Featured Travel Blogger: Ricky Carbis

Up next in my Featured Travel Blogger series is Ricky Carbis, a 20-something traveller, writer and blogger who has a little bit of an obsession with Mexico…read on to find out why!

HI, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF?

1. Name: Ricky Carbis

2. Age: 25

3. Travel Blog: www.londonerabroad.com

4. Twitter: @RickyCarbis

5. Home Town: London

6. Current Location: Mexico City

7. Tell us a bit about where you are at the moment and what you’re doing there:

I am currently in Mexico City and have been for nearly two years now. What was supposed to be a 6 month trip, ended being a lot longer. I love it here – the country is so colourful and diverse. You have everything from a busy city, to beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and the food, wow, I can go on forever about the food! Mexico has been slowly making me fatter since 2012 – thanks, Mexico.

TRAVEL TIDBITS

8. First ever travel experience:

I went to France with my family but I really don’t remember much about it! I just remember going sailing at some point and absolutely loving that part.

9. Where’s next in your travel plans?:

I’m, finally, leaving Mexico at the end of August this year. I will be travelling to Cuba, Brazil, and settling in Argentina until November. After that, I am planning to slowly work my way back up to Mexico over 6 months or so before flying out of Mexico to Asia! I can’t wait to see Asia.

10. Give me the top 3 places you’ve visited and why:

Barcelona has to be number one just because it is the best beach/city I have seen. I’d like to live there for a long period of time once I am done travelling the world. I’d say number two is New York because New York is New York! I love it there and try to go once a year. Number three has to be Playa del Carmen, I really like it because it is more peaceful than Cancun and a beautiful beach in its own right, love the water there.

11. What 5 countries do you want to visit that you haven’t yet been to?:

I’d say, in this order: Japan, Brazil, Australia, Argentina, and China. Good for me that I will tick off Brazil and Argentina in the next few months, and once I get to Asia I shall tick the rest off – just a matter of waiting ha.

12. If you could avoid going anywhere where would it be and why?

I’ve never been anywhere that I really hated. I was disappointed with Rome, I didn’t hate it, it just didn’t live up to my expectations I had of it before – but that’s probably because when I was younger I used to dream of living in Rome! So maybe it was never going to meet those dreams, but I wouldn’t say no to going back there – I had a lot of bad luck there and that also clouded my trip.

13. What are your top 5 travelling items?

My MacBook Pro so that I can work while I travel, my iPhone to take quick snaps while I’m out and about, a pair of running trainers so that I can go for runs or walk comfortably around the city, sunglasses for obvious reasons, and number five I’d say a thin jacket because I can wear it when it’s warm, or cold, and being a Londoner – we only need a thin jacket when it’s snowing anyway, perfect.

14. Best bit of advice you’ve ever been given:

Actually, one that stuck with me for a long time. A few years ago I was talking to my boss about my goals and things I wanted to achieve in my life, say I was 22 at the time and telling him about my big plans etc, he told me that before 30, I shouldn’t worry much about life and savings etc. He told me how he hadn’t even started his company before the age of 30 and that I should just enjoy my life until then. It stuck with me how someone could be so successful starting at that age.

15. Worst advice?

I’m not really sure, if I have been given bad advice, I would have most likely forgotten it and brushed it off, I like to take positive notes rather than negative ones.

16. What do you miss most when you’re travelling?

My dogs Molly and Lula… I mean, my family! Kidding, they will know it’s my dogs, I love my dogs.

NOW FOR THE RANDOM QUESTIONS

17. Hostel, Hotel or other:

Hotel, because I work online, I like the privacy of a hotel room so I can work at night.

18. Favourite food from another country: Ice cream, Mexican food, Pizza – basically anything unhealthy!

19. Favourite mode of transport (plane, train, bus, tuk tuk etc): Walk, if I can, I’ll walk, if not, a taxi or train will do.

20. Guilty pleasure? Buying clothes, needless clothes, but… I like to shop.

21. Best travel app? I don’t really use travel apps, I do like to download underground maps of each city I go to though, they have been very helpful.

22. Favourite travelling soundtrack/What are you listening to at the moment? Oh man, now that would be an embarrassing tell!

PROMOTE YOURSELF

23. Thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions. Now please take a few lines to tell everyone about your website…

Londoner Abroad is my little travel blog where I try and give people some honest tips and advice that has helped me travel. I’d like to think, and hope, that it is a nice read, a funny read, and some stories and advice that other people will take into consideration as they travel, and if not, you can always read about the time a Mexican native thought I was Ringo Starr as that is the only English person he had ever heard of.