the instatripper on Sao Miguel
Jan Willem Plug - the Instatripper
instatripper blog
instatripper collaborations
Jan Willem Plug at Boulders Beach
the instatripper on Fuerteventura

The Instatripper

My name is Jan Willem. I’m called the Instatripper because of the many trips I take and post on my Instagram account. To travel and explore the world is my biggest passion. I travel as much as I can. I love long weekend trips to cities or islands, and nature trips to many different countries. And I stay fit by working out several times a week and living a healthy (mostly vegetarian) lifestyle. Instagram is a big inspiration to me when it comes to travelling and finding new destinations. In turn, I try to inspire others with my Instagram posts and this travel blog.

I love being outdoors and exploring nature. But I can enjoy relaxing in great hotels too. I go on many city trips and share the best places to visit on my Instagram feed. During all my trips, I use my daily stories to highlight details of the places I visit. I enjoy meeting locals and fellow Instagrammers wherever I go since I love people and making new friends. In my own country, I volunteer as a tour guide and take visitors sightseeing.

Instatripper – Where Are You From?

I get this question a lot in my Direct Messages on Instagram. The funny thing is that I never really know what to answer. Where I live is easy: in the Netherlands. Where I’m from is a little more complicated.

My Roots

My parents are both Dutch but lived in Germany when I was born. I was just 4 months old when we moved to the United States and I lived in El Paso (Texas) for a while. My parents and brother have many stories about that time. And I think there are thousands of photos of us in Texas and Arizona and Mexico and many other places. I have photo memories of Universal Studios theme park, Petrified Forest, the Grand Canyon, Houston, White Sands, etc. But I don’t really remember. We moved back to Germany. At age 7, we relocated to yet another country and lived in the coastal town of Lombardsijde in Belgium. I lived right at the boulevard and sandy beach there and spend time there every day.

After Belgium it was back to Germany yet again. And when I was almost 13, we moved to the Netherlands. That was the first time for me. But not for my parents, of course. I moved to Guildford after that, just south of London, and lived in the UK while I worked at the University of Surrey. I had a great time there. From England I crossed the Channel back to the Netherlands for a second time. And then I took off to Sweden. I love Sweden a lot and have been back many dozens of times afterwards. From Sweden, I moved back to the Netherlands a third time. And it is where I live now.

I Moved House 17 Times

So all in all, I lived in 6 countries and moved a total of 17 times. I do not regret any bit of it. I love all the different experiences I had thanks to all the moving around. And I think my desire to travel, explore new places, and make new friends was influenced a lot by having lived in many places from a very young age. So, that’s my origin story. Maybe now you understand why I never know what to say when someone asks that simple question: Where are you from?

Instatripper – How Come You Travel So Much?

I often get asked what kind of job I have because it looks like I travel for work. But that is actually not the case at all. I wish it were true. I would love to have a job that allowed me to travel all the time! In reality, I have a job that does not involve any international travelling. However, I choose to work part time. And that gives me long weekends every week. I often leave for a city trip on Thursday after work and come back on Sunday night or Monday morning. Also, I have a generous number of paid vacation days. All that allows me to travel quite a bit.

Instatripper – What Is Your Job?

Until recently, I was Manager of theLearning and Development department of the world’s largest telecommunications provider. I had the privilege to manage the teams that are responsible for all training and education of 4,500 employees in the Netherlands, both new and existing, across 17 locations. I also cared for quality assurance on those locations. What I loved about my job was seeing the enthusiasm and professionalism of the team members in my department. Their work and spirit made me proud. I travelled between several office locations in the Netherlands: Maastricht, Utrecht, Leeuwarden, Nijmegen, Amsterdam and Groningen. But my trips abroad were not related to my work in any way.

In December 2019, I left my job and started looking for a new challenge. I have since done a course in web design and the University of Hasselt-Genk, I have become a certified DiSC trainer and I have finished a higher education in professional coaching. I will also be starting several courses in photography next.

Instatripper – What is The Purpose of This Blog?

My purpose for this website is to share information that inspires others to travel. I love using Instagram to do that too, but it doesn’t provide enough space for travel tips and background information. I created this website because I really want to help you enjoy your trips even more. Together with my Instagram posts, the articles on this website will help you find great places to visit and get the most out of your trips!

Besides travel, I am interested in many other things. So I have created a page about all kinds of things that I find interesting and that I think will benefit you too. For example, check how to get your focus back in life. Or how you benefit from reading. What to do at home when you are bored. And many other topics.

Ask Me Anything

If you are curious and want to know more about me, feel free to follow me on my Instagram account and DM me there if you have any questions. That is the quickest way to get in touch with me. I would also love to hear from you if you like my blogs, travel tips and lifehacking stuff.

Work With Me

Click here if you want to collaborate with me or want to discuss a business proposal. I am happy to work with you if it helps my followers.

the Instatripper - Jan Willem Plug - Instagram

Follow Me On Instagram

You can find out a lot about me and my trips through my Instagram account. I am happy to take you along on my trips with my posts and daily stories.

Instagram profile Jan Willem Plug, the Instatripper