We first heard about Zach Horvath from one of our favorite Storytellers, Aaron King (@deepsnap). When someone as impressive and inspiring as Aaron tells you that he’s been impressed and inspired by someone, you have to sit up and pay attention. And that’s how we connected with Zach and invited him to share his story and his ethos with the Overland Expo Mountain West community.
Zach is the founder of LIVE A GREAT STORY, an adventure travel brand that outfits the modern adventurer on their hero’s journey. LIVE A GREAT STORY was founded when Zach embarked on a seven-month overseas adventure. Inspired by people he met and the realization that we’re all living our story and it’s up to each of us to write our own great story, Zach spray painted the now iconic phrase on a popular trail in Austin, TX. The mural is still there a decade later and has become a landmark for visitors and locals alike.
Zach brings a unique, dynamic, and exciting mode of storytelling and story sharing to the folks he interacts with, and we’re excited to have him host a LIVE A GREAT STORY workshop at Overland Expo Mountain West on Friday from 2-4 pm in the Storytelling Pavilion Sponsored by CVT. Zach will kick off the workshop with a short story of his own and perhaps another person’s, and then he’ll break up the audience into small groups where each person will have an opportunity to share their own story within a short timeframe (think of a TED talk, but even more compressed). We at Overland Expo are excited to create this space for community and meaningful connection within our event, and we’re so stoked for Zach to lead everyone in this experience.
Zach will be camped in our Creator Area for the duration of the event, so make sure you stop by to chat with him and check out some of LIVE A GREAT STORY’s apparel, stickers, and accessories that he’ll have available for sale there.
To learn more about Zach, keep reading below for our interview with him.
READ MORE: A Newcomer’s Guide to Overland Expo – Mountain West Edition 2024
Overland Expo: Overland Expo Tell us about your rig(s) or preferred mode(s) of travel.
Zach Horvath: My favorite type of travel is slow travel. Loose plans and the flexibility to wander wherever the road takes me. Sometimes this is a road trip, either by car or motorcycle, other times by boat, sometimes hitch hiking but whatever the mode, the goal is the same: take it slow, get lost, meet locals and see where the path leads.
Overland Expo: What is your all-time favorite campsite?
Zach Horvath: I have a go-to campsite right outside of Austin that’s always available for a quick city detox a few times a year. It’s located on private property that backs up to fresh, cool spring water running along one of Texas’s best riverbed views. My most memorable recent campsite was in Indonesia on a mountain ridge overlooking Mt. Rinjani. We got soaked in a surprise rainstorm, but it ended up being a blast.
Overland Expo: What’s your go-to camping/overlanding meal?
Zach Horvath: The staple: meat and veggie tacos with guacamole and salsa.
Overland Expo: What is your best silver lining story?
Zach Horvath: Last year I left on a trip with my girlfriend and we broke up while traveling in Vietnam. “Aww I’m sorry” is most people’s response and I always follow up with “It was one of the best choices of my life.”
Overland Expo: What is an area of adventure travel that you think you have nailed? And what is an area of travel that you feel you could use some improvement in?
Zach Horvath: I’ve nailed the go-with-the-flow element of adventure travel and choosing the more adventurous route when the choice is presented. I’ll sleep on the ground, hike through the night, follow-the-stranger while pushing myself for the experiences far out where most people stop short. I could do better at planning as often I miss places I didn’t know existed or just go too much with the flow and regret not scheduling sites or activities in hindsight.
