DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE?
Yes! at The Florida State University, I graduated with two bachelor's degrees, Criminology and International Affairs, August 2017
WHEN DID YOU START TRAVELING?
The summer of 2014 i went on a mission trip to Cat Island Bahamas, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the small island and the kindness of the locals. While in college I would drive as far as a tank of gas would take me. Some times people would think I was somewhere far away, but in reality I was close by exploring. Honestly, living in Florida is a dream, there's so many natural springs, cute towns and hidden gems.
WHY DID YOU CREATE A TRAVEL BLOG?
For starters, I have so many pictures and experiences I want to share. However, I understand not everyone would like to see it on their feed. This platform is for people who enjoy traveling and genuinely want a better insight into what goes on. I also created this as a way to always keep my travels accessible to my future self and others. What if one day my social accounts are deleted or inaccessible? I want to preserve as much of my twenties as possible.
WHY DID YOU QUIT YOUR JOB TO TRAVEL?
As much as I enjoyed working for my company, I needed something else in my life. Retail is not my passion nor career path, my need to see the world outweighed my desire to keep working. Instead I began teaching English in Thailand to experience a new culture and explore South East Asia.
HOW DO YOU AFFORD TO TRAVEL?
I love this question, it's one many people ask me.
BEFORE leaving: I graduated college with ZERO debt, I saved money, paid off my car and most of my credit cards. Reoccurring bills will eat at your finances when traveling without incoming money. I also decreased spending on eating and going out, little things go a long way.
WHILE abroad: I try my best to eat locally, avoiding fast food restaurants. Every once in a while i'll treat myself to a nice sit down restaurant. Every paycheck I got from teaching English I would take money and put it towards rent/ utilities, the rest would be saved. when I left Thailand with over a thousand dollars! on top of what I already had in my savings. That might not seem like a lot in America, but in SE Asia that's more than enough if you can budget. I also stay in hostels as cheap as $3 a night instead of hotels or airbnb's. I've slept in some questionable places but on the bright side i'm saving money I could use for an experience. Workaway is also a great tool to use for free accommodation, you basically volunteer in exchange for a place to sleep and sometimes free meals.
DO YOU TRAVEL SOLO? DO YOU RECOMMEND IT?
While I lived in Thailand i would travel with friends or go off on my own, as of now I travel solo. I would recommend it completely, I have grown as a person and realized I have more strength than I previously thought. Solo travel isn't for everyone, but waiting around for friends to join me is also not in my plans.
WHAT CAMERA DO YOU USE? WHO TAKES YOUR PHOTOS IF YOU TRAVEL SOLO?
I use my Gopro Hero 4 Silver or my IPhone 6! I wish I had a Sony DSLR but unfortunately my finances didn't allow it. I have a mini tripod and I downloaded the Gopro Quik app to use my phone as a remote. Sometimes i'll ask random people to take my pictures if I want to be in them, but for the most part, I take my own.