For the next installment in my interview series, I decided to talk to someone whom I consider one of the most underappreciated voices in the community, Maverick Traveler. I’ve always believed that it’s important to give praise and credit to those who have demonstrated excellence in a given area of endeavor. His blog chronicles his extensive travels in foreign lands and experiences with women, and his articles—some of which are real gems–provide a level of candid introspection and deft analysis that can rarely be found elsewhere.
I was first drawn to his writing by the incisive observations and a degree of even-tempered humility, but over time I’ve become more and more impressed by the sheer scope and range of his travel experiences. The overall impression given is that of a man sincerely grasping for a deeper truth behind the material things of this world, a man probing for his place in the world’s impersonal immensity. But travel is never an end in itself; one feels, in Maverick’s pages, that the real goal is self-discovery and improvement: the eternal quest to know thyself. This is what elevates him outside the ranks of the mere trekker, and firmly into the ranks of the true seeker.
He has posted at Return of Kings before, and some readers may be familiar with his writings already.
When I spoke with him recently, he had just returned from one of his adventures and was getting caught up on a backlog of accumulated work. I decided to see how things were going with him. My goal was to find out what inner motivations have driven his quest for foreign lands and foreign women. Just as importantly, I wanted to know what lessons he’s drawn from his years of wanderlust.
Quintus: Thanks for joining us at ROK today, Mav. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate and appreciate the chance to check in with you here.
Maverick: No problem, Quint. Glad to be talking to you. It’s been a while.
Quintus: So let’s get right down to it. How did you first get into the traveling lifestyle?
Maverick: I’ve been curious about exploring the world ever since I was a little kid. When I lived in California, I took lots of trips to Mexico (Baja California). After several trips, I became addicted and didn’t want to stop. Gradually, I started taking longer and longer trips, venturing further and further away from US. That’s when I went to Central America, spending a month traveling through most of the region’s countries. Each successive trip became longer and longer. At some point I realized that I no longer had the desire to come back to USA, and that’s when I began living abroad.
Quintus: Your articles cover a huge geographic area, man. Which country made the biggest impression on you?
Maverick: That’s easy: Brazil. Brazil is one of those countries with a perfect combination of the things I value the most: tropical climate, picturesque beaches, friendly and helpful people, and gorgeous and flirtatious women. I lived in Rio de Janeiro for a bit over two years, which were some of the most memorable years of my life.
Quintus: Now, you also studied ju-jitsu pretty intensely while you were there, right?
Maverick: Yeah, that’s right.
Quintus: Which nationality of women have you connected with the most? I have a feeling I already know the answer to this one.
Maverick: I’ve connected with many different types of women, but I have a permanent soft spot for Brazilian women. They’re friendly, feminine and flirtatious. What else does a man need?
Quintus: I hear you on that. No argument from me. But what traits and qualities do you look for in a woman?
Maverick: My ideal woman should have a nice combination of femininity and decisiveness. Those two qualities are like the opposing yin and yang; they balance themselves out. Above all, there must be chemistry, which you can usually feel within the first few minutes of chatting.
Quintus: One of the biggest excuses I hear from guys who don’t want to travel is the money issue, or the work issue. What is the best way to balance the need to earn income with the traveler’s lifestyle?
Maverick: Excuses, excuses. The first step is to realize that you’re not working and traveling, but, rather, working from a remote office. That means staying longer in various places, at least three to six months. Second, it means renting higher quality accommodation, like private rooms or private apartments. I don’t see how you can be productive working from a 24-bed hostel dorm with a large group of rowdy backpackers. I always tell them a great saying: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” All of their objections are purely mental limitations.
Freedom doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of responsibility. To me, freedom is about having the desire and the means to do things my way, on my own terms. Responsibility, in turn, means the procurement and exercise of such freedom. It’s every man’s responsibility to live to their true potential and never be satisfied with anything less.
Quintus: That’s an important point. I’ve always thought it’s actually better and more productive to be in a decent private room or apartment, than slumming it as a backpacker. How have your travels shaped your view of the world?
Maverick: There are two ways to learn about the world around you: ask someone or see it for yourself. I prefer the latter because that allows me to form my opinion about the world instead of viewing the world through someone else’s eyes. Traveling has been the single most impactful thing I’ve ever done in my life. There’s absolutely no substitute for getting on the plane and landing in some remote country with its own customs and traditions. None. I’ve wasted money on lots of stupid things, but I’ve never regretted spending even a cent on stuff related to travel.
Quintus: Exactly. And the memories are like a well that you can draw from for years afterwards….let’s talk about language for a bit, Mav. Which languages do you think a novice traveler should try to master?
Maverick: That really depends on where you’re planning to travel [laughs]. Nevertheless, you’ll never go wrong by learning the “big” languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, or Russian. Not only do these languages immediately grant you access to large populations of native speakers, but knowing any of these languages allows you quickly pickup another language from the same language family. For example, if you already speak Spanish, you’ll be able to pick up Italian or French with less effort than if you only knew English. Right now I’m teaching myself French, which is a very important language with lots of great literature and history.
Quintus: Now, your native language is Russian, right? But you grew up in New York City?
Maverick: Right.
Quintus: How many countries, in all, have you visited?
Maverick: I’ve visited about 70 countries and lived for extended periods in 10 of them.
Quintus: So, what are your future plans for the short term?
Maverick: I plan to return to Eastern Europe soon and spend some months exploring the region before planting my roots somewhere. I used to mostly backpack, but now I’m keen on finding a place and spending there several months or even years. I’ve slowed down my traveling pace over the last few years, and I’m not sure if that’s because of more travel experience and wisdom, or because I’m getting older [laughs].
Quintus: What are some trends you’ve noticed in your dealing with women from different countries?
Maverick: A woman is the reflection of the culture. If the culture is friendly and open, the women will be passionate and outgoing. If the culture is reserved and cold, the women will be aloof and reticent. If the culture values the pursuit of money and career advancement above everything else, the women will be duly trying to climb the corporate ladder while viewing men as their sworn competitors instead of amiable companions.
Quintus: Water takes the shape of its glass…right [laughs]?
Maverick: I’d have to agree with that.
Quintus: Do you have any quotes that have helped you in your achievements and self-improvement?
Maverick: “Show me a happy man, and I will show you a man who is getting nothing accomplished in this world.” That one is by Rich Cohen.
Quintus: I’d agree with that. I’ve also celebrated anguish and angst [laughs]. Continuous serenity usually produces nothing but a dead mechanism, an empty aimlessness. Mav, I really appreciate your sharing your thoughts with us today. I’ll be looking forward to seeing more of your stuff in the months ahead. I hope you can join us again soon.
Maverick: Thanks, man, thanks for having me.
Read More: Into The Wild
The irony on the timing of this article is great. Back in October I retired from my career as a respected scientist to travel the world. I’m in my early 40’s and have become quite bored with most American women and the American dream (dedicate yourself to a corporation and buy stuff and put in more hours, get married, have kids, wife gets fat and empowered, divorces, child support, alimony, lose half your stuff and embrace your new slave lifestyle). American women sadly leaving me feeling quite empty. Last years stats, 50 pick ups, 20 I decided not to bang and only 7 bangs. (I’ve become a trophy hunter targeting 8s and above). I’ve been engaged to five different women, most recently a 24 yr. old. American women are simply not worth the effort. I’m under no illusions that American society will ever get better for men. I owe this site and Roosh a debt of gratitude for speaking about things that matter to men and giving us examples of men who walked away from the new American dream. As for me I leave for Europe this week and the Carribean/S. America later this year.
Poetry. Well done.
American women are simply not worth the effort
Amen to that!
Travelling is a must for any man that looks to expand his knowledge of different cultures, language’s, traditions and way of lives. You wouldn’t believe how many stereotypes of different Nations/Races/Cultures i believed in Africa about Europeans were smashed when I traveled there last year.
If you want to gain extended knowledge about the world, you got to stop reading, stop listening and start SEEING. Your TV doesn’t count.
Never heard of MaverickTraveler before & just spent 20 min reading his latest posts—good shit.
Thanks for the interview and thanks for turning me on to a excellent new blog, “Quint”.
i suppose it’s a stroke of luck that he was born in a russian-speaking country and thus speaks it fluently. the rest of us have to bust our brains learning that goddamn language. but heck, one has to learn to love challenges, right?
I don’t believe it’s an extremely hard language to learn. It’s harder than Spanish but easier than languages like Hungarian or Finnish. For efficient learning, I recommend living in that country and trying to speak with the locals instead of learning the language from books.
Bonne chance pour le français.
french is dead, mon ami. french chicks have been westernized, and the only other places where french can be used is what, africa? f that.
This woman speaks French :
well of course you find it relatively easy, since you were brought up speaking it. heck if i had been born in china i too would be saying that chinese is accessible. i dunno, man..it’s all those cyrillic letters and those long-ass words. the grammar is simple enough, on the brighter side..plus, the chicks there don’t make it any easier on you – finding a russian girl who speaks good enough english is effing hard, most of them either speak pidgeon-english or none at all. not giving up though.
great interview. well done maverick. i’m a fellow nomad, living and tele-working in various european cities.
you wrote:
“A woman is the reflection of the culture. If the culture is friendly
and open, the women will be passionate and outgoing. If the culture is
reserved and cold, the women will be aloof and reticent.”
i compare italians and spaniards ( and to some extent the dutch) with austrians and germans…as i scan my memory for experiences and interactions with women in these cultures, i realize that your quote above is absolutely spot on.
all the best. rez
Sounds like a rootless cosmopolitan. I wonder how much he benefits from other “Russian speakers” when he travels abroad.
Interesting article. I like when he says that it’s better to have personal experience rather than read books on the subject or listen to what others have to say. Nothing can replace experience, especially not a university degree.
Don’t look at travel as a cure all that’s going to magically transform your life simply by packing up and leaving it all behind. I’ve been on the road now for a month and, hey, I’m still the same, shy, lonely person I was back home, except now I’m in a foreign environment. I’m chosen to live the life nomadic, but have lived previous stints in Japan (3 years), Indonesia (1 year) and USA (6 months) and have found for the most part, that “wherever you go there you are” holds mostly true.
For those contemplating such a life change, beguiled by the stories you read on travel blogs of it raining pussy, I suggest you have your game down tight because girls aren’t going to start throwing themselves at you simply because you speak in a different accent. The language barrier can be hard to surpass at the best of times and when trying to pick up women girls, I’ve found the deer in the headlights look a common response.
Lots of truth and wisdom in this comment.
It depends on if you’re making an effort to change and progress your personality. I grew up with a speech impediment and got severely bullied. My self esteem and confidence were at an all time low. I started to travel and now after a year my confidence is solid and I’ve banged a handful of sluts and progressed mentally. I’m always pushing my boundaries and learning.
Thank you for sharing this. Hadn’t seen Maverick Traveler’s blog before. Will be diving deeply into it now.
I’ve had just about enough of life in North America and I’ll be making my escape this summer. Building my cash reserves and diversifying my location-independant cash flow these next few months and then I’m gone. In my mind I’ve already checked out. The countdown is on.
Thanks for the inspiration. I’m 50 countries behind this guy but planning on moving to Brazil soon. Visited many times.
His best article: http://www.mavericktraveler.com/the-land-of-the-free-and-home-of-the-soulless-uninspiring-and-robotic-women/
Yeah, there are many great ones. Personally I liked this one very much:
http://www.mavericktraveler.com/building-an-empire-after-a-sleepless-train-ride/
I have to vouch for everything this man says in terms of traveling(although I much prefer Japanese and Eastern European women). Only real way to see the world is through your own eyes. Never believe the mainstream media about it ever. The world beyond America can be a beautiful place. You only realize America is a shit hole after you leave(in terms of culture and women). Sadly I’m stuck here until I graduate college. Girls at frat parties are fun but a real feminine woman is the best.
If you’re still in college, then you’ve got plenty of time. Nothing to stress about, chief. Maybe try to pick a job where you can work overseas for a few years, and then go from there.
I am in my early 30’s and just returned to college to finish my degree in(business). I have over 2 years left and part of me wants to say fuck it and leave to go teach English abroad – I keep thinking, is it really worth me staying here while I’m relatively young? Life choices! But traveling is an eye opening experience!
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca
Time is definitely what I have. Traveling at this point is definitely a priority for me in terms of life. Thankfully I got to see a lot of the world young in life, but there is plenty left and that’s what I look forward to the most. Kudos to you Quintus, thankfully I found this place before I opted to become a beta provider for some slut who has been around the block at campus.
Oh my God, Roosh is so fucking sexy, I want to ride his cock and I want him to blast his semen into me and impregnate me with his golden babies!!!
Chill girl, god damn. You’re parched.
I need a big cock in my tight vagina!
some readers may be familiar with his writings already.
Where’s a good place to start?
He posted here at ROK last year, and the link is in the article. He also did another post here:
What’s with the click activated low-rent popups? Every time I read an article I have to ready myself for a possible keyboard battle with LiveJasmin
I wish this interview was longer.
I would like know more ways to make money overseas with no college degree. How do you get work visas, business licenses, and pay taxes?
Everything is illegal these days.
It’s also interesting that the appeal and perception of certain nationalities comes down to one’s context. I read continuously on this and other manosphere sites about the horrible nature and non-attractiveness of American women – however when I was in the US, I found them to sweet, outgoing and sexy for the most part. (Although I did spend most of my time in Southern California so it might not have been the most accurate representation).
Australian women – Everything that American women are said to be, on steroids….with faces and voices that look like they’ve literally been on steroids. See the recent Sydney article on this site for why these bitches should never been indulged with your attention.
Japanese women – vapid, boring, god awful in the sack and bereft of good style or fashion sense. Even when you’re fluent in their language, you quickly find that they have nothing of interest to say.
Philipino women – educated, conversational, sweet; some are drop dead gorgeous and easy to approach. Be cautious as all Pinays are hardwired to trade you in for the BBD (Bigger, Better Deal)
Thai women – I divide into 2 categories – Issan Village girls – cunty, generally not that attractive and would cut your fucking throat for a dollar if given the chance. Their shrill fucking voices are fingers down a chalkboard.
Bangkok HiSo (high society) girls – more softly spoken, generally more beautiful, great style and with enough cash to make the necessary enhancements to any physical areas needing them. Much harder to approach and game as they could give two shits about your “exotic-foreign” status.
Indonesian women – Ugh.
Russian Women – There are very few Eastern European women back home so I’ve been curious as to their oft vaunted allure. Spending some time in Pattaya in Southern Thailand, I’ve quickly come to realise their appeal. If this is representation of what Russian girls look and act like then I am on the next plane to the CCCP in the summer. I have never seen so many 9s and 10s before in my life….I love their style, their demeanour and their way of talking. What I don’t get is how dorky and (seemingly) un-alpha the males are. I come from hyper-masculine Australia where almost every other 20-something year old man is the second coming of Adonis and yet we have to beg for scraps from the lowliest of (obese) dogs back home. The Russian men seem to belie every theory of game espoused here in the west, yet they still walk around with what I can see are the hottest women on the planet. Am I missing something here or what??
russian men have been endlessly panned for being, well, kinda losers. as to why these hotties hang out with them – use your common sense, man. if those crappy men are all that’s available to the common russian girl, what choice does she have? the supply of russian alphas and desirable westerners is simply not enough to catch every hottie in that huge country. that is why EE has always been a mainstay for westerners on the run from anglo-bitches and who don’t like/are tired of asian poon.
OK, but I haven’t exactly seen evidence of these same Russian beauties making a beeline for the slew of better, available options in the clubs over here. They seem to keep their dating choices ethnocentrically limited for all intents and purposes. Interestingly, back home we’ve always viewed the Russian male as some kind of vodka swilling, impervious to everything, alpha hard cunt. Apart from their dorky hair cuts, socks and sandals fashion sense replete with beer gut, they seem to be genuinely nice and polite guys.
ah, but don’t forget about female nature – they sit and wait to be approached, rather than going in for the strike themselves. it also does not help that english levels in the general populace is extremely poor, so unless you (as a westerner) speak at least decent russian, you’re shit outta luck, even if you are objectively better than your russian counterparts.
can’t comment on russian men since i’ve never spoken to one, however i will say that russian chicks(and i have spoken to a couple dozen, which makes for a decent sample size) are humorless airheads. but they are for the most part insanely hot, so a shallow guy like me can overlook those faults. mostly.
“Insanely hot” is a the best way to describe it….I’m on hot girl overload here….even the mums of young children are smoking. They walk around with these shorts that barely cover half their ass cheeks with no concept of cellulite or garish tattoos.
I had no luck with the approach in the main Russian playground, Mixx Nightclub. The girls would barely even make eye contact. A few said I could take them home for 10,000 baht ($350)….but fuck that.
I do get a lot of looks on the street from passing girls – even those with boyfriends, I’m guessing because of my physique……but I have no idea how to turn this to my favour day-game wise.
I guess I better start sharpening up my Russian, comrades.
I have read several articles now and no one talks about Caribbean women. Why?
Great post Quintus, I really enjoyed your post on movies with masculine virtues, it would be great to have new materials to watch. If you haven’t watched Luis Bunuel’s “belle de jour” and “The obscure object of desire” I highly recommend them. Cheeers, mate
Question you missed: How are you financing your travels?