Matt Kepnes
Matt Kepnes, known as Nomadic Matt, is a travel writer and author who shares budget guides, stories from the road, and practical ways to travel more for less.
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Matt’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Book
MemoirOverview
- Known as
- Nomadic Matt
- From
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Work
- Travel writer, blogger, and author
- On the road
- Set out on his round-the-world trip in July 2006
- Blog beginnings
- Started Nomadic Matt in 2008
- First big break
- A 2009 New York Times Frugal Traveler article brought new readers to his blog
Mini bio
How it started.
Matt grew up in Boston and took his first overseas trip at 23, visiting Costa Rica in 2004. A trip to Thailand the following year changed what he thought travel could be. In Chiang Mai, five backpackers showed him that long trips did not have to be reserved for rich people. He finished his graduate program, left his office job, and set off in July 2006.
Finding his readers.
Teaching English in Thailand and Taiwan helped him keep traveling. He started Nomadic Matt in 2008 to put his writing in front of potential freelance clients, then found an audience of his own. He credits a November 2009 New York Times Frugal Traveler article with putting him on the map. His budget guide, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, later became a New York Times bestseller.
More than a guidebook.
Alongside practical travel advice, Matt has made room for the emotional side of life on the road. His 2019 memoir, Ten Years a Nomad, explores friendships, relationships, burnout, and coming home. He founded the youth travel nonprofit FLYTE in 2015 and The Nomadic Network in 2019; the network passed to new ownership in 2024.
A new writing chapter.
In 2025, he updated his budget guide as How to Travel the World on $75 a Day. In October 2026, he launched a Substack about writing, creativity, AI, and the creator economy. He also shared that walking around Paris and recording voice notes had helped him finish a rough draft of a fiction book.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2025How to Travel the World on $75 a DayAuthor
- 2019Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey HomeAuthor
- 2013How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, SmarterAuthor, first print edition
Communities and publishing
- 2026Nomadic Matt on SubstackWriter
- 2019The Nomadic NetworkFounder; sold in 2024
- 2015FLYTEFounder
- 2008Nomadic MattFounder and travel writer
Awards
Quotes
I wanted to be a mix between Bill Bryson and Anthony Bourdain.Matt Kepnes, Rolf Potts’s Travel Writer Profiles
In his September 2022 interview, Matt described the writers who shaped his early ambitions.
Trivia
- His first overseas trip was to Costa Rica, at age 23.
- Before the blog supported his travels, he taught English in Thailand and Taiwan.
- His planned yearlong trip lasted more than 18 months.
- His first big press mention brought so much traffic that his website went down.
- He drafted his fiction book using voice notes recorded on walks around Paris.
Find Matt
Follow Matt for travel stories, budget tips, and updates from his writing desk.
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