Why James Meeker Sold Everything to Travel the World

James Meeker is a world traveler who is currently documenting his globetrotting journey on social media. After a major life change, he decided to sell his house and buy a motorhome in Australia to travel the entire Australian coast. Since then, he has seen numerous countries including Antartica  and made new friends around the globe.

What inspired you to start this journey of travelling full-time and chronicling it on social media?

Travel has always been an important part of my life. I realized when I was pretty young that you don’t get to take material things with you. Experiences and memories are the only things that last, so you might as well put your money and time into them. After a big change in my life, I decided I was ready to travel full-time. I love going to unique places and having experiences I couldn’t have anywhere else. The opportunity to meet new people and learn their stories as I travel has really enriched my life.

What are some sacrifices you’ve faced to be able to live this life?

I can’t spend time with my friends and family in-person. When I meet people while travelling, it’s almost always temporary. Some people stay in touch after I leave, but many don’t. I love having a dog, but it doesn’t work with the travel lifestyle. So when I find someone with a dog, I ask to get my “dog-fix” and take a picture. It’s not the same, but it’ll do for now.

What’s your favorite part about travel?

My motto is, “I’ve no strangers, just friends I’ve not met.” I make friends very easily. When I’m travelling, I’ll sometimes post on social media and say, “Does anyone want to grab coffee and tell me their story?” I love meeting new people and learning about their lives. There’s no betterway to experience a culture than through the people living it.

What makes you different from other people who are travelling the world?

My posts aren’t trying to sell you anything. I just want to share the unique things I see along the way. A big one for me is food. In every city, I find the food that a place is famous for and try it. In Paris, it was escargot. In Chicago, it was pizza. It’s not fancy five-star food a lot of the time. I’m not trying to impress anyone or get anything from people by posting about it. I just want to share whatever it is I’m experiencing.

How would you define success?

When I started this journey, I decided it had to be as my authentic self. I wanted to be kind to those I meet and open to sharing and receiving kindness. I know that not everyone can do what I do, so I hope to enrich other people’s lives through sharing my experiences. If I can positively influence someone else, they in turn enrich my life.

Do you have any quotes you live by?

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it
sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be
acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” – Mark Twain

What exciting plans do you have for the future?

People always want to know where I’m headed next. My answer is, “No spoilers!” I have big plans in the works, but you’ll have to keep an eye on GloballyJames to find out.

Be sure to follow James on Instagram.