Meet Masroor from Backpack LIfe | Travel Blogger Interview Series
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This week I’m happy to share that I’m featuring Masroor from Backpack Life!
I am from Sri Lanka (Colombo) which is a buzzing metropolitan, a vibrant and noisy place to grow in, to me, it seemed like the world revolved around the City of Colombo and I was fine within its confines.
Got a job and started working a 9 to 5 just because it was the thing to do.
One day along popped the song “the nights” by Avicii on the local radio; I didn’t know the artist then, but there was something in the lyrics that just clicked in my mind, and I’ve never felt the same since!
I quit my job the very next day and started preparing myself to live more and focus on what really mattered in life; while It wasn’t easy, day by day it all started making sense, and I haven’t looked back since nor do I regret ever making this decision. I have also now moved to New Zealand.
I started a blog to see where this could take me, I am very excited about the future and can’t wait to see what it can bring.
How long have you been blogging for?
I actually began my blog back in 2018 but then did not post for most of 2019; I have now been back to posting regularly since April this year.
Do you have any tips for new travel bloggers?
Something that I used to really struggle with and, to some level still struggle with is consistency, build trust with your followers by sticking to a schedule.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started traveling?
How to pack efficiently, initially I was dragging around multiple bags making it really frustrating when it came to moving around, which I was doing quite frequently; I have now learned to minimize my belongings greatly and almost always travel with just a backpack.
Why do you love to travel?
I was stuck in the epitome of a dead end back in Sri Lanka, and managing to get out of that life is one thing that I still do not take for granted; once I got the taste of travel, I knew I could not possibly go back to that old life.
What’s your best and worst travel experience?
I absolutely loved my experience in the Philipines because it was my first solo travel experience and it was really different from travelling with friends. I did not expect to make that many friends while travelling solo, that would have to be my best experience.
My worst travel experience is quite a tough question as I take bad experiences as just experiences!
If I had to pick an annoying one though I guess it would be this one time where I totally miscalculated the time it would take to get to a connecting flight and completely missed it! Ended up having to book another!
Do you prefer solo travel or traveling with other people?
For the majority of the time, I would have to pick solo travel because I feel being alone in a foreign land truly forces you to adopt their culture and give you a more enriching and satisfying experience overall.
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever been to?
The Philippines!
Possibly because I travel across the country so much and made tons of friends and had countless adventures along the way, it was my first time experiencing couch surfing as well so living with the locals was a bonus and only good things came out of it.
What’s your biggest travel tip?
One thing that I only really learned along the way is to book your accommodation for just a few nights and then see where your experiences take you; early on in my travels, I cannot count the number of times I’ve had to cancel my reservations due to changes in circumstances.
This might be something that a lot of people already practice, but after I learned this simple mentality, I truly gained way more freedom.
Is there one specific thing you like to do, buy, or see in every place you visit?
I always buy handmade bracelets in every country that I visit. (at least look for them!) It’s a really minimalistic approach to collecting souvenirs in my opinion.
Is there one particular food that you’ve tried while traveling and loved?
The Nasi Goreng, I come from Asia, so I bleed rice! This meal was by far the best that I have had yet, the right amount of flavouring, spice, and overall THE perfect dish!
QUICK QUESTIONS
Plane or train? Train
Hotel or hostel? Hostel
City or nature? Nature!
Popular site or off the beaten path? Off the beaten path
Suitcase or backpack? Backpack! (see my url!)
Fast travel or slow travel? Slow travel
Professional camera or iPhone photography? Professional camera
Warm or cold weather? Warm weather
Interested in following Masroor elsewhere? Be sure to follow him on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest!
All photos used throughout this post are taken by Masroor from Backpack Life.
