Before telling you a bit about my personal journey, I’ll explain why I started this travel blog. First and foremost, I love sharing my joy of travel and being what my friends fondly call “a ‘terrible’ travel influence” – that is, if you spend time chatting with me, you’ll end up ready to book your next trip (or maybe even inspired to quit your job and travel the world).

I hope this blog serves the same purpose!

I love experiencing and navigating new countries (usually flying solo). From surfing in Bali to chasing the northern lights in Iceland, I enjoy nothing more than passing along the best (and worst) of my travel experiences to help my friends and family get the most out of their international adventures. I finally decided to take a leap and extend my informal travel advising services beyond my inner circle – I’m excited to share my travel guides, recommendations, and tips with you.

Why “surfing around”? I’m an aspiring surfer who loves traveling to places where I can practice catching waves. I picked up surfing in my late twenties and I’m definitely still learning, but I’ve been to several surf camps around the globe and I’ve picked up a lot of know-how along the way. Inspired by the joy I get from surfing, I love helping others pursue their dreams of learning to catch waves.

---

Now, a little about me. Growing up in Austin, Texas, I fell in love with travel at the age of eight, when I had my first international excursion to France with my grandmother. Enthralled by the different culture, language, and historic sights, I promptly caught the travel bug and have had a passion for travel ever since.

Fast forward to 2022, when I’d made it through the worst of the global pandemic and had spent nearly two grueling years working on Wall Street. I’d lived and worked in multiple Latin American countries as well as in various major cities in the Northeastern US. I’d gone to graduate school and built a solid career foundation, but my love of travel had taken a backseat. Inspired by one of my first ever solo trips to a surf camp in the Dominican Republic, I quit my finance job and embarked on an epic adventure around the world.

During my whirlwind world tour, I spent two months surfing in Indonesia, came face-to-face with lions and elephants in Africa, hiked up mountains in Chilean Patagonia, and drank sangria on the beaches of Portugal. I made friends from all over the world and fell in love with solo travel. When I returned to the working world, I was determined to make travel a priority.

These days, I’m working a full-time role at a startup while finding ways to maximize my travel time. Sometimes my travels are brief weekend getaways to relatively close international locations, while other times they’re more immersive experiences spanning a week or two in faraway lands on my (very long) bucket list. Regardless, I’ve made sure to pave the way with my first-hand experiences in these global destinations, guaranteeing that you’ll know how to make the most of your future travels.

Ready to get inspired and plan your next epic international adventure? Take a read through my blog and let’s dive in.