Tommy Walker always knew he wanted to travel.

Living in a small, working class town in Northeast England, the now 29-year-old remembers dreaming of somewhere exotic, somewhere "far, far away from here" as a child, he told Business Insider.

In his early 20s, he finally got the chance to go. Tired of a 9-5 corporate job at a product management company, he bought a ticket to Sweden, intending to work his way down by the Eurorail to explore the continent.

Then, his dad got sick, and he postponed his trip, settling for shorter-term stays instead.

In 2011, his father died, leaving Walker and his brother an inheritance through his workplace that Walker chose to split into pieces: about 60% on longer-term investments, and 30% on travel, starting with an ambitious trip to Southeast Asia.

He acknowledges that some people might consider his windfall a stroke of luck, but says he wishes some things had turned out differently. "Sure, I got an inheritance," he said, "but at the end of the day it's my father. It's no compensation for what happened, but obviously, it helped me get to where I am today."

His inheritance stopped fully funding his travels — which you can follow via Facebook, Instagram, or through his website — before the first of four years was up. Since then, he's been in a cycle of working, saving, and traveling. "I've always been lucky enough to find work and make money," he said, "so once I started this travel journey, I always felt that I'd always find money if I wanted to buy something later on."

Below, Walker explained the gritty reality behind long-term travel, why you don't need a windfall to leave home, and how he now affords to stay on the road.

SEE ALSO: A 31-year-old who's been traveling the world for 5 years explains how she affords it

Walker started his adventure with a ticket to Bangkok, to backpack Southeast Asia. He chose his destination in part because his father, a Buddhist, wished later in life that he would have traveled more.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/mJ2SLcyHqO/embed/
Width: 658px

In Bangkok, Thailand.

"That feeling of being in Asia, I'll never get that back," Walker reflected. "Any traveler who’s been traveling for more than two years will say you can't get that initial feeling back — you're naive and you don't really know a lot, and everything is new and there's no expectation. Southeast Asia is perfect for that, because it's so different to Western culture. It's such an incredible vortex to be pushed into."

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/fpwhU8yHrD/embed/
Width: 658px

In India.

After 10 months backpacking Southeast Asia, Walker moved to Australia to find a job and shore up his savings again. He ended up in Melbourne with two: a day job working in IT, and a part-time gig as a host at a restaurant.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BBhFyo0yHn8/embed/
Width: 658px

In Melbourne, Australia.

Who spits their gum on the ground anyway? It happens to the best of us, and sooner or later, you'll get a sticky wad of gum on your shoe, too.

Luckily, there are a handful of life hacks that get it off quick!

Follow TI:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

We fear boredom — that we might be bored or, even worse, bore others.

One example: For a 2014 University of Virginia psychology study, participants gave themselves electrical shocks to avoid sitting alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes. 

In a similarly themed Quora thread, users discussed what makes people boring. 

Here are the highlights, so that you can identify the bores in your life and avoid becoming a bore yourself.

Drake Baer contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: A sleep doctor says 4 types of animals represent how people sleep — and these are the ideal daily routines for each

1. Boring people have unbalanced conversations.

Instead of finding a rhythm between talking and listening, boring people are on either conversational extreme.

Quora user Jack Bennett calls it an "asymmetry in the conversational 'give and take' — e.g. all listening and no talking, or all talking and no listening." 

2. Boring people can't tell if people are engaged in the conversation.

If you're emphatically boring, you're probably missing the other person's body language.

User Garrick Saito argues that what makes a person boring is the "continual blathering and ignoring of signals and body language that say (perhaps not loudly enough) 'I'm not interested in what you're saying, but am nodding every few seconds only to be polite.'"

To avoid this, learn how to listen to what people are saying with their bodies. 

3. Boring people can't make people laugh.

Humor shows "cognitive flexibility": the ability to assess an idea or an event from a variety of perspectives, and then, naturally, make light of it. Boring people lack it.

"I'm an easy sell," admits Will Wister. "I mean come on let's face it — it's not that hard." 

What's the best way to burn the most calories?

There's a lot that goes into developing an exercise regimen — meeting your body's needs, finding something you enjoy, and figuring out what will have enough impact to make a difference to your health.

If you're crunched for time, one of the ways to measure that is to figure out how much energy a particular exercise expends in the time you actually do it. In other words, how many calories does it burn?

The big, important caveats here are that exercising on its own actually doesn't do much to make you lose weight. If you want to slim down, we suggest talking to a doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and working on cutting sugar and large portions out of your diet.

Still, calories burned per hour is a good measure of how intense a particular exercise is. The Mayo Clinic, drawing on research published by the National Institutes of Health, lists 36 popular forms of exercise by their caloric impacts. We've ordered them from least to most intense, with approximate calories burned per hour for a 200-pound person listed for each activity. (An average adult American weighs just under 200 pounds.) Of course exact figures will vary across body types, gender, age, and other factors.

Keep in mind that the numbers here are approximate. Also, just because an exercise burns calories faster doesn't mean it's necessarily the best option. The most important exercise is the one you enjoy enough to get up and do regularly.

SEE ALSO: 9 science-backed ways to be a happier person

DON'T MISS: AccuWeather says Americans should prepare for a cold, stormy, snowy winter

36. Hatha yoga | 228 calories/hour

Hatha yoga, a version of the exercise practice centered on holding specific poses, sits at the bottom of this list, burning an average of about 228 calories per hour in a 200-pound person.

35. A slow walk | 255 calories/hour

Next up: going for a stroll. For every hour walked at 2 mph, a 200-pound person burns 255 calories.

32. Bowling | 273 calories/hour

Bowling, along with the next two items on this list, ballroom dancing and Tai Chi, burns 273 calories per active hour.

Green Man Cannabis, offers award-winning cannabis strains at its Denver dispensaries. At the 2016 Cannabis Cup, they won first place for Colorado sativa with "Ghost Train Haze" and first place for Colorado hybrid with "Star Killer."

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

So you've decided to drink whiskey. That's good, but it's just a first step.

Scotch Whisky, Irish Whiskey, Bourbon, or Rye — the options are at once tantalizing and intimidating if you haven't wrapped your mind around the range of flavors and ways whiskey is served. Remember, this is an art hundreds of years in the making.

Business Insider is here to help you do that tradition proud.

We asked Pam Wiznitzer, a mixologist at the award-winning New York City cocktail bar The Dead Rabbit, to walk us through the whiskey decision-making process. Think of this as the adult version of Choose Your Own Adventure — except the end is more rewarding.

"Don't necessarily walk into a bar and slam down the order of whiskey you want and assume they have it," Wiznitzer advised. "Feel free to have a dialogue with your bartender. It's a good conversation."

With every conversation you'll learn a little more, and you'll be talking like an expert in no time.

That is, if you dedicate enough time to it of course.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Secrets about Jack Daniel’s that you probably don’t know

Business Insider sent three reporters to Havana, Cuba, to experience the city as tourists. While there we primarily used the same driver, Carlo, to get us around town. Carlo invited us over to his family's house in the outer borough of La Lisa for a traditional, home-cooked Cuban meal. 

We have lots of stories about our adventures on the island, which you'll be able to find here.

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

Every year, the Great American Beer Festival holds a prestigious competition to select the best beers and breweries in the country.

Approximately 1,752 breweries participated in this year's festival, which was hosted by the Brewers Association and took place from October 6 to 8 in Denver, Colorado.

On Saturday afternoon, a jury of more than 265 beer industry professionals from 12 countries announced the winners. Without knowing the brand names, they tasted each brewery's selected beers according to specific flavor parameters (which you can read more about in this 68-page set of guidelines).

The breweries are broken into seven different size categories, ranging from "small brewpub" to "large brewing company."  The top one in each group was awarded the title of "Champion Brewery."

Here are the winners.

Correction — October 9: An earlier version of this story reported Karl Strauss Brewing Company as the Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year and Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon as the Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year. The GABF jury updated the winners based on its size guidelines, later realizing that Karl Strauss is a mid-size brewing company, not a brewpub.

SEE ALSO: Patagonia just released a beer that's different from any other brew you can buy

Small Brewpub — ZwanzigZ Brewing

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BJLG7B4jA9w/embed/
Width: 800px

Location: Columbus, Indiana

Winning beers: Frankenwald Eisbock and The Ticket Chocolate Beer

Mid-Size Brewpub — Boxing Bear Brewing Co.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BJWTBHBBEFG/embed/
Width: 800px

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Winning beers: AlpenGlow and Black Muddy River

Large Brewpub — The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BIxr9N1hPQY/embed/
Width: 800px

Location: Austin, Texas

Winning beer: Industry

In 2014, Global Brand President of Aerie, Jennifer Foyle, decided the company would no longer airbrush their models. This decision turned into a movement. Aerie is American Eagle's lingerie brand with a focus on the 15-21 demographic.

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

Steve Jobs had his first child, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, at 23.

At first, he rejected claims that she was his child. After taking a court-mandated paternity test, Jobs accepted Lisa as his daughter. He admitted later on in life that he was simply not prepared for fatherhood.

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

Why do we feel the need to care for things that are cute, like puppies and kittens? Austrian biologist Konrad Lorenz came up with his "kinderschema" or child scheme, which is a list of physical characteristics that define what we consider cute. He observed that cute animals share these same traits with babies, which accesses human's nurturing and protective instincts. There's even a name for this: Neotony.

Follow TI: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

See story here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: David Cay Johnston: 'There's no evidence Donald Trump is a billionaire'

In terms of menu choices, fast-food chains are a lot like car brands: there's something for everyone.

A five-piece chicken nugget for the soccer mom on-the-go. A quarter pounder with cheese for the erudite lovers of the classics. A salad, for... someone. 

And for the person who enjoys the finer things in life, there are the flagships: the signature burgers. Without these, fast-food would lose all meaning. 

I decided to compare the signature sandwiches of the fast-food Big Three — the Whopper at Burger King, the Big Mac at McDonald's Big Mac, and the Dave's Single at Wendy's — with one question in mind: Which chain truly makes the best flagship burger?

SEE ALSO: Shake Shack has a new chicken sandwich that's unlike anything you can buy at KFC or Chick-fil-A — here's how it tastes

Here is the storied and gloried lineup: the Whopper from Burger King, the Dave's Single from Wendy's, and the Big Mac from McDonald's.

Unwrapping them is like driving off the lot — once it's done, there's no going back. The Whopper and the Big Mac have held up well, but the Dave's Single looks like a flat tire.

Let's start with the Whopper. There is simply no Burger King without the Whopper. It's as entwined with the chain as the croissant is to France. It is indeed the "Home of the Whopper".

Next year marks the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone, and all rumors are pointing to a radical redesign.

This month, we've seen the rumor of a third iPhone model with a larger screen resurface, and it could even have a frame made out of steel.

Check out the latest rumors surrounding Apple's next NEXT iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Here's why you should always hold your iPhone in your right hand when making a call

This will not be an "S" model of the iPhone 7.

MacRumors spotted a report from an analyst at Barclay's that claims Apple will skip the "S" model this year, which has historically followed each new phone version, and jump directly from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8, or possibly "10," in 2017.

Since 2017 marks the iPhone's 10th anniversary, it wouldn't be surprising if Apple does something special to mark the anniversary of its most important product.

The front surface will be all display with no borders or bezels.

Rumors that the iPhone 10 will have an all-display front surface first emerged from John Gruber, the plugged-in Apple blogger and podcaster from Daring Fireball.

Gruber claims he has heard insider scuttlebutt that the iPhone 10's front won't have any bezels or borders, and that it'll be one large display.

It will mostly be made of glass with an aluminum frame.

A report from Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts new Apple products and features, says that the iPhone 10's body will be made of glass. If so, it could have a similar aesthetic as the iPhone 4 and 4s, both of which had a glass back.

Cold brew — the less acidic and more slowly steeped sibling of iced coffee — has become widely popular over the past few years. Many coffee chains, including Starbucks and even Dunkin' Donuts, have started serving their own cold brew, even going so far as to inject the brew with nitrogen for an extra kick.

Behind every $3-4 cup, there's a long process that usually involves soaking grounds in lukewarm or cold water for 10 to 16 hours. That brewing process can be done by placing a nut bag in a pitcher or using a big toddy system, but neither of those are particularly portable.

If you're looking for a cold brew maker that you can keep in an office kitchen or shared fridge (without feeling obstructive), a newly released brewing device called the Dripo takes up the same space as a tall Thermos.

The three-part cold brew coffee maker was released in July, and measures around 16 inches tall. It costs a reasonable $29.95 on Amazon. Here's how it works. 

SEE ALSO: The best coffee shop in 45 big cities across America

Instead of submerging the grounds in water as most cold brew kits do, the Dripo works by slowly dripping water on top of the grounds. This saturates the grounds so the coffee drains drop by drop into the cup below. It's a technique that's been used for a while, though rarely on such a small scale.

The Dripo comes in three parts. You fill the reservoir on top with lukewarm or cold water. Coffee grounds go in the middle chamber, which holds a stainless steel filter, and the mug on the bottom catches the brewed coffee.

The Dripo's coffee chamber has markings to help you measure the right amount of grounds. Dripo recommends using 30 grams.

Yoga has so many passionate devotees, and so many different types (Hatha? Bikram? Vinyasa?), that it can seem intimidating to true beginners. But if you've ever walked by a yoga class and decided that dark magic ruled all that happened there, do not fear: Yoga is actually harmless.

Not only that, it can be really good for you. And it's actually quite easy to get started.

I'm not talking about the crazy advanced poses where by some stroke of luck — or a spell — the teacher hovers on one limb while the rest of her body curves lithely into some seemingly impossible shape. No, the yoga I'm advocating is the kind practically anyone can do, provided they know a few basics.

Ready to clear your mind and get your heart pumping? Read on.

UP NEXT: We tried the science-backed 7-minute fitness routine that's going viral, and it actually works

SEE ALSO: What the author of 'Eat Fat, Get Thin' eats — and avoids — every day

I currently practice yoga about six days a week and I do a mix of everything from "open" to "power" classes. When I started, I only practiced about once a week — if that — and I steered clear of anything with the words "advanced" or "power" anywhere near the title.

I love yoga because it quiets my mind, makes me feel strong, and challenges me to do things I'd never thought physically possible. The science backs me up here: Dozens of studies have linked a regular yoga practice to stronger, more flexible muscles, a healthier heart and, in people with depression and anxiety, a decrease in negative symptoms.

Sources: Harvard Medical School; Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 2016; Rhode Island Medical Journal 2013; Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2016

To start, I'd recommend looking for classes with the words "vinyasa" or "flow" in the name — if you want a workout, that is. If you're more interested in learning the standard poses, Hatha or Bikram (a type of yoga which involves heating the studio to the point where you sweat so much, towels are required to participate) will suffice.

Rents may be dropping slightly in several of America's largest cities, but it's always helpful to know what your money can get you.

Of course, your rent money will stretch a lot further in some cities than others. A one-bedroom apartment in New York City, for instance, goes for about $2,000 more than the same-sized apartment in Denver.

With the help of real-estate marketplace Zumper and its October national rent report, we've compiled a sampling of one-bedroom listings in the 20 most expensive markets in the US.

Each listing is within $100 of the respective city's median rental price.

SEE ALSO: Here's the income you need to comfortably pay rent on a 2-bedroom apartment in 15 of the largest US cities

DON'T MISS: Here's what a 4-bedroom home looks like in America's most expensive neighborhoods

20. DENVER: For $1,300 a month, residents of this newly renovated apartment in a quiet residential neighborhood are close to several parks and shopping centers.

Rent: $1,300/month

Neighborhood: Speer

This apartment overflows with amenities, including everything from dark wood cabinets to stainless steel appliances to new flooring and lighting. 

19. ATLANTA: This spacious apartment goes for $1,295 a month and includes access to a fitness center, picnic area, and outdoor barbecue space.

Rent: $1,295/month

Neighborhood: Midtown

This pet-friendly apartment comes complete with a balcony, hardwood floors, a walk-in closet, and air conditioning to temper Atlanta's hot summers. The complex also offers a business center, garage parking, and a pool. 

18. MINNEAPOLIS: Located in the heart of Minneapolis, units in this complex start at $1,345 a month and sit close to walking trails along the West River Parkway and fine dining in Highland Park.

Rent: $1,345 to $1,495/month

Neighborhood: Hiawatha

Units at Parkway West captivate residents with an open layout, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a rooftop patio. 

If you were a die-hard "Star Wars" fan and loved "Force Awakens," chances are you're hungry for updates on the next episode in the saga, 'Star Wars: Episode VIII."

Star Wars Celebration Europe, which took place in London in July, revealed some interesting information about the film. Since then, others from the cast (and a few rumors) have given us a further idea of the movie, which is currently in post production.

Below is everything we know so far about the movie (which comes out December 15, 2017), from the mouths of stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, and writer/director Rian Johnson.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Everything you nee to know about the next "Star Wars" movie, "Rogue One"

Not familiar with Rian Johnson? He directed the hit sci-fi movie "Looper."

Get ready to hear the name Rian Johnson a lot throughout the next year. Though he's only made three feature films going into "Episode VIII," those movies include stunning works like the modern-day film noir "Brick" and sci-fi mobster movie "Looper," which have shown he's ready for the largest stage in filmmaking.

Johnson also directed some of the most memorable "Breaking Bad" episodes, including "Fly" and "Ozymandias" (arguably the greatest episode of the series).

Looking to take a deeper dive? Here's more about Johnson you need to know.

Johnson spent six weeks at the Lucasfilm headquarters, Skywalker Ranch, figuring out the "Episode VIII" story.

At Star Wars Celebration, Johnson revealed that while writing the script for "Episode VIII," he spent six weeks at Skywalker Ranch. But he wasn't just taking inspiration from the grounds that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas walks. He also had an eye on "The Force Awakens."

"We would watch dailies come in from 'VII,'" Johnson told the Celebration crowd. "It was probably really healthy creating the story based on our reactions to the footage rather than the cultural reactions. It was a unique experience."

The movie will start right where "The Force Awakens" ended.

Before principal photography began in London on "Episode VIII," Johnson and his crew took actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Daisy Ridley (Rey) to Skellig Michael, the island where the final scene of "The Force Awakens" took place, to shoot an extension of the scene. 

That will be the opening of "Episode VIII," according to Johnson.

"I don't want to skip ahead [after] that last moment of 'Episode VII.' I want to see what happens next," Johnson said.

This has sparked an interesting conversation among fans. Will there be an opening crawl in "Episode VIII"? There are typically months to years between "Star Wars" episodes, so the crawl brings the audience up to speed. Johnson did not say if there will or will not be a crawl in the new movie. 

With a net worth topping $3 billion, Mark Cuban has money to spend. 

Cuban became a billionaire in 1999 when he sold his second company, Broadcast.com, to Yahoo for $5.9 billion. Since then, the business magnate has made several pricey purchases, including buying the NBA franchise the Dallas Mavericks a year later.

However, in a new column for Men's Fitness, Cuban said that the smartest thing he ever spent money on was a private plane.

"It's obviously brutally expensive, but time is the one asset we simply don't own," he wrote. "It saves me hours and hours." 

Cuban purchased his first jet — a Gulfstream V— in 1999 for $40 million. Since then, he's added two more to his fleet: a Boeing 767 that he rents out and a Boeing 757, which he uses for the Mavs. 

The "Shark Tank" star goes on to say that the most important things in life are family, time, being nice, and avoiding stress, while "trying to have more than the next guy" just isn't worth it.

Though a private jet might seem like a demonstration of opulence, to Cuban it's not about showing off his wealth — it's about effectively using his time so he can attend to what matters. 

"It means I have more hours in my day to spend with friends and family," he explained to the Wall Street Journal in 2010. "It means I can get more work done. It means I can travel comfortably with my family. It’s a life- and game-changer." 

SEE ALSO: A man who became a millionaire in 10 years shares his best advice for 20-somethings who want to do the same

DON'T MISS: A man who retired at 34 explains one bad savings habit that everyone should avoid

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Mark Cuban explains why a 401(k) is a no-brainer

Many people are driven to do things that excite them, no matter how risky or terrifying those activities might seem to others.

If you heard about a chance to ski down a steep backcountry slope, would you jump on that opportunity? Does wandering through an unknown city where you don't speak the language sound fun? Do you get restless or bored doing the same thing day after day?

Then you may score highly on measures of a personality trait that psychologists call "sensation-seeking."

"It's an overall behavior tendency to really seek out rewarding experiences despite the risk involved," Jane Joseph, a Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, tells Business Insider.

In other words, she says it's not about the risk. It's about the reward. But the desire for that rewarding sensation overpowers concerns about risk, according to Joseph.

Here are 17 of the ways that behavioral tendency is expressed and things that sensation-seekers have in common.

SEE ALSO: 10 survival myths that might get you killed

Everyone falls somewhere on the sensation-seeking spectrum, but some people are more likely to ignore risks and instead seek rewards than others, to the point they may seem attracted to risk.

Source: Pizam et al., Journal of Travel Research, 2004

There are four subcategories to sensation seeking: experience seeking (wanting new sensory or mental experiences), thrill and adventure seeking, susceptibility to boredom, and disinhibition (enjoying things like "wild parties").

Source: Zuckerman, Sensation Seeking and Risky Behavior

Not all sensation-seeking activities are risky (and not everyone who takes risks does so because of this behavior trait).