Jusz Travel‘s Travel Blogger of the Month for August is Luke Marlin from Backstreet Nomad!
Marlin has been blogging for almost seven years and according to him, he leads a double life as a financial analyst and a travel blogger.
“I posts travel blog posts back in 2010, but it wasn’t until early 2014 that I decided I wanted to be an actual travel blogger,” said Marlin. “I wanted to do this because travel is a passion and I wanted a creative outlet for the times when I’m not actually on the road. It keeps me going.”
When asked what the best part of being a travel blogger is, he said it is the “infinite travel inspiration” he gets from it. With that being said, he looks up to Ása and Andri on From Ice to Spice.
“They have not been traveling long and have already been to some incredible places with captivating stories and beautiful images to go along with. It’s a must read,” he said.
For the full interview with Luke Marlin from Backstreet Nomad, continue reading below.
Tell us something about yourself not many people know about you?
Well, not many people on the Internet know I’m a Financial Analyst for an investment company by day, and not people at work know I’m a travel blogger. I tend to lead a double life!
What is your blog called and what sets it apart from other travel blogs?
My blog is called The Backstreet Nomad and I like to think it is somewhat unique in that I focus on the road less travelled through humour and narrative, and I do so in part by also collecting stories from other bloggers via interview. This is not to say mine is the best out there, but I think it’s certainly unique.
Why should people check out your travel blog?
Well if you’re heading to Australia any time soon I love writing about my own country in the form of blog posts and travel guides, so you’re bound to pick up something you hadn’t thought of yet. But also, I just really like my theme, it’s new and shiny and I’d like to show it off even though I had 0% input into its design.
How long have you been blogging?
I published my first blog post back in January 2010 to a humble Blogspot blog. It had little to no theme, just bare bones travel diaries from living in Europe. When I came back the posts dried up because it was just about telling stores to those back home. It has not been updated since.
However, I published my first blog post under the Backstreet Nomad name on the WordPress.com platform in May 2014. I’ve since graduated to my own domain, changed it, then changed it back to its current form.
Why did you decide you want to be a travel blogger?
As I mentioned, I posts travel blog posts back in 2010, but it wasn’t until early 2014 that I decided I wanted to be an actual travel blogger. I wanted to do this because travel is a passion and I wanted a creative outlet for the times when I’m not actually on the road. It keeps me going.
What is the hardest part about being a travel blogger?
Every blogger who started at nothing will agree that the hardest part is when you feel like you’re spinning your wheels and it seems like no one is visiting your blog, even though you feel like you are writing your best content.
And what is the best part about being a travel blogger?
Infinite travel inspiration. Seriously. I find new content on new places every single day, and whenever I want info on a place I am visiting soon I know exactly where to look, or whom to ask.
What are the top three things you always bring with you in your travels?
My Polaroid camera, my DSLR, and my iPad.
Do you have another travel blogger you get inspiration from?
One of my favourite bloggers is Ása and Andri on From Ice to Spice. They have not been traveling long and have already been to some incredible places with captivating stories and beautiful images to go along with. It’s a must read.
Share to us your favourite travel hack?
It’s not much of a hack but if I’m going overseas, even for a short time I’ll always get a sim card for my phone. Facebook, Twitter and whatever else can go jump off a bridge, but I can no longer travel without using FourSquare for ideas on the best places to eat, drink, and visit.
Where was your last travel destination? Tell us all about it!
My most recent trip was to the South Island of New Zealand with my wife. We did a three-week loop around the coast of the island stopping wherever the hell we wanted to. It was an incredible trip, we saw an absurd amount of mountains and were able to get really close to some wildlife as well.
Where are you going next? What are you most looking forward to on this trip?
My next trip will be to the Whitsundays off the north coast of Queensland. This won’t be my first trip so I know exactly what I’m in for. However I’m always excited to see Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach again (voted Australia’s prettiest beach). It’s also a super relaxing time because we can go at our own pace while also getting in plenty of hiking and snorkelling.
All photos (except for the first one) in this post are provided by Marlin.
