Featured Interview With Judy Bloomberg
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I have been an intrepid traveler for 50+ years, and have visited about 115 countries, on all seven continents. I have always had a passion for adventure…not the kind where you climb Mt. Everest to prove to yourself and the world that you have amazing endurance and ability to withstand cold, but the “Around the World in 80 Days” kind of adventure, the kind where you set off for countries whose names you can’t even pronounce, to explore other cultures and other peoples, to learn how we are different and (perhaps even more importantly) how we are the same.
Whenever possible, I immerse myself in the culture and daily life of the places I visit through home stays, volunteer work, and participation in the celebrations and life cycle events of the inhabitants.
I have always loved sharing my photos and stories with friends and other people who are unlikely to visit these far-flung and little-known corners of the world themselves. I consider myself a “closet anthropologist”, who yearns to learn about people who live life very differently from me. As a former teacher, I feel the need to help others learn about these people as well. The world is rapidly modernizing, and in 20-30 years, these ways of life may have vanished completely. The time of COVID, when the world was stuck at home and unable to travel, provided the perfect opportunity to distill tens of thousands of photos down to the 300 best ones, and compile them into a cohesive book which could be shared with a much wider audience.
When not traveling, I live in Massachusetts (USA) with my husband, Mark, and plan my next adventure.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have enjoyed books since I was a child, but Always a Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled is my first published work.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Peter Mayle
Frances Mayes
Ann Patchett
JoJo Moyes
Dan Brown
I enjoy reading books about travel, fiction that takes place in another part of the world, and historical fiction.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book, Always a Traveler, Never a Tourist: In Search of People and Places on the Road Less Traveled, is a collection of nearly 300 of the best (mostly full-page) color photos from 50+ years of travel to about 115 countries. It focuses on the most exotic destinations on all seven continents (and the people who inhabit them), along with personal insights and anecdotes about traveling off the beaten path. From colorful festivals like the Goroka Show in Papua New Guinea and Carnival in Rio to daily life in places like Lake Titicaca and rural Ethiopia, these photographs beautifully capture the amazing diversity of peoples who inhabit our world. The photographs themselves are a breathtaking riot of color, depicting tribal groups around the world and traditional ways of life that are rapidly vanishing. The accompanying text offers fascinating information about these little-known peoples and countries, as well as entertaining backstories about traveling off the beaten path. A perfect book for any armchair traveler.
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles