So you may be curious about the theme of this blog, solo female travel. Well, the short answer is my Mom. But I guess that answer needs a little elaboration. In 2011, my mom and I were supposed to go on a cruise to Rome, the one place she had always wanted to visit ever since she was a little girl. We never got to go on that cruise though because my mom developed this horrible cough and she was later diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.

She died a year later and never realized her dream of visiting Rome. When she was gasping for breath in her final days, I saw a look of sorrow, regret, and disappointment in her eyes that still haunts me to this day. I knew I didn’t want that life; a life filled with “what if’s” and “if only’s”.

So, from that moment on, I decided to travel the world, not just for me, but for my mom. I wanted to live enough for the both of us and carry her in my heart so that she could experience all the things that she couldn’t see and do for herself.

So, here I am. A girl, okay woman, with a blog, who is just trying to help the world follow their dreams and avoid the eternal agony of living a life full of wasted time.

I can’t speak for anyone else (if I could I’de be insanely rich) but I have had a wicked case of wanderlust ever since I can remember. For some reason, I was never satisfied staying in one place and always wanted to see what was just around the corner (way before my mom got sick)

This part of the reason why I moved to South Korea and taught English for a year (my parents were not happy and convinced I was gonna be the next star of Taken). But somewhere along the life happened, my mom died, and I lost sight of who I am and what I love. I fell into the trap of going to school and working a job I hated because that’s what I thought everyone expected of me. Day in and day out my life consisted of getting up, going to work, and mundanely going through the motions to pay my bills and try and make a living in an insanely expensive part of the United States.

Then one day, I had enough. I thought of my mom and how she never got to Rome and I didn’t want that to be, so I started to travel alone. I didn’t travel with anyone because my friends didn’t have enough money or didn’t have enough time off, or just didn’t enjoy the things that I myself love (museums, nature, theater, architecture, ghost tours, restaurants, coffee, art, cafes, animals, dogs, hiking, etc. So hint, hint, these are the things you will find in my blog).

So rather than sit around and wait for other people, I started to travel alone scared (I was super scared and anxious since I suffer from Depression and Anxiety), and it was the best decision I ever made. Not only have I met inspiring, amazing people all across the globe, but I have learned so much about myself in the process.

See, I am naturally a people pleaser, so when I travel with someone, I always tend to try and do what makes them happy. Yet, when I began to travel solo, I was forced, for the first time, to look at myself and figure out who I really am and what I really love. For the first time in my life, I could be totally selfish and do all the things that I love. So join me, and see where my travels take me!

“Life’s Uncertain, Eat Dessert First” – my mom

(okay not really my mom but she loved this quote and dessert).

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