Getting to know you
Could you introduce yourself? What’s your name, where are you from, and where do you live now?
Hello! My name is Calvin Bryson, I was born in Irvine Scotland but I’ve grown up in a little town in the North West of England called Clitheroe.
What do you do for a living, and how does your work fit into your travelling lifestyle?
I’m currently a bartender in a little country pub in Lancashire. I’ve also worked as a lifeguard which helped me get jobs at summer camps in the USA and Canada. I’ve also worked as a joiner and ski lift operator in Banff.
What first made you want to travel and see more of the world?
I didn’t start properly travelling until January 2024 where I did my first solo trip around Europe heading to many famous European cities like Cologne, Munich, Vienna, Istanbul and Athens. I wanted to start travelling because I wanted to try something different that would help me get out off my comfort zone and what I’m familiar with.
Your life as a traveller
How many countries have you visited so far, and which one has been your favourite? What made it special?
At the moment I’ve been to 45 countries but I’m going to do a trip around the Balkans including Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Luxembourg which would take me to 57 countries and nearly every country in Europe. Countries like Canada and Japan are special for me because I’ve met some incredible people there and now I’ll always have a reason to go back. Turkey, Lebanon and Vietnam are just so different from my home life that it almost becomes an addiction to come back and explore more off the country and meet more people.
What do you usually look for when you travel? What does travelling give you that you don’t get from staying in one place?
I enjoy going to places with a lot of history and a good food scene so for me cities like Prague, Florence, Istanbul and Beirut are perfect because I can go to an ancient ruins that’s 2/3 thousand years old and then get a delicious meal that I wouldn’t be able to get back home. Traveling allows me to breath, relax and get my thoughts and feelings straight, I usually travel by myself so being able to turn my mind off for a few days and focus on myself helps me stay sane!
What’s your favourite way to explore a new place? For example, road trips, backpacking, public transport, hiking, staying with locals, or simply exploring without a strict plan.
I’ll usually have a list of things I want to do mainly historical sights and local restaurants and I’ll always try to walk everywhere, my rule is that if the place I’m going to is less than a two hour walk then I’m walking it! That way its a good way to save cash on transport and you get to see more off the place your visiting…also its good exercise!
Do you prefer big cities or nature and more remote places? Why?
I love going to big cities by myself because there’s always so much to do that you won’t feel as though your by yourself for too long. But I love going out into nature with friends, camping, hiking and just having a good time with friends in the outdoors is just an incredible experience that can’t be beat.
Have you ever visited somewhere and thought, “I could actually live here”? If so, where and why?
I love living in England and especially near the countryside but Edinburgh and London have always fascinated me and have such an amazing restaurant culture. Internationally wise places such as Prague, Kyoto, Toronto, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Istanbul are some off the cities that I would do anything to live in even for a short time. Prague, Kyoto and Toronto because I have friends there who I would like too meet with and go to as many restaurants as possible and explore the areas they call home. Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Istanbul just because I love the vibes off the cities and would like to explore even more off the country and the cities would be a good base to start from.
The stories behind the travel
What’s the most memorable or beautiful place you’ve ever experienced, and what made it unforgettable?
The most unforgettable experience I’ve had was probably when I first went to Japan and my friend Brian, took me to Mount Kurama for an crazy restaurant experience. We went to a restaurant called ‘川床 ひろ文’ which roughly translates to ‘Kawayuka Hirobun’ where they served their noodles by send them down a bamboo shoot stream and you have to catch the noodles yourself! It was such a cool experience and gets you full surprisingly fast, also the restaurant was built over a river which gave the restaurant such a unique vibe. After the meal we went on a hike over the mountain where we found trees bigger than most buildings and of course plenty of gorgeous temples.
What’s the funniest, strangest, or most unexpected thing that has happened to you while travelling?
A good story that I have was when I went to Istanbul for the first time and I was going to a basketball game at the Sinan Erdem Dome where I had to take multiple buses to get to the arena (if you’ve ever been to Istanbul you’ll know that the buses either turn up or they don’t exist) once I got there I followed google maps to try and get to the main entrance but instead I found myself at a gate that led to the VIP parking area, instead off going round I decided to climb the fence and casually walk through to the stadium entrance.
What travel has taught you
How has travelling changed the way you see the world and other cultures?
I used to think that all of us as people are the same but I don’t think that’s true anymore, we are very much different individually and culturally and that’s a good thing. For example, I love to travel to places such as the Middle East (West Asia), North Africa and even Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Each one off these countries are completely different in their own unique ways which has been molded by thousands of years of history, choosing one off these countries and going down the rabbit-hole off their history and how the countries culture was formed will give you a better perspective and understanding as to why their special. Also, if I wanted to go somewhere like England, I’d go to Benidorm and trust me that’s a place you really don’t want to end up.
What is the biggest lesson travelling has taught you about yourself?
Being patient with people especially when it comes to language. Let’s just say that anywhere I go in the world I know that their English is going to be a lot better and easier to understand compared to me trying to speak their language.
Has travelling changed the way you think about money, work, time, or what you actually need to be happy?
Any money I spend on travelling I know I can make back from working but that still doesn’t stop me from being a little frugal with money. For instance if I know I’m going to a place that’s a little more expensive than usual I’ll restrict myself meal wise and go for one meal a day and some drinks to keep me going, I’d personally rather spend money on learning more about the history off where I am than eating. Personally, I definitely need travel to be happy, for the last few years when I started properly traveling I’ve always had a trip planned after my next trip, I always look at least one to two years in advance so I can get my timings correct and always have something to look forward to. Travelling definitely makes me happy more than anything else.
After seeing different ways of life around the world, has your idea of what a “good life” looks like changed?
I used to think that having kids and owning my own home in my hometown would be the “good life” but after being all over the world and speaking and seeing how other people my age and older live I know that’s just not for me now. For me now, the “good life” would be still being able to travel to as many countries as I can until either I get sick off it (not gonna happen) or until I’m physically not able to anymore. I still have so many plans and places I want to see and to be quite frank, a family would for sure get in the way off that. So at least for now, I want to be selfish and travel as much as I can no matter what.
Building a life on your own terms
What does “building a life on your own terms” mean to you personally?
For me it means not conforming to whatever makes other people happy and what would make them more accepting off you. I’m going to be 30 next year and I still get asked ‘Oh what are you actually going to do for a real job?’ and to be honest, I have no damn idea what I’m going to do. I’ve been a lifeguard, joiner, ski lift operator and now I’ve worked in the restaurant industry since 2019 and I absolutely love it, some people love working a 9-5 in an office that would be my idea off hell. I love what I do now and will for a long time to come.
How important is travel in the life you want to build, and what would your ideal lifestyle look like?
Travel is the most important thing in my life right now (besides my cat of course). I’d love to be with someone and be able to travel the world with them, as long as their idea off a perfect holiday isn’t Benidorm but for now I’m perfectly happy and enjoying the time I have to myself when travelling.
If money and work were not limitations, how would you spend your time and where would you live?
I would spend my time mainly in the Middle East (West Asia) or exploring the vast nature of Central Asia or Mongolia. I’m a big lover off history so spending as much time as I could in these countries and learning history I’ve only read in books in real life instead would be an absolute dream. But if I was to live anywhere I wanted I’d love to live in places like Kyoto, Copenhagen, Istanbul, Beirut or Edinburgh just because I loved my time in these places and there’s always something going on and something to do so I would never feel bored.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years, and what kind of life would you like to be living?
Hopefully I’m still traveling around and I’ve made it over 100 countries by then. I’d like to be living a peaceful life anywhere in the world with a whole lot off cats by my side! But mainly I want to still be travelling and seeing more off the world.
One final question
What does a life that matters mean to you?
For me, A Life That Matters means you’re doing something with yourself that makes you happy and not caring about how other people perceive you. We only get one life so what’s the point in caring what other people think about you, just be happy and explore as much as you can.
Thank you for sharing your story with B FOR MYSELF.
Follow Calvin’s travels on Instagram: @alancabroad
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