"The more I discover about the world, the more I discover about myself too"

TRAVELLER ID

Name: Diagoras

Name on Social Media: diakl_

Website:  https://www.travelositive.com/

Age: 40

Nationality: Greek

Peculiarities: if I’m embarrassed I’ll start laughing

Type of traveler: free traveller

Most beautiful place you've been to: Iceland

Motto: Life is short. Break the rules, kiss slowly, forgive quickly, laugh uncontrollably, never regret anything that made you smile.

Would you like to introduce yourself?

I'm Dia, from Greece. Half Greek actually. My mother is from the Philippines, my father is Greek and my grandmother is Spanish, so it's a little bit of a mix. I grew up in Athens, I studied there. I studied Economics but after finishing university I found out I didn't really like what I studied. I was travelling a bit during university, like a few months per year but after working in a bank for six months and realizing that wasn't what I wanted to do, I decided to travel more. This decision was very natural. I didn't decide to travel for life, but then years went fast (smile) and travelling became a lifestyle. I'm very curious about the world. I think that the more I discover about the world, the more I discover about myself, too. Through travelling I started to appreciate life more. I think I'm very lucky. I'm European, I have a European passport. Through travelling I understood that all my little problems were too little compared to the rest of the world. Through travelling and going to other places that have different lives that what we have here in Europe. I thought, If I continue travelling maybe I can become a better person. Also, it would be nice if, on the way, I could do little things to help. If I see a little stray animal, I could help that animal. If I see a person who needs something, I could help this person. Just get back to humanity somehow, by doing little things on the way. Sometimes I travel with food or dog food and If I find an injured animal during my trip, I take it to a vet.

Tell me more about travelling as a lifestyle

I think there's a different style of travelling for everybody. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it. There's just the way you want to do it. I've been travelling for more than 20 years. The first 10 years I was travelling by myself, but sometimes I would meet a few people and I would travel with them for a week or a month or even longer. Nowadays more often I meet with people and travel with them. I enjoy both travelling alone and with other people. It's a different kind of experience. The first few years I was travelling on a very tight budget. I was really young and I didn't have much money, so I just took jobs here and there that provided me with some money, but I wasn't able to overspend. I would meet random people around, do hitchhiking, a lot of couchsurfing, stay in my tent everywhere, or sometimes stay with the homeless to know their problems. This was nice for a couple of years. I don't say that at some point you get tired of it, but growing up I wanted to experience something else. I started to put more effort into little jobs. I would work a little bit more, and then travel with a little bit more money in my pocket and be able to do some more things. This is how I supported my travels.

Hod did you find jobs while travelling?

Sometimes it was through friends and sometimes through the internet and job agencies. For example, you meet people on the way and they know you're around and you're looking for a job - for me it would be any kind of job. I think it's easy to get a manual labor job because nobody wants to do them. Farms and factories are always lacking people for seasonal jobs. If I found a job in a place, I would stay for a few months working and saving up to then go. I did a lot of farming, a little bit of factory work. I worked in hostels and hotels doing room service but also cleaning. I worked as a waiter in some restaurants, I taught some English even though I'm not a native English speaker. You get some skills by doing so many jobs but I think there's always the possibility to learn new things and improve. 

Did you really cross Asia by bike?

I like cycling and if I have the opportunity to travel by bicycle, I would do it. It's a nice way of travelling. I've gone from Asia to Europe by bike following the Silk road. The bike I used was a city bike with six gears that you would take to go to the supermarket. It lasted more or less 8 months. It could have lasted longer but I don't consider myself a cycler. I just like the bike. Sometimes, when there were some issues I would put my bike inside some transportation, for example if it was a very dangerous area. So, I cycled most of the way, but not 100%. I think anybody can do it. Some people might cycle more, some people might cycle less, but you just take a bicycle and go. I like that on a bike you can stop, you can go not too fast and not too slow. You can smell, you can see and hear. It's a nice way of experiencing everything, I think. After doing long trips with the bicycle and a few more cycling trips, if it's possible to travel by bike, I would do it. So, bikes are my main way of transport, but I also take some flights and use other means of transport.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of your way to travel?

An advantage is the sense of freedom. If you want to keep on moving, you can keep on moving, fast or slow. There's no commitment with anything. You decide anything you want, anytime, for as much as you want. I personally don't want to have kids, but one disadvantage is that with this kind of lifestyle you wouldn't be able to have a family. I think travelling with a family is feasible - I've seen people doing it, but maybe not for such a long time. As far as romantic relationships, it would need to be open, otherwise it wouldn't work. A relationship in which everybody keeps on doing what they're doing and when you're together you can share. I need freedom. Another disadvantage could be to not have a place to call home. People own houses, cars, and have families. I don't own anything, just memories and travelling until now. 

What is the most valuable lesson you learned during all these years travelling?

I learned to appreciate what you have and the importance of keeping it simple. I learned to enjoy every moment of my life because I don't know what comes next. I also learned to not complain and be grumpy. If it's not a matter of health, anything can be fixed. That's what I think.

Is there anything I haven't asked but is important for you to share?

It would be nice if people travelled responsibly, without hurting the locals and the planet. Not create problems or uncomfortable situations for anything we encounter. We are there to learn, not to impose our way of thinking or culture on other people.