The Whole Life as an Adventure- Interview with Adventure Traveler Stephen Schreck

Have you ever been dreaming about just stumbling from one adventure to the next one, without ever having to return to your boring 9-5 office job? That is exactly the lifestyle adventure traveler Stephen Schreck has chosen. Be careful reading this interview, it might just make you head out for some more excitement in your life right now!

Photo by Stephen Schreck. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Sure! I’m Stephen Schreck. I am the creator at A Backpackers Tale – Travel Blog. I have been traveling full-time for the last three years, and I am on a personal quest to visit every country on the planet.

What is adventure for you? How do you define it?

I believe adventure is anything that makes you push yourself.  It doesn’t matter if you are skydiving or backpacking through Europe for the first time.

If you are facing something scary or something that pushes you, then it is an adventure. Adventures are great ways to learn more about yourself, and find out your limits.

What sparked your passion for adventure travel?

I’ve spent a lot of time on the road. As I was traveling, I started doing crazy things like the Mongol Rally and Running with the Bulls.

Moments like these got me hooked on extreme adventures. Now I cannot get enough of them. It is funny, the more adventures you have, the less scary your fears become. My fears aren’t really fears anymore; they have become challenges that I cannot wait to face.

Photo by Stephen Schreck.

What was the most exciting adventure you had till now, what was the biggest challenge you had to face?

Most exciting is running with the bulls. As soon as it was over I said to myself “I will never feel that much adrenaline, ever again.” It was intense and challenging knowing that any misstep and you are likely to get seriously injured, or killed.

What was the most dangerous situation you had to deal with?

I never had any major problems on the road. I’ve never gotten robbed, or threatened.

However, there was a day when I was driving across Kazakhstan that a group of locals followed us for a good hour. Eventually, they just drove off. They must have realized we were not stopping anytime soon.

How do you keep yourself motivated during hard times?

You know there are a lot of misconceptions about traveling full-time. Most people think it is exploring, and adventuring 24/7. But it isn’t. It is still life, you have good and bad days like anything else. In fact, a lot of time you are on cramped buses all night or stretching out to sleep on the floor of the airport.

But I love every second of it. It is my love of travel that keeps me motivated. Not once have I doubted my decision and it is not very often that I have to remind myself why I am doing what I do. It is not always easy, but travel is the best decision I have ever made.

Photo by Stephen Schreck.

Which of the adventures you’ve experienced should our readers not miss?

I’ve spent the last five months living aboard a couple tall ships, sailing around the east coast of America. These blog posts are going to be very entertaining and are coming to the blog early next month.

A few of my favorite post are the time I was stranded in Kazakhstan, which was nominated by Hostel World as the funniest story of the year.

Which adventure is right on top of your bucket list at the moment?

This is a tough one. I have a lot of things. Right now I would have to say the biggest things on my bucket list is the three-day hike to Machu Picchu or going down the Amazon.

Do you have any recommendations for people who want to get their own adventure started?

Yea, I think just picking a small, yet, something that is adventurous to you is a great place to start. This will vary by person, but it is a good way to get started.

Just make sure you don’t let fear hold you back. I always rely on my favorite adventure quotes. I often whisper to myself ” Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”  before I take a leap or embark on an adventure.