Groombridge explores every corner of the globe

May 22, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Jeff Doner
World traveller Brock Groombridge said he hears it from people all the time: “I wish I could do what you are doing.” And each time he answers the same way: “you can!”
Currently visiting Singapore (his 62nd country in just a few years), Brock has just started another mammoth trip, this time a two-month jaunt across Asia and Australia.
But he’s not just doing it on his own. He is working and experiencing the world with a company called Viator, which has him go on tours in different cities and then he puts together a two-minute video of the experience.
“It’s an amazing gig actually, I feel pretty fortunate to say the least,” he said. “Landing this job just kind of confirmed to me that I was on the right track and found a niche that I was quite good in and that I enjoyed.”
Brock, 25, explained that Viator does not sell trips per se, but rather experiences and tours that usually are a few hours long.
“For me, this past year has been really big. I have a very large company that has brought me on in a very big way and I’m getting to do exactly what I want to do. I get to travel to all these places and I get to experience all these tours and share them with other people.”
So far, Brock has visited every continent except the Antarctica, which he quickly added is a place he would like to go someday.
In this role, Brock said he has had the opportunity to do some pretty amazing things.
“I had never been in a helicopter; I’ve now been in quite a few. I have flown a fighter jet in Vegas; I’ve explored Hawaii and gone to a luau. I’ve gone snorkeling with manta rays and greenback sea turtles and white water rafting through the Grand Canyon.”
Prior to finding a role with Viator, Groombridge went on an adventure of his own, careening across North America, Europe and North Africa on a one-year, 36-country trip.
This experience gave him the idea to blog about his adventures and actively seek a life in what he does best – travelling smart and efficiently.
And aside from his work with Viator, Brock wants to help people realize that they can do it, too.
“A big part of it for me is encouraging other people to do this. Obviously I’m taking it to a big level and I travel for large amounts of time, but a big part of what I do and what I’m passionate about is encouraging people to get out there and try something,” he said. “I’ve learned so much about myself and the world around me just by travelling. I think a lot of people are apprehensive to just jump out there.”
When (and if) he finds himself at home for an extended period of time, Brock said he has his sights set on a couple new projects.
“I think a next step for me would be speaking at more high schools and universities. For me, heading out to travel, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I feel like it was a master’s degree of sorts.
“I genuinely think that anyone who wants to should just take off and go somewhere. Go explore a place. You learn so much about yourself, because you’re being forced to work on your communication skills and problem solving.”
He also made it clear that he’s not necessarily telling everyone to take off for a year to travel, but instead to think of it in a more manageable way. Maybe three weeks to just go away and experience something totally different.
Another important message he wanted to get across is that he has managed to pay for his school and travels on his own.
“I went through university and paid for it by myself and I paid to travel by myself,” he said. “I really saved up and worked hard. I made furious sacrifices before I left.”
So if this is something you want to do, Brock said there are ways to do it and he can help as part of something he calls, ‘adventure coaching,’ where he helps people plan their ideal trip.
“My goal in all of this is to get people out there and explore the world around them. There’s this big world and so much to learn about and see and it’s accessible. It’s not hard. The hardest part in all this is booking the plane ticket and then all you have to do is show up.”
To contact Brock and see what he has been up to or to have him speak at your school or venue, visit www.backpackwithbrock.com, find him on Twitter @backpackerbrock or Facebook.com/backpackwithbrock.