Keith has one of the best travel blogs out there and one of the most interesting travel plans that I have heard about in the last few years. Somehow he has got his wife to agree to let him take nine one-month trips, starting now and finishing at the end of 2012. It is a great schedule of travel
You can find Keith on Twitter here. His excellent website is here. Go enjoy his great and insightful writing.
As ya’ll know after reading the first two of these interviews, with Ayngelina and Gary, I am a huge fan of prime numbers, I have decided on “The Lucky 13,” for the number of oddball questions I am going to be asking. Hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit about some great travelers with (mostly) non-travel, quick and off the cuff questions and answers. So here we go….
1. Who is your favorite writer, past or present?
It’s a tie between H. P. Lovecraft and George R.R. Martin. What can I say? I’m a fantasy geek.
2. If you could travel with one person for one week, then never see or hear from them ever again, who would you choose?
I’m going to go out of character and say Paul Theroux. I’d like to know what he’s really like to travel with.
3. Person whose tweets make you smile the most?
Conan O’Brien. I don’t know if it he’s writing them or his staff, but I don’t really care. They’re hilarious. Oh, that Mike Barish guy is pretty funny, too.
4. Most romantic thing you had ever done?
Without question it would be going to Montreal with my girlfriend and a hidden diamond ring, and proposing to her one chill, October night in the Place Jacques Cartier.
5. You can be transported to one specific day and place in history. What would it be?
I could say the birth of Jesus, but I think I’ll go with my own birth day instead. It would be a hell of a trip seeing yourself born.
6. What is a game that can entertain you for hours on end?
Left 4 Dead. There’s something mindlessly addicting about brutalizing zombies and just trying to survive. You have no real goals, you don’t need to eat or sleep, you just need ammo and a wide variety of death-dealing implements. Angry Birds comes in a close second.
7. Specific for you, since you have your travel plans mapped out for a while: of your many one-month trips scheduled already, which single one has you the most excited right now?
South Africa. The blend of cultures, natural scenery, and wildlife is unlike anything I’ve seen. I hear they have damn fine braais and wine, too.
guessing this is a favorite role for the Traveling Savage
8. Fill in the blank: I will go see any movie that ___________ is in.
Viggo Mortensen.
9. You, unfortunately, have been condemned to die, but fortunately, you get to have any meal in the world before you go. What is your menu?
I would go with a liquid meal of select single malt whiskies. Talisker 18 year, Aberlour A’bunadh, Edradour Cask Strength, among others.
10. Best single piece of technical advice (other than “provide good content”) you have received about travel blogging?
Build your brand before you dilute it with guest posts, product promotions, etc. I actually didn’t receive that advice, it’s just something I believe.
11. You are stranded on a desert island, with supplies and your ever-charged iPod. You can only have five bands/performers on it. Who are your five?
Love this question. My choices are: Radiohead, Boards of Canada, Mogwai, Thievery Corporation, and David Gray.
Jake Gyllenhall auditioning to play Keith
12. Who plays you in the movie about your life?
Jake Gyllenhaal. Honestly, best I could do.
13. You are able to ask one yes/no question to anyone in history and get a 100% honest reply — what is your question and to whom?
I’d ask Harry Truman what really crashed in the desert outside Roswell, New Mexico on July 2, 1947. That way I could get some quality programing on the History channel.
That photo of Jake Gyllenhaal is hilarious, love it!
Jake Gyllenhaal wishes he could play Keith Savage.
Great interview!
Wow, Jake’s resemblance to me in that photo is uncanny! LOL! Thanks for the interview, Michael, some really tough yet fun questions.
It was amazing to find a photo of him that was almost identical to yours! Thanks for playing along, Keith. Great answers.
I still maintain that Bill Bryson would be the ultimate travel partner!
Good interview.
Love Jake & loved the interview! Its so interesting to learn about other bloggers.
Oh & David Gray would be one of my top performers!!! He is actually #2!!!
Love these interviews, Michael! Keith I think I’m going to you for all music (and writing) advice from now on!
I’m finishing the last Song of Ice and Fire book now — next time I make a Winter is Coming reference, Keith, you’d better get it! Great interview.
Abby, I challenge you to a game of A Song of Ice and Fire trivia! Really looking forward to the HBO series coming up.
Jake is SO hot! lol, I’m loving this interview series. 😉
Keith!! Love to know more about you! Michael, great interview series. I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to more of these in the future!
Many thanks — Keith was a great interview. Heck, they all have been great interviews. Love my travel peeps.
Fun Interview. I don’t know Boards of Canada, I will check them out. I love your point about building a brand before diluting your website with guest posts. Great advice!
HAHAHA – love the quality programming bit. 😛
Great interview and great questions. All my questions seem to be relatively random. Like, “what is your favorite Jello?” or “Do you floss every day?”
I’d watch the movie if Jake played Keith! <3
Picking Jake Gyllenhaal was a dangerous idea. The ladies are more interested in that than anything else 😉 haha. South Africa is amazing! If you go to Cape Town I have loads of advice but you should really try to go eat at one of the township restaurants.
Oops, hadn’t thought of that. Guess I should’ve gone with my first choice, Gollum 🙂 I get a lot of Aaron Rodgers (Packers QB) comparisons from family and friends.
Keith – If Jake Gyllenhaal is playing you, can I date your sister?
Absolutely. I tell her to get ready for some Joel magicsauce.
Great interview! HUGE fan of Thievery Corporation. I’m also loving that Jake Gyllenhall photo. 🙂
One great interview, and even more interesting answers. See, I would have never thought of traveling in time to watch me born lol…