This Guy Doesn’t Let Work Stop Him From Travelling The World

Jeff Santos is one of our talented digital graphic designers, and a serial traveller. A Brazilian now based in London, he spends his days working and his spare time planning his next trip! Most of his adventures take the form of bite-sized backpacking (snap-packing), and he’s living proof that if you know what you’re doing, having a job doesn’t have to stop you from exploring this amazing planet. Eager to know more about his wanderlust, we sat down with him to hear his story…

Question: Please tell us a little about yourself and your travel experience

Jeff: So far I have visited 260 cities across 44 countries. I travel abroad at least once a month, just for the weekend and without taking any holiday days. It’s how I escape the daily grind of city life that everyone experiences, and it gives me the motivation to power through my working weeks. Even though I’m only away for two days at a time I always come back feeling recharged with the satisfaction that I’ve done something beneficial with my time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJuN9CIA-un/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: Why is travelling so important to you?

Jeff: I love experiencing new cultures and meeting new people, fellow travellers and locals alike. Seeing different parts of the world in a weekend is the best way to spend your time – sitting at home or staying in the same city week after week isn’t for me!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BI6vYmJgl1h/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: How do decide where to go?

Jeff: Where I go depends on flights and finances so I keep a close eye on Skyscanner and only book flights that are £100 or less. When I see flights for somewhere I’ve never been before I book them straight away because if you wait the price inevitably goes up. If someone wants to come with me, that’s great, but if not I’m more than happy to travel solo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIMyvxRgbuE/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: Do any amazing recent trips stand out?

Jeff: One of the best travel experiences I’ve had was through the Baltic States, I did this solo and was gone for six days travelling through Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In each country I could do exactly what I wanted, stayed in hostels with great atmospheres and met new people along the way. Travelling on my own doesn’t faze me, I know I’m going to meet people in hostels and people who stay in them tend to be more outgoing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/8UyVMAFoIA/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: What was your first proper trip like?

Jeff: My first major travelling experience was back in 2007 when I travelled around Europe with my brother and three friends. We visited 12 countries and 17 cities. Since then I haven’t been able to stay in one place for long periods of time!
https://www.instagram.com/p/8NEM_EloIf/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: How are you able to afford to travel so often?

Jeff: People have the misconception that travel is expensive, but it’s not, you just have to be savvy and book as soon as you see affordable flights – you can’t wait otherwise the opportunity might be missed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/8ag7tbloKu/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: Do you have fave destination so far?

Jeff: It’s hard to pick one favourite destination because each one has its special moments, you’re there with different people who make each moment unique, but if I had to pick, Iceland and Asia would be up there.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCe3YOXloJW/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr

Q: What advice do you have for any budding travellers out there?

Jeff: Travel is important because you come back changed, if you’ve been down or feeling negative you can travel and come back fresh with a new perspective on things. I book trips away to feel good and immerse myself in new cultures if only for two days. It’s helped me be more social, feel more confident and my outlook on life is far more positive because of it – I rarely complain anymore.
https://www.instagram.com/p/8ANnDPFoEr/?taken-by=jeffsantosbr
For more travel inspiration check out THIS blog post!