allow you to travel at the same time!

You can also find Swedish Nomad on Instagram, Twitter och Facebook.