Nico Atienza Portrait Sitting On A Chair

About Nico

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Who Are You?

Hi! My name is Nico Atienza and this is my slice of the web where I write about my travels and tales of a lifelong expat.

When I look deep inside, the thing I love the most is to tell stories that inspire and help people. Whether it is with words, pictures, or even video, there is nothing that beats a great story in my book (do you like what I did there?).

In 2020, I was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, a chronic disease that I continue to live with to this day.


Tell Me More About Yourself..

I have a 12+ year career in technology and software which fosters my love for technology but I have been writing/blogging on and off since 2005 with blogs on MSN Spaces (I’m really dating myself here..), Tumblr, Blogger, and most recently Squarespace.

You can see my career credentials on my LinkedIn page here.


Where Are You From?

I hate answering this question simply because I’m not really sure what to say. I’ve spent time growing up, living, and working in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the United States, and the Philippines, which has led to a real crisis of where my “home” is.

When someone does ask where I am from, I reply with a scrunched-up look on my face that leads to even more conversations! This is why you will find me traveling a lot of the time because I can feel at home in any corner of the world. I’m a third culture kidwhat more can I tell you?


What Are You Known For?

What I am most known for are my travel adventures and expertise in the world of frequent flyer miles & points, sometimes referred to as ‘Travel Hacking’. I’ve redeemed around 2 million miles/points to date that has taken me all over the world, and in some cases, in absolute luxury for next to nothing.

Thanks to travel hacking, I have been mentioned on Conde Nast Traveler, Credit Karma, Million Mile Secrets, and CreditCards.com (1, 2).


Most Proud Of?

Hands down, the thing I am most proud of in my short life thus far is taking a sabbatical from my corporate career to solo backpack around the world and visit 21 countries in 13 months. That was the first time I have ever gone on a trip of that scale and as cliché as it sounds, I came back from it a different person. I accomplished my goal of circumnavigating the globe and then some!


How Do I Follow You?

Thanks for asking! You can find me on YouTube and Twitter with the same handle – @NicoAtienza and on Instagram (@heynico_com).