"We don't need a lot of stuff. We want to be focused on the journey"

 

 TRAVELLER ID

Name: Manuel

Name on Instagram: bodiuci

Age: 39

Nationality: Italian

City you're currently in: Gorizia, Italy

Peculiarities: Yoga teacher, in love with his dog Gilda and all animals

Type of traveller: Couple backpacker

Most beautiful place you've been  to: Iguazu falls, between Argentina, Paraguay and Brasil

Motto: Less is more

Tell me about your last travelling experience

I went with my wife to Nepal for almost 2 months. We decided to go there after meeting an old man in Santiago De Compostela. This man had a curious story. He was the only survivor of a shipwreck. From that moment he started to walk around the world, visiting all the sanctuaries. My wife and I asked this man what was the best place he visited. His answer was “Nepal, for sure!”. That’s why we chose Nepal as the next place to go, after the Camino de Santiago. Nepal was a very interesting and amazing place. We also went there to start a yoga teacher training in Kathmandu. We met a lot of “crazy” people there (smile), from all around the world. After the course we also did the Annapurna trekking. We did it in six days with very small bags. We always travel with small bags because our motto is “Less is more”, a quote from a famous architect, Van Der Rohe. We don’t need a lot of stuff. We want to be focused on the journey.

What initially motivated you to travel?

I started travelling when I was in high school. Initially I would visit only big cities in Europe. My travel mindset started changing in three steps. The first one was in 2014, when I went to Ethiopia. There I did volunteer work in a medical center for a couple of weeks, helping doctors with injections. I saw people with “nothing”, poor and sick, with always a smile on their faces. That was the best experience of my life. After that I started thinking that travel was the best way to open your mind. The second experience that changed my mindset was during the same year, in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka struck me for its nature, incredible landscapes and nice people. The third step was in 2016, when I met Maggie, who is now my wife. We met at a friend’s party and we immediately shared our passion for travelling. Very soon we started travelling together and became a couple backpackers. We love to travel together because we love to share emotions, feelings and thoughts about the places we see. I found a good wife (laughter).

How do you support your travels?

My wife and I quit our jobs at the same time, last year. We saved some money to travel but now we are both thinking about working remotely, while travelling. The idea is to go around the world with our van, working and enjoying new countries.  We are working on it. Maggie, who is an architect, is now studying urban planning in Copenhagen. I worked in a bank for 13 years and now I’m studying Cybersecurity. It’s challenging but we accept the challenge. 

Do you have any regrets related to your choice of travelling?

Not at all. When you travel you find opportunities. The opportunity to meet people that change your life. To find a job that is not the classical job but it makes you proud and happy. To see different cultures. To improve yourself and grow. Opportunities are everywhere but you have to find them. To find them, you have to move. You’re not a tree. 

Do your family and friends support your choice of travelling?

“To support” is not the correct word. They accept it. Maggie’s parents are travellers but my family and our friends don’t like travelling. For them, we are not so "normal" (laughter). They have another mindset about life. They prefer the comfort of our country and of our food to the stress that for them comes with travelling. This doesn't bother me though: this is my life and this is my choice. 

Travelling can be challenging. Do you ever feel like you have to go out of your comfort zone?

Yeah. It may seem that I’m contradicting myself but my comfort zone is with my parents. I love them and I want to help them. This feels like it's holding me back. I’m stopping myself because I want to help them and be there for them. For this reason, I try to plan trips that are never too long. I want to step out of this mindset, though, and change the way I see this situation. I want to teach my parents how to use some digital tools, so we can be in touch every day. 

From your point of view, what are the advantages and disadvantages related to your way of travelling?

I would say that if you travel cheap and with small bags like we do, you are not so comfortable. Travelling with almost nothing gives you a sense of freedom, though. You only focus on the journey, landscapes and relationships. Another advantage is the possibility to share experiences with your partner. It’s a good way to learn more about them and their point of view.

Tell me about one of the most meaningful moments related to your travelling

Sharing feelings with people is what I find really meaningful. In the yoga school that we attended in Nepal, we met a lot of people from all over the world. One day, we started sharing feelings during dinner. Everybody around the table was crying. We were on the same wavelength and were feeling comfortable with these people. We are still in touch with some of them.