Matt Long is one of the most introspective and thoughtful travel bloggers out there. Perhaps more often than anyone else that I read, his blog most often makes me stop and think. Higher praise I can not think of for a writer, in my opinion.
As he puts it himself on his website, “I am a typical Gen-X professional who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I super wealthy. I am just an average person who has managed to travel the world efficiently and without spending a fortune.”
Go check out his website, Landlopers and follow him on Twitter. And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy his answers to the Lucky 13:
Matt's favorite
1. Most annoying person in the world.
Dylan Ratigan (I watch a lot of cable news)
2. You have to choose one city to live in for the next 15 years of your life, which would you choose?
Easy one, Paris. I’ve spent a lot of time there and even lived there briefly. It’s one of the few cities that never bores me and to which I always want to return.
3. Most disturbing movie or book you have seen/read?
Hmm, probably Watership Down, but that may have been because I was 9 when I read it.
4. Who is the dead historical figure you would have most wanted to meet?
Thomas Jefferson.
5. What blogger, other than you and me, should everyone be reading?
Unbravegirl – a lot to be said for a wicked sense of humor. (Interviewer’s Note: And she is a soon-to-be interviewed traveller…. if she ever gets her answers back to me)
6. Best Halloween costume you have ever seen?
A guy dressed up with all of the planets revolving around him. Nice to see people in DC own up to their incredible egos.
7. Fill in the blank: The wildest party I have ever been at was in _________.
New Orleans. Enough said, don’t ask.
8. What question would most likely get you to laugh or cry if asked to you on live national TV?
(Imagined that this is asked in the future) Why did it take you so long to quit the rat race?
if he only still had this sweet ride
9. If you could travel with one person for one week, then never see or hear from them ever again, who would you choose?
Bill Clinton. He’d open up a lot of doors and be a lot of fun, but would be kind of annoying as a long term friend. (Interviewer interjection – perhaps Matt can ask President Clinton if he inhaled, on behalf of The Road Forks folks).
10. Number 1 thing to do on your bucket list?
Hugging a panda in Antarctica while hosting my own travel show.
embarrased to even post this photo, but owning it or listening to it...
11. Let’s hear one of your guilty pleasures — a good, embarrassing one.
I really like the Back Street Boys and N’Sync. And I still have a Marky Mark CD laying around somewhere.
12. Fill in the blank: I have no idea how ___________ got to be rich and famous, since they have absolutely no talent at all.
Pat Sajak
13. What fictional character would you most like to swap lives with for a year or two?
Doc Brown from Back to the Future, with a fully functioning Delorean. (Interviewer interjection — perhaps Matt can help Joel with his answer #12 earlier this week.)
Wow pulling Pat Sajak back from obscurity, but what about Vanna?
Vanna’s “talents” are very apparent.
Love this interview. Matt is one of my favorites as well, and his answers had me rolling. LOL at N’Sync and Backstreet Boys. What, no love for NKOTB? 😉
how did he miss them?!
So Matt you must have been pretty pumped to BSB singing at the Music Awards a couple of months ago??? Am I’m gonna have to fight you for Nick Carter???
In all seriousness, I adore his blog and I agree he’s an incredibly thoughtful writer.
Aww, thanks for the shout-out, Matt! And, Michael, I still think it’s unfair that you sent me questions I don’t know the answers for. I had been reading all these interviews & picking out the questions I wanted to answer and coming up with really awesome answers… and then you gave me a totally random list of questions I had never seen before. How is that fair?! But, whatever, it’s on my to-do list for this weekend. PROMISE.
it is almost like I have different interview questions with each batch that I send out… 😉
Thanks everyone! I appreciate it – Totally forgot about New Kids. My bad.
I’d have to agree, Matt is one of my fav tweeps/travel bloggers. I love the way he writes as well. This interview was funny and it nice to get to know him a bit more.
Please do give more details about New Orleans… Ive heard it gets crazy over there.
great interview
Cool interview with Matt! Now I know about the man behind the blog 🙂
That takes some guts to answer #11 truthfully :p Kudos to Matt!
I really love it when people answer that question with good stuff — and he did!
To be fair – I am already a huge fan of Matt’s and he gets mad props too for his #2 answer. Even so – this was still so enjoyable to read. Learned some interesting new facts. And I always love your Lucky 13 posts!
haven’t yet been the City of Lights. Big gap in my travel resume. Matt is a big proponent of it and just reading his tweets is going to make me finally do it someday.
Really enjoying the interviews Michael. Matt really does challenge you when his posts and is very honest and blunt.
But seriously, N’Sync and Backstreet Boys? Granted, I have confessions about both of those groups I could make as well! 🙂