Kat Villanueva

Home: Jackson, Michigan

Expat Home: Seoul, South Korea

Age: 28

Job: Project manager for Samsung Electronics

Longest trip: Three years (including time spent as a working expat in Korea)

Places visited: Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Canada

Favorite country and/or place to visit: "It would be between Spain and Thailand. They sound drastically different, but they have a lot of similarities in that both are extremely friendly to foreigners, the scenery is beautiful (if you stay out of the big cities), and the weather is good. Also in both places there are a lot of near-naked European men in Speedos lying on the beaches."

Inspiration for traveling: "I came from an international family, so we have relatives all over the damn place and we get used to it. Also, my mom was an English teacher for 25 years so we always had all sorts of foreign friends. Since high school, a large percentage of my friends have been Asians, Europeans or Hispanics and I found from my experience with them that it was only natural for me to travel and become like them. After all, if foreigners can come to the States and be forced to speak English, we Americans can travel anywhere in the world and generally be able to use our native tongue. For this reason, it doesn't make sense that Americans don't travel internationally as much as other people do."

Biggest challenge on the road: "Learning to blend in and to not care when blending in becomes impossible.

Biggest sacrifice of the vagabonding lifestyle: "The biggest sacrifice is not having a permanent home — it is not easy to move around so much."

Biggest reward of the vagabonding lifestyle: "I was quite the princess before coming to work in Korea and now I am extremely independent. I feel as if I could go anywhere in the world and be relatively OK."

Advice for travelers: "I would like to recommend — for anyone who travels — to learn a few basic words of the native language. Even if you aren't anywhere near fluent, this will make a world of difference. Also, learn to abandon yourself when you go to a new place, and don't set any limits on what you can and can't do. And don't plan a whole tour before you have even set foot in the country; the best plans are made after you get there and talk to other people."