Joel Ward is in France, and we’re jealous. In July he left his home behind for a year-long (or longer) trip around the world. He claims to be an introverted attention whore, so you can appease him by following his worldly adventures at freedoniapost.com where he writes about his travels in a very entertaining and humorous manner. Most recently he was in Paris, and is now branching out to the surrounding countryside. He plans to visit Asia in the fall. Like many travelers we’ve met, he’s keeping things flexible. (By now you should be noticing that trend.)

“A never-ending desire to see new things, meet new people and learn about different cultures,” are the reasons he lists for traveling. He also states, “I don’t know what I don’t know… I have no idea what the end result will be.” Everyone discovers something different about themselves, and we’re sure Joel will have a great time in the process. How could he not, he’s in France!

Joel's view of the Sacre Coeur in Paris

When probed about his travel costs, Joel said,

I think the one big surprise for me was the cost of food and drink at restaurants & cafes. I estimated that the costs for those would be similar to what I was used to, but in Europe, they are significantly more expensive – even at the lower priced establishments. I’ve had to adjust to making more of my own sandwiches and grabbing items at the grocery store to eat in a park.

Don’t worry, Joel, it’s much cheaper in Asia.

You can follow Joel’s adventures at freedoniapost.com or on Twitter @magicant or on Facebook.

Bryan has visited exactly one more country than his wife, and she won't let him forget it! Also an avid photographer, he enjoys entrenching himself within the local culture in order to learn more about the people of a place. As a freelance web developer, he co-founded Budget Your Trip and Collective Lens. You can follow him on Twitter at @budgetyourtrip or @bryantighe.

Bryan's website