Travel Dork: Wes, Johnny Vagabond
It happens all the time—you’re on the road, chillin’ in hostels, meeting locals, digging around secret places for off-track experiences—and boom! You’ve found that person you could travel with for the ostensible future, not necessarily because you’re looking to bang, but because this person makes you laugh, has the best stories, isn’t afraid to look like an idiot and gives some damn good advice. That’s Wes, alias Johnny Vagabond, the “every-traveler.” Wes is out there on the road running into the same kind of shenanigans (like poker scams in Saigon) we’re always looking to get into. Without holding anything back, Wes shares his adventures, making him both an advice slut and a travel dork.
Johnny Vagabond recently celebrated its one-year anniversary with a face-lift. The site is now crazy easy to navigate and full of colorful and interesting graphics. Wes’s writing sounds like the emails you send home to your jealous friends. The site is broken down into six categories: budget, crazy stories, gear, photography, route, and travel tips. All have their high points, but the budget section is where it’s at. Wes breaks down countries into daily budgets, giving specifics as to exactly how much you’ll need in various places. While you can find this information scattered over the internet, it’s often unreliable or downright false. We trust Wes because he was seriously JUST THERE and he’s in our boat when it comes to sailing on the cheap. His tag line, “traveling cheap, taking pics and telling lies,” makes for some crazy (possibly true, but very entertaining) stories. Ever sat next to a Trekkie on a long, cramped bus ride? Wes has. From getting your ears cleaned on an Indian street to squatting over a third-world toilet hole, Wes has the funnies and know-how covered in true travel dork fashion.
When it comes to visual stimulation, this dork can really click a camera. Not your typical blog photos full of awkward framing and amateur poses, Wes is an experienced photographer who shows off his pretty picture-taking skills with a photo of the week segment. We’re talking National Geographic style here, minus all those droopy nipples.
Feed Wes so he can keep entertaining your face by donating money to “buy him lunch” (he’ll send you a monkey if you donate a lot). Never a dull moment, Wes streaks through the travel scene in a dorky, slutty, hilarious way. Rock on Vagabond!
Skipping the seas and spreading her word seed, Lisette is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, poet, and adventeress. If you feel like feeding monkeys in South America or getting naked on the Great Wall of China, she's your go-to gal for advice.
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Wow! Thanks so much! I’ve never been happier to be called a dork
I especially love the ‘droopy nipples’ comment. Unfortunately, they’re on the other side of the camera
Glad you dig it!! Keep it up, we love your blog