"I will go anywhere!" A bold statement Paul Greenway threw at Lonely Planet nearly a decade ago. He wanted to give up his cushy public service job to do what he loved: become a full-time author. Much to his surprise, those four words did in fact score him a full-time job as an author for Lonely Planet. And 'anywhere' they certainly sent him! "They called my bluff and asked me to go to Mongolia!!!" Paul said. I guess being thrown into the deep end is a sure fire way to learn. 

Having written Lonely Planet guides to Mongolia, Iran, Bulgaria, Botswana, Jordan and Bali, and co-written guidebooks to Indonesia, India, Middle East and Africa, Paul thrives on the challenge of traveling to amazingly different places - the less tourists the better. Even if he is forced to eat boiled rice three times a day for weeks on end. The satisfaction he gains from writing a good guidebook with limited resources in a country he barely knows is what makes his job so exciting.

I wanted to know how much travel Paul actually does, just so I could wallow in my self-pity. "For the past 7 years, I have spent 4-5 months of the year 'on the road' and the same amount of time writing up the books when I get home" Paul explained. 12 hour days, 7 day weeks for months sounds like a lot of hard work, but that is certainly what Lonely Planet authors need to put in to get the job done. After all, Lonely Planet guidebooks are probably the most well-known and respected travel information resource on the planet!. Literally!

I asked Paul about his favourite travel destinations. "Probably Mongolia and Yemen. The landscapes, people and cultures are awesome! Also, I grew to love Bulgaria, a brilliant European destination without the tourist and high prices of Western Europe". Paul last ventured into the province of Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya), Indonesia. "I have a soft spot for Indonesia because I know it so well and speak the language which also helps." Tourism and the economy is suffering badly, but he still finds it an enriching place, to learn about the culture and history of WWII.

When I asked about his worst trip, Paul said that he has a love-hate relationship with India. "I often hate it while I am there, but can't wait to go back after I have come back. The problem with India is that it maybe has the size and infrastructure for 100 million but has 10 times more people, so many things are 10 times more hassle."

Perhaps part of such an enriching experience for Paul may not only be the outlook on a different way of life, but also the appreciation of living in Australia after spending hours hanging around bus stations in somewhat sweltering conditions. Which brings us to the point that being a travel author does have its drawbacks, much like most things in life. You take the good with the bad, as long as the good outweighs the bad. And in Paul's case it certainly does. Getting seasick on boats, dealing with bad weather, and missing family and friends (and football) might be a downside, but it's all part of the experience. Traveling, especially getting paid for it, is an exciting adventure! Ask yourself, would you rather be sitting in an office all day drinking cheap coffee at half-hour intervals, or sailing by Felucca down the Nile drinking in the enigmatic sights of an Egyptian sunset- I know what I'd rather be doing. To even ask that question should be illegal.

According to Paul, if you aspire to become a travel author, be more of a traveler than a writer. "Try to visit interesting places and people - different to other aspiring writers. As long as you can string some words together well, and you have a fine editor, readers will remember you more for where you have been than for how you write about it. And don't be shy about using your sense of humour."

You never know, uttering a few simple words like Paul Greenway did 7 years ago might have you trekking through the mountains of Kazakhstan. 

Setting off on an adventure of your own- See thescene.com.au's Competitions page for your chance to win a Lonely Planet guidebook!