Matt Hammerle
Matt Hammerle is from Brownsburg, Indiana and studied finance and Spanish at Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). After graduating, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio before the COVID pandemic prompted a quarter-life crisis (is that a thing?) which led to him pursing his dream of living in Seville, Spain, where he had previously studied for a semester, and following his passion for education and working with youth. In Seville, Matt has spent the last two years working as an English teacher in a public high school and in a private English academy. While this will be Matt’s first trip with Global Works, he is an experienced traveler having been on solo and group trips to 28 different countries. His most memorable trips were a month-long backpacking trip in SE Asia, a road trip through Iceland, and an 1,800-mile solo bike ride across Spain. His favorite aspects of travel are constantly being pushed out of his comfort zone, learning more about different cultures, sampling the local cuisine, and making lifelong friends with locals and fellow travelers. Matt’s motivation to lead trips is to help students develop a lifelong curiosity for the world and to challenge students to embrace the unknown and uncomfortable. When he’s not traveling (or planning his next trip), you can find him either cooking, reading a great book over a cup of coffee, or sitting in a sunny plaza hanging out with his friends.
Where did you grow up?
Brownsburg, Indiana
Where do you call home now?
Seville, Spain
Year started at Global Works?
2023
What’s something you can’t live without while you are traveling?
My Kindle or a small book. I’m always looking for the perfect spot to relax with a good book.
Tell us about a favorite memory from a trip you have taken
My favorite memory is getting temporarily stranded on a beach in a rural part of Thailand with my two best friends. We had unknowingly missed the last ride back into town for the night. Luckily, we found a local restaurant owner that was willing to drive us back if we waited until she closed the restaurant. In the meantime, she served us drinks and curry as we watched the sunset.
Where is your favorite place you have traveled to?
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Fun fact, special talent, or favorite memory
A fun fact is this past summer I did a solo bike trip across Spain that stretched 1,800 miles over 40 days.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy cooking, reading, spending time with my friends, and staying active anyway I can whether it be through sports, yoga, hiking, cycling, etc.
What languages do you speak?
English and Spanish (and just enough Italian to order an espresso)
If you had to give one piece of advice or words of encouragement to someone on their first travel experience, what would it be?
Go in with an open mind and be ready to learn! Additionally, even the best travel experiences are filled with ups and downs. Luckily, the ups are incredibly fun and the downs make the best travel stories afterwards!