Adam Lee

Home: Crystal, Minnesota

Expat Home: Kunsan City, North Cholla Province, South Korea

Age: 32

Job: Visiting Professor of English

Longest trip: 11 weeks

Places visited: North America; Europe; East, South East, Central and South Asia; the Middle East

Favorite countries and/or places to visit: "Madrid, the western coast of Norway, Myanmar, Upper Michigan, Uzbekistan, Beirut."

Inspiration for traveling: "Collecting stamps in elementary school; during high school I lusted after maps on my bedroom walls instead of Cindy Crawford posters."

Memorable adventures: "Being held at gunpoint by a Syrian soldier in Beirut for taking a photo of an old bombed-out building. Being aboard a train filled with Russian mafia smugglers crossing the border between Lithuania and Poland."

Biggest challenge on the road: "Biting my tongue when I meet obnoxious Americans traveling around in potentially hostile places pretending to be Canadians."

Biggest sacrifice of the vagabonding lifestyle: "It's pretty difficult to make and maintain a serious romantic relationship with a woman."

Biggest reward of the vagabonding lifestyle: "Backpacking is the best means of pure education I can find. I'm hungry for new knowledge of history, foods, people, cultures and things and places of Beauty. Traveling meets those needs. Traveling is also the best way to create and collect stories."

Travel advice: "Carry lots of ziplock baggies and travel alone — which allows you to interact better with the locals. Don't have a rigidly planned schedule."