I have been considering writing about my travels for a while, but at first, couldn't really decide necessarily what I wanted it to be about. How could I couple together all of the experiences and stories from my travels with what I capture from behind the lens while also creating a focus to do something that could help and assist other travelers?
I am a serial wanderer. I can never get comfortable in one place for long and I am extremely inspired by the world around me and connecting with people from all different backgrounds and cultures/sub-cultures. This has caused traveling to become one of my biggest passions in life. I have always had crazy experiences and stories on each of my journeys, and I often get asked about them. However, I didn't want to create a blog with the intention of it being self focused. Then I embarked on my crazy, spiritual, and adventuresome journey and I always get asked so many questions about how I got to this point. How I decided to do it, what I've been doing, where I've been staying, how I have the funds. These are all things that could potentially help other travelers and that's what I want to share!
Traveling is not always easy. It takes a lot of time, preparation, planning, and sometimes a lot of funds to create the experience. However, all of that is part of the fun of traveling for me. Creating the idea and then executing it! One of the things that has always made my travels and experiences so positive is because I really appreciate and seek out local insight. I want to know where the locals eat, where they hike, what they like to do. I want to see every place for what it really is. This has shaped a lot of my experiences and I have been wanting to pay that forward for others because sometimes there are so many options, that it can make planning overwhelming!
So how did I begin this journey? Anyone who knew me as a kid or teenager would not tell you that they expected me to turn out this way. As an adult, I became a bit of a nomad and wanderer. It was hard for me to stay long in one place, commit to doing one thing for too long, and I always had a deep fascination for exploring the world. Being an outdoors enthusiast, I am always looking to constantly put myself in nature and have found that I am inspired by almost every type of environment there is! I have been extremely fortunate to have spent the last year traveling continuously.
My non-stop travels started nearly right after I graduated from college. When I moved back home and left my college town on the East Coast, I realized that there was so much of the world I wanted to see and hike. I started off by traveling 7700 miles around the United States and visiting as many national parks around the states as I could. The experience, to say the least, was incredible and I couldn't stop there! In January, I traveled to Hawaii, and then roadtripped around Iceland in May. How did I have the time and money? I worked extremely hard at a job and saved every bit of my money for traveling. Some people use their spending money to go out, some save it for new clothes or the new iPhone. All of my savings go to travel. As I traveled more and more, the hungrier I became. It became more difficult to take the time off from work to travel and I realized what I really needed was unlimited time. To get to stay somewhere for as long as it felt right and truly experience the place. Obviously, we don't get that time very easily. So I gave up a lot of important things in my life: important relationships, a life I was used to and one that was starting to become comfortable.
When I travel, I am always behind the camera. I really love to try and catch the beautiful essence of each place I visit, show how beautiful the world around us is. I took my camera, put on my hiking boots and embarked on one of the most epic and amazing road trips I could have ever imagined. So here's to sharing the beginning of the journey! Where I will create a traveler's guide and share experiences from the places I went, the things I did, the places I hiked, and my opinions and thoughts about all of it. At the end of the day, my intention is to share my experiences and the gems I have found while traveling with others! There's a lot of information out there. It can be overwhelming to do hours of research and difficult to navigate through all of the travel planning websites, blogs, and maps. This is to help others and provide insight on unique and different things to do, affordable ways to travel, and a place for me to share my passion for hiking with other travelers looking to experience the outdoors. Because I stay with so many locals, I am so lucky to find out about so many incredible things around the areas that I visit! Come on the journey with me and see things from my eyes.
