Johnny Jet was called “the original travel influencer” by Forbes. That’s an impressive title, especially for someone who admits at one point he was not only afraid to fly but was even afraid to leave the house. Wanting to learn how this transformation occurred, I contacted him about a Talking Travel interview.

Admitting it was a long process, Johnny openly and honestly discussed overcoming his anxiety and falling in love with travel. He enjoyed learning about destinations as well as tricks and tips to make the experience smoother and more enjoyable. He also liked sharing what he learned with family and friends. Eventually, his following grew much larger, and a travel influencer was born. Of course, that is the very abbreviated version, but Johnny gives more details in our interview.

One of Johnny’s strengths is variety. His website, johnnyjet.com, features everything for novice to veteran travelers, for solos to families. I liken it to Global Traveler‘s variety across three brands.

Having been to so many places, it wasn’t easy picking a few favorites, but Johnny indulged my request. He also named places he still has on his list to visit. Knowing Johnny has a family with two youngsters, I asked him for a travel tip for any traveler but also one for family travelers.

Transplanted from the East Coast, Johnny now lives with his family in California. He baseball loyalty still lies with the New York Yankees, as seen by his cap, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are growing on him. The way the season is going, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those teams meet in the World Series. Could Johnny’s influence go that far? I don’t doubt him.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer