“Every time I return from a country, I’m changed. I’ve always loved travel, meeting new people and getting on a plane. I’m addicted, that’s what it is.”
For David Hoffmann, creator of davidsbeenhere.com, addicted might be an understatement.
Over the past year, Hoffmann has been uploading videos that capture the history, culture and hospitality of each city he has visited. By filming diverse countries, Hoffmann is offering an innovative way to research the globe and said he hopes to one day become a global entrepreneur otherwise known as the “David Beckham of travel.”
Travel has always been on Hoffmann’s mind. After graduating from the University of Miami, a friend suggested that he create a Web site dedicated to his travels and sell shirts to make money. Hoffmann took the idea into consideration. Though the Internet and books always offered information, he felt he never quite got what he was looking for.
“So I thought,” he said, “why don’t I just go and film these places? I first tried it out in Madrid, and it was scary, but once I got on a plane, I kept going and going. Now everything’s changed and the videos have improved.”
Hoffmann and his colleagues, Carlos de Varona and Eberto Tito Iturria, also have a site in the works which will allow interaction between davidsbeenhere.com and its viewers.
“I want to be able to talk to people and to be real to everybody, not (be) just the guy in the videos,” Hoffmann said.
Hoffmann generates revenue through corporate investment and his Web site’s advertising. These sources of income ultimately pay the way to Hoffmann’s exotic destinations.
“Moving around, scheduling, finding Internet access, the costs, the logistics. It takes a lot of planning,” he said. Sometimes the unexpected happens, as it did in their trip to Morocco where they spent a few days at the home of a real Moroccan rather than a hotel. It was through the Internet that a friend from Casablanca put Hoffmann in touch with another friend from Meknes.
“He didn’t speak English very well, but he treated us like family. It was an awesome experience,” Hoffmann said. “That’s why I love the Internet. It’s so easy to get in contact with people. We would never have met this kid. Thank God we did.” And to this day, they remain in contact.
Hoffmann is now resting in Panama after a long trip through Europe, where he traveled to the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Italy and Ireland, among other countries. Up next? Cartagena, Colombia, before he heads to Asia for two months.
Being away from home, sleeping in different beds and dealing with strange languages can be taxing, but Hoffmann cannot even begin to put the experience into words.
“I’ve learned about culture in and of itself. The past months have been insane. There’s way too much. I love it. I’ve grown up,” Hoffmann said.
When asked what advice he could give to someone uncertain about studying, working or simply abroad, he said you just had to go for it.
“Open up your mind. Get away from the same old thing you live every day. Don’t be afraid to do anything. Life is risky — you’ve got to take risks.”
