Featured Traveller: Juan Zea Gomez – BJJ Globetrotters
Age: 32
Belt: Black
Profession: Business Management | Tech Project Manager
How many years in BJJ: 18 years
Other martial arts: Boxing & Muay Thai (basic)
Where do you live: Currently in Brazil (since the beginning of the year) Usually based in Lima, Peru, but I constantly travel around the world as a digital nomad.
Where are you from: Lima, Perú
Any fun facts you’d like to share: I’m also a musician and I just launched my first album, “Zetaverso,” last week! You can find me on Spotify as “Juan Zeta” :) My mantra is: “Living, Building & Learning”
Juan Zea Gomez – BJJ Globetrotters
What inspired you to travel and train?
About 12 years ago (a purple belt at the time), I had my first experience of solo travel and this changed my outlook and way of life. I realized that getting to know other cultures, people with different ways of living and beautiful places while collecting stories was something that made me truly happy and I wanted to keep doing that.
In that sense, Jiu Jitsu allowed me to instantly connect with locals everywhere I went, which then became good friends and even allowed for further variations of the trip to unfold. Plus, it’s always great to experience different fighting/teaching styles. Jiu Jitsu is a universal language that follows you everywhere you go.
Also, as I got more experienced in Jiu Jitsu, I had the opportunity to share some of my favorite techniques and systems by teaching classes or seminars in amazing places like Costa Rica, India, Sri Lanka and Italy. Needless to say, all of this also came together with meeting amazing friends along the way.
Now, everywhere I go, it’s a must that I need to visit a local BJJ academy. There is always a belt, rashguard/shorts (and ideally a Gi) in my backpack for any destination.
Tell us about your most recent trip and what’s next – where have you been and where are you going?
My most recent trip is the current one, discovering Brazil for the first time with my partner Claudia (blue belt). To make it more adventurous (and it was actually her idea), we started the trip in Iquitos (Peruvian jungle) and arrived in Brazil via Manaus in a cargo ferry boat (4 days down the Amazon River sleeping in a hammock). This by itself was an incredible thing to experience.
As a Jiu Jitsu practitioner, it has always been my dream to visit and train in Brazil, so this journey is a special one. During the past 3 months, I have been in Manaus, Salvador de Bahia, Ubatuba, Ilha Grande and Rio de Janeiro (special mention of experiencing and partying through Carnaval!). This is a huge country with beautiful and welcoming people that make you feel at home, with so many places that feel like paradise. Definitely one of my favorite destinations and 3 months have gone by way too quickly. I will be back!
As to what’s next, I am returning to my hometown Lima, Peru the coming week. It’s always great to ground, connect with family and friends and set roots for some time before going into the next journey. What’s next? Who knows! There are still many countries left to explore :)
Juan Zea Gomez – BJJ Globetrotters
What do you enjoy most about travelling?
I definitely enjoy wandering into the unknown and collecting experiences and memories, which is the only thing we take from this life. I have learned that by travelling you get to experience the greatest amount of personal growth. Just by getting out of your comfort zone (family, friends, society) you really allow yourself to be with and be yourself. Learning to be open to the different possibilities and being flexible on what happens next, following your intuition is definitely something great. This mindset can get you far.
Also, you realize you don’t need much “stuff” to be happy and enjoy life. Being mindful of the things you actually need to carry around for traveling light (which makes it much easier/cheaper if constantly moving around) also transfers to the broader concept of life.
Finally, more than the destination itself (which indeed can take you to breathtaking scenarios), what I enjoy the most is the whole journey and the people you meet along the way. This is what the stories are actually made of and the source of the enjoyment.
Any particularly memorable experiences that made it all worth it?
So many that it’s hard to choose from, but something memorable was definitely spending a full year (all of 2023) traveling through Asia, exploring 12 countries and 53 cities along the way. This started originally as a 6 month trip to receive my 30 years, but ended up extending as many new unexpected destinations started to appear along the way. As you could imagine, countless stories and memories from this memorable year that I will remember forever.
As an example, I found myself receiving the new year in a boat in Phuket with new friends I had just met training (Vara included!), coming to the realization that every decision we had taken in life had taken us to that precise moment in time, where we were happy and having a blast. I believe it’s important to be able to pause for a second and recognize these memorable moments when one is at peace and happy. You can always go back through the memory lane to these moments and smile.
What has surprised you the most while travelling?
I guess one thing that always surprises me on any trip is how far the friendships and connections you make along the way unfold into unexpected experiences, either seeing them in other parts of the world in a different point in time, being hosted or hosting someone you met while traveling always amazes me.
Just to make a point, a friend who I met for one night in a hostel in Malaysia in 2023 and we kept in contact ended up hosting me in his house in Ubatuba (Sao Paulo) for a few weeks, and we even ended up roadtripping to Rio de Janeiro for Carnaval together. I am writing this from his house right now. Like this example, I have many. Thank you to all the amazing people from this community I have met in my travels. You know who you are.
How far and how unexpected the connections made along the way will take you continues to amaze me.
Juan Zea Gomez – BJJ Globetrotters
Are you a budget traveller – and if so how do you plan for a cheap trip?
I can go all around the whole spectrum for that question. From $3 a night (breakfast included) hostels to very nice pool/gym airbnbs, I can find myself enjoying any given situation. However, I do find tremendous value in traveling the most I can with the money I have at the moment (aka “stretching my money”).
I could definitely get better deals if everything is planned and tickets/accommodation booked in advance, however that takes away the flexibility component of making the route along the way, which I really enjoy.
With that said, there are definitely some recommendations that have worked for me:
- Travel light. Use packing cubes + vacuum bags and take only the necessary. This makes your flights cheaper and takes out the mental hassle of having to pack/unpack when changing places.
- Matsurfing. Check matsurfing.org or post on the fb group to see what is available. You would be surprised by how many fellow globetrotters are willing to host you.
- Have a budget. Have an idea of how much you want to spend and track how well you are doing in reality. Don’t fall into the trap of spending more than you have available.
Any advice for your fellow Globetrotters?
Get out there. Explore what this beautiful world and its people have to offer.
Jiu Jitsu opens so many doors and allows you to easily connect everywhere you go. Always keep a white belt mentality (in Jiu Jitsu and in life).
There will never be a perfect time to do it. Just go for it.
Experiences are the only thing you take from this life. Enjoy the ride.
Travel far, train everywhere, and collect stories.
