Dr. Schlomo Schmuel is a podiatrist with more than two decades of experience in the industry. His practice is located in Los Angeles where he works with local residents and those who live in the surrounding regions. Prior to entering the field, Dr. Schlomo Schmuel went to Kent State University where he obtained his doctorate. Also, he completed an internship and a residency at the Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center. Additionally, he is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. When he is not working, he likes to spend time sailing. 

What is your favorite thing about traveling?

It helps me unwind and take time to myself. When you work in a service-based industry, you are bound to interact with hundreds of people on a weekly basis. Although I enjoy the interactions and thrive in meeting new people, I like to take a few days off and just spend some time with my thoughts. Doing so helps me step back and take a look at my career as well as everything that I have accomplished. Additionally, getting a chance to do things outside of podiatry is when I get to grow as a person and expand my knowledge base.

Is traveling something you consider a hobby or a lifestyle? How did you get started?

I think it is a little bit of both! I consider it more of a hobby in the sense that I cannot exactly dedicate myself to traveling on a full-time basis. Nevertheless, I enjoy taking advantage of every opportunity that I get to travel to a new destination that I may not have visited before. Those experiences help me meet new people, learn about different cultures, and gather memories that last a lifetime. Not to mention that it is a perfect chance to learn new languages, norms of other societies, and so on.

What are some travel tips you’d give to an inexperienced traveler?

Make sure that you spend enough time planning your trip. Although this seems pretty self-explanatory, people who have not done a lot of traveling tend to overlook important aspects of their venture. For instance, booking your flight and a hotel is not where your research should end. On the contrary, you should also be looking at local attractions and coordinating them with the weather that is forecasted. That way, you will be able to make a mini-plan for every day and avoid being in a situation where you are wasting time trying to figure out what to do next.

Where would you like to go?

I would like to visit some international places like Greece and Spain. I have been planning to do so for a long time now but have not had a chance to. Additionally, I think that there are some incredible cities in the United States that everyone should visit at some point. For instance, going to New York City, Miami, Houston, and Chicago should be mandatory for everyone who is a fan of traveling. The reason why is that these places are so monumental to the nation that it pays off to go and get to know the culture, see some attractions, and meet the locals.

Where would you like to revisit?

I would love to go back to some European countries that I visited years ago. This took place during a cruise and I stepped foot in Croatia, Bosnia, Italy, and a few more beautiful places in the Balkans. I remember the weather being extremely nice and the water was very warm. Additionally, since this was my first experience with salt water, I would love to go back and enjoy the countless sand beaches that are decorated with friendly faces.

Do you travel alone? Why?

I usually do. Mostly because a lot of my trips are short in nature and never go over a few days. In the past, I used to invite various members of my family and some friends to come with me. Although they loved doing it in the beginning, they eventually got tired of how short all of my ventures were because I had to be back in L.A. to take care of my patients.

Do you travel light, or do you pack up the house?

As much as I hate to admit it, I usually pack the house. I do not have a rational explanation for this. Somehow, even though I try to control myself, I always end up putting a plethora of things in my bag and it results in me having to take extra luggage. Regardless, the silver lining is that I never once forgot something important!