Going Local – an around the world travel experience with Nick Kontis

Article and photography by Nick Kontis

Travel is not, and should never be, a “been there, done that” proposition. Enlightened travelers understand that it’s not about selfies posted on Instagram, but what they can check off their bucket lists. It’s about authentic experiences.

In the 21st century, to pardon the cliché, the world is our oyster. We can be in almost any city on the planet in 24 hours, in the most remote outpost of civilization within two or three days.

Modern explorers thrive in finding their personal discomfort zones and diving in, headfirst. They seek immersion, wisdom, and a greater understanding of people and places. They challenge themselves to grow, to acknowledge their fears of the new and unknown, to glimpse and perhaps experience the ways in which other cultures live.

Within these pages, you’ll learn:

* How to become a part of the experiential travel moment, contributing to the sharing economy on a peer-to-peer level. Travelers find it easier than ever to “live like a local” — to become, however temporarily, part of a family or community.

* How to embrace foreign cultures through their cuisine. Globetrotters seek a greater understanding of national cuisines by sharing meals in private homes, visiting food markets and taking cooking classes.

* How to volunteer, short- or long-term, while you’re on the road — traveling the world while helping others. Whether teaching, farming, assisting with environmental or wildlife conservation, there’s nothing better than giving back to a community, working side-by-side with locals.

* What it means to be a responsible traveler — and how to choose tour operators whose focus on sustainability gives back to local societies. At every turn, be aware that you can help to protect ecosystems and become environmentally and culturally responsible. Tread lightly, leaving a positive footprint.

* How to turn a round-the-world journey into a life-changing adventure. Take off your blinders and you’re sure to return home with a better understanding of yourself and of the world around you. You will be blessed with tolerance and knowledge that can only be learned from interaction with people of foreign lands and cultures.

Special features include contributions from numerous famed modern travelers, including Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, adventure travel guru Richard Bangs, European travel icon Rick Steves, Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Peter Greenberg, and National Geographic Traveler editor-at-large Don George.

Through the lens of the authors’ own personal tales, “Going Local” offers a unique approach to world travel. The pair have an international pedigree.

Nicholas Kontis was born on Greece’s Santorini Island and at the age of 3 moved with his parents to San Francisco, where he was introduced to a range of lifestyles. His impulsiveness, curiosity about people, and spontaneous passions forged a life of travel. A summer trip back to Europe turned into a multi-year adventure, and a career of priceless memories was born. Indeed, Nick has set foot in more than 100 countries.

John Gottberg Anderson, born and raised in the United States, followed in the footsteps of his maternal grandpa, who left his Finnish fishing village to become a transatlantic sailor and visited four continents before he was 25. John was injected with a passion for Asian and Pacific lifestyles during two summers in Hawaii; worked at a small factory in rural Sweden; then invested in a round-the-world air ticket and spent three years on the road, picking up jobs at bars and restaurants, farms and hotels, teaching skiing and making sales calls. In the decades that followed, he worked in 11 countries on four continents and traveled in scores more.

As Kontis and Anderson tell their stories, they encourage readers to explore the world on their own terms.

You’re afraid? Of course you are. But don’t let that stop you. As Goethe once wrote: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.”