Where I came from:
I’m a 32-year old American who has had a curiosity about traveling since long before I set foot in another country. I grew up in Seattle, Washington and spent most of my younger years traveling nearby in the Pacific Northwest, with jaunts to a few places elsewhere in the lower 48. I love my funky hometown and am thankful to have that special place in the world as my base.

My first international trip was a jolting tour of Japan with my high school orchestra when I was 17. I remember being awe-struck for those two weeks as I was immersed in such a foreign culture–just day one seeing the tiny vans drive on the other side of the road, eating a traditional meal in a mountain ryokan, and learning to use a squat toilet! I fell in love with seeing the world on that trip (and a Japanese bath in my dream house became a must). Since, I’ve traveled in Europe, Central America, the Middle East, and South Asia. In 2013, a six-month trip to Central America changed my life and converted me to a more serious traveler with the goal of life-long exploration of the world. Currently, I am living abroad in Fremantle, Western Australia. I am astounded every day by how much I learn living in a different culture and am loving life down under.

My travel ethos:
I believe traveling makes us all better people: getting out of our comfort zone and learning that there are different ways of doing things helps us be more tolerant, creative, curious, and open-minded. I value variety and visiting new challenging places. I think travel doesn’t have to be expensive to be life-changing. I also believe fun is of the utmost priority and you learn more with your fellow travelers than alone. So get out there, explore the world, meet new people, and adventure!

Where I’m going:
I recently spent six weeks in Nepal and India in March-April 2015, so will be writing about those adventures soon! For now, I’m happily digging into life in Australia and hope to explore more of this lovely fascinating country next.