Follow Friday: Be Inspired by Andrew Hickey

Editor's Note: Inspired by Follow Friday on Twitter, I am profiling (in far more than 140 characters) extraordinary travelers who you, too, should follow! Through these profiles, I want to introduce you to globetrotting souls that follow their hearts to places near and far, so join me each Friday in my quest to be inspired by some of the most intriguing adventure seekers on our planet!

Be Inspired by: Andrew Hickey, New York City
Follow him: @BrooklynNomad

"To say I love travel would be an understatement," Andrew tells me. "I am a bit obsessed when it comes to the topic." The self-professed nomad is "always planning the next big adventure," and he reports his experiences and travel aspirations through his blog, The Brooklyn Nomad. A freelance travel writer, Andrew says he is "always finding new places to add to my list" and he admits to being a "big nerd when it comes to finding great travel deals."

@jenngaines: Please tell me a little bit about your most recent adventure.
@BrooklynNomad: M most recent adventure was a three-week trek through Poland. With the exchange rate favorable to the US dollar (1 USD=3.20 PLN) and my wife fluent in Polish (she was born there), it was a no-brainer to check out this amazing Eastern European destination.

With some family connections my wife had in Poland, we were able to land a one-bedroom apartment for only about $30 US per week in a small town called Raciborz (pronounced rah-chee-boosh). We used this as our home base in between road trips to such locations as the resort town of Zakopane, where we climbed 6,000 feet to the top of the Tatra Mountains (okay we were lifted by the cable car 90 percent of the way, but still...).

Another destination we checked out was the very popular city of Krakow. This part of Poland is becoming the "it" locale for young travelers and people in the know. Many Europeans have left Prague behind to come visit this much more affordable destination. Nearby, we were able to stop in and see attractions like Auschwitz concentration camp and the Wieliczka salt mines. Both places are must see when visiting this region of Poland.

@jenngaines: Everyone travels for different reasons. As a traveler, what really inspires you?
@BrooklynNomad: Two things that come to mind immediately are the people I encounter and of course the food they enjoy. I love to meet interesting people, so when I am in a new city, I try to interact with the locals as much as possible. Whether that means hitting up the local farmer's market on a Saturday morning or enjoying a few too many adult beverages on a Saturday night, I will try and get to know new people in a new setting.

@jenngaines: What is your most memorable travel experience?
@BrooklynNomad: Wow, there are just so many that come to mind, but when I have to think about the one that stands out the most it would have to be my whirlwind 11-day European honeymoon. My wife and I visited the Swiss cities of Zurich and Lucerne, which is just like walking into a fairytale), then hopped a Eurorail to check out the Italian cities of Florence and Rome. Many people said we were crazy to do all of the in such a short amount of time, but we absolutely have no regrets and loved every minute of the journey.

@jenngaines: What is the most challenging travel experience you've had?
@BrooklynNomad: Being a travel junkie sometimes winds up backfiring on me. I found this amazing hotel deal online for a 50 percent off stay at Montreal's Fairmont Queen Elizabeth. So I book it and tell my wife, "We are going to Montreal!" Just one problem...it was mid February! If anyone knows anything about geography, you just do not book a Canadian trip during the dead of winter, unless of course it is to ski or to live out your dream of being a human penguin for a week.

So we made the best of a cold situation and went ahead with the trip. As we leave New York, it is unseasonably warm for February (about 55 degrees), and we arrive to a very...very frigid Montreal (12 below). One of the days we were in this frozen tundra of a city, the weatherman broke into a show with a news alert. He said that Montreal has forbidden people to leave their apartments, homes etc. and to stay inside as temperatures were going to drop to about 35 degree below zero!

Being stubborn New Yorkers with dinner reservations we said "screw it" and got dressed for a night out on the town. The second...and I mean the second we walked outside of the hotel's lobby, we did an about face as we could not feel our faces. I have never felt cold like that, and I have seen some cold winters here in the Northeast. So we ordered room service, and I wound up having the best crème Brule ever. So I guess it was a blessing in disguise.