Travel blogger Stephen Andrew Stepaniuk is based in Boston, Massachusetts. As a professional blogger, he is able to experience the best in world culture, food, and entertainment. His travels have taken him to many locations in the United States and Europe. His natural facility with language makes it easy for him to communicate with people wherever he goes. He has begun a study of Esperanto in hopes of making a better connection with people around the globe.
Stepaniuk grew up in Connecticut. He attended Northeastern University where he majored in English. He has leveraged his strong writing skills into a blog that is popular with chefs and travel industry professionals. After college, Stepaniuk took a job with a high-powered consulting firm. He started a blog as a fun way of sharing travel stories and photos with his friends and family. As the blog became more successful, he began to attract sponsors and advertisers. He realized that he could become a full-time blogger several years ago. Much of his travel is paid for by companies or visitor’s bureaus.
In the next year, Stephen Andrew Stepaniuk is ready to embark on a tour of Far Eastern locations including Dubai, India, China, and Japan. He hopes to come to a more complete understanding of these diverse locations, experiencing their food and culture from the people’s perspective. He will take many insightful photographs for his blog and share recipes from the various places he visits.
What is your favorite thing about traveling?
My favorite thing about traveling is that I get to experience life through someone else’s eyes. I like to stay with local residents rather than spending my time in a chain hotel that would be the same wherever I traveled. My local connections are excellent sources for restaurant and cultural recommendations. I can ask them where their favorite places are and why. This gives me a different perspective than many other bloggers out there.
Is traveling something you consider a hobby or a lifestyle? How did you get started?
Travel is a lifestyle for me. It was a hobby until I was able to take my blog full-time. I started traveling in high school: I was a foreign exchange student in Germany. Traveling as a foreign exchange student was an eye-opening experience. I loved being able to share the great things about Germany with my host family and friends. I found that after I started consulting I had enough funds to travel lavishly but I preferred to take a different path. I built a network of friends in Europe, starting with my friends from high school. I started “couch surfing” across Europe during my vacations.
Do you have any exciting travel dates or itinerary planned for the future?
I am excited to explore Dubai, India, China, and Japan in the next year. I haven’t spent much time in Asia, and I want to experience all that it has to offer. I have friends in Dubai — they are British, but they work abroad as do many of the people in Dubai. I’m excited to have the chance to stay with them. I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese history and culture.
What are some travel tips you’d give to an inexperienced traveler?
Don’t be too tied down by a schedule. Build in plenty of time to explore. This might be difficult when you are considering hotel accommodations, but you will find that you can find much better deals and have an easier time getting to know the people at your destination if you stay at hostels or in short-term rentals. When you enter a new city, don’t go immediately for the most touristy place in town. Let yourself wander and you might discover something entirely new.
Where would you like to go?
I’m thrilled to be going to China next year. I am looking forward to seeing the amazing historical sites and to meeting the local people. I don’t speak Mandarin, but I plan to travel with a local friend who does. I want to try all the different regional specialties.
Where would you like to revisit?
I often do travel alone. I have an easier time being spontaneous when I travel alone. I don’t have to adapt my trip according to anyone else’s expectations or demands. I do enjoy traveling with friends, however. It is nice to have someone to talk to on trains and planes.
Do you travel alone? Why?
I hope to get back to Germany sometime soon. It’s the European country where I have spent the most time, and I’m fluent in the language so it’s like coming home. German food has a reputation for being heavy, but you can get truly excellent fresh food there. The beer is great too.
If you could pick the top three places every person should go, what would they be?
I hated having to narrow down this list to three places. I would recommend that everyone see the Grand Canyon, New York City, and Paris.
Do you travel light or do you pack up the house?
I always travel light, but I have been known to ship souvenirs home. I have found many unique cooking items and textiles on my foreign trips. The deals are hard to pass up, especially in the big marketplaces where you can haggle the price down.
