We had originally planned to visit Cuba and travel along the Caribbean coast of central America but due to some massive hurricanes, we ditched that idea and instead travelled along more of the Pacific coast which attracts less tourists. Changing our travel route and visiting lesser-known destinations was the best idea we ever had. Why did you decide to take a particular trip?

Paul Manser is a Melbourne-based travel writer who has been published in newspapers including The Australian, Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, MX and The Sunday Telegraph, as well as by international media titles and travel brands such as MTV, Hearth, International Traveller and G Adventures. Delivery with Standard Australia Post usually happens within 2-10 business days from time of dispatch. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery and due to various reasons, the delivery may take longer than the original estimated timeframe. A group of friends I’d met in London – and then various other travellers joined us for little periods of time if they were headed the same way. What was the best part about the trip? Away from writing, Paul is the personal manservant to a grumpy 11 year old sausage dog named Bruno. He has also started four businesses, the majority of which have not resulted in being chased down the street by a reporter from A Current Affair. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery - the approximate delivery time is usually between 1-2 business days.Today, you can often find Paul with bags under his eyes, scrolling through his phone absently looking for international flight sales as his young children test the boundaries of physical and personal safety on playground equipment at a public park in Melbourne’s inner-west. The freedom. We were all in our mid-twenties, had no family or partners to worry about and had all just left our jobs. We had no pre-planned itinerary (other than vaguely heading north). We had time limits on our travels and no obligations.

Life Plans on Dive Bar Napkins is a book of experiences Paul always wanted to get into print, but worried that some tut-tutting travel editor would strip of all the best jokes. You could say that the book is an unnecessary act of self-indulgence by an egotist who shirks life's responsibilities, drinks too much and thinks too little. And you'd probably be right. Managing our budget towards the end of the travels became annoying. The closer we got in Mexico to America at the end of our trip, the more expensive things became. Unfortunately this also coincided with our finances being close to zero. What lessons did you learn on the trip? I’ve made some of my best friends and had most of the greatest experiences of my life while travelling. I’d be a much more boring and less happy person without travel. Kidnapped in the most expensive taxi in Mexico. Living like Frank Sinatra with a UTI in Palm Springs. Avoiding exploding rubbish bins in new Tokyo. Sleeping with man-eating spiders in Guatemala.