Hillary
In September 2012, I got my first passport. I was 27, and leaving for my first trip to Ireland… in 9 hours. Prior to that, my international travel included Mexico, The Dominican Republic, and Canada (pre 9/11, when you could cross the Canadian border with a note from your mom… whether she wrote it or not). Quebec is an 18 minute drive from where I grew up, but it still counts. My adolescent ignorance had me believing my “international” travel was much broader with trips to the US Virgin Islands.
Since that time, as my second passport is rapidly filling, I have ventured to 30+ countries, across 5 continents, and added several US states and cities.
I have covered a lot of ground and seen a lot of things and done it in all the different ways: 4 to a room in DR, snagging $45 Spirit flights for a weekend in Florida, luxury (well, luxury-adjacent) Airbnb’s, guesthouses, resorts, all-inclusive, group travel, partner travel, solo travel, beach vacations, European travel, and a day trip to Africa; all on a variety of budgets and time allotment. I have gone on weekend getaway vacations and done months’ long European, Mexican, and South American travel, with everything in between.
I have gone from weekend trips and maxing out PTO, to traveling while working remote, and now a full time (willfully) unemployed and houseless nomad.
After quitting my job in November 2023, I got creative with ways to stretch my savings, while still doing the things I love and enjoy. Through a combination of house sitting, maintaining a mid-budget, and occasional “splurges”, I have found a way to explore the world and see and do so many things, while staying authentic to myself.
It is not always rainbows and butterflies, and sometimes this “dream” life isn’t such a dream, but: life is going to life, no matter where we are.
As my travels have evolved and changed, I have come to use travel blogs, posts, and social media more and more, and while they can be incredibly helpful and informative… I have found that they can also be very single-lens, rigid, off-base, or offer advice that has greatly varied from my own experience.
This is just a sharing of my experiences, a bit of advice, and overall take-it-or-leave it guide to travel.
Heavy on the food recommendations and pretty things; lite on history.
