A Background of ME: Where I've Been & My Travel Style

I've been backpacking around since 2013 so fairly recently! I have visited a total of 16 countries so far in this little life of mine. If you read my first post, I first experienced traveling (not vacationing) when I went to Brazil and HOLY SMOKES, that was an eye opener. I was 18 years old, didn't even know what a visa was and had a lot to learn about how others lived, worked and navigated the world.

I made the terrible mistake of packing suitcases (which are NOT fun to drag down cobblestone roads or through sand!) and truly didn't know how to pack lightly or intelligently. I looked great and had tons of options for outfits, but I definitely learned that hauling around two suitcases was not the best idea for long term travel. (I hope to share some of my packing lists with you later on!) Psst.. buy yourself a backpack if you haven't already!

Botanical Gardens - Rio De Janeiro June 2013

Since then, I have had this travel bug that hasn't slowed down. I finally tried on the backpacking lifestyle when my friend and I decided to head to Costa Rica & Panama in 2014 where we stayed in hostels, took sweaty buses and figured out how to cross borders on our own. I was 19 & loved to drink and party and at the time; those blurry days/nights seemed like the best parts of the trip - AND STILL ARE! I have a distinct memory of renting bicycles in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica pedalling down the highway, drinking beer, and listening to some rad music with a group of about 25 of us. We found a beach no one else was at, drank, splashed in the water and connected with one another all day. The only BAD thing about this whole memory is that I was a dummy and completely forgot to apply sunscreen ALL DAY.... IN THE CARIBBEAN. Needless to say, I had a burn so bad, that putting my pack on my shoulders for the next four weeks was not an easy experience.

Bocas Del Toro - Panama - June 2014

In 2015, I took a three month trip to beautiful South East Asia. Since it was a place I really didn't know much about and I was travelling solo, I figured it would be good to have someone looking out for me SO I booked in with a travel group called Free & Easy. This is a GREAT idea for anyone who is hesitant because they did ALL of the tough work - border crossings, bus reservations, hostel and guest house bookings - I just simply arrived and enjoyed the itinerary! (Check out their wicked trips HERE!)

I backpacked, stayed in guest houses, ate like a queen, got a massage nearly every second day and really experienced as much as I could! It was the first time I left for longer than 5 weeks and I discovered that around that time, I felt a bit homesick. Looking back, I think it was because I had this mentality that I had to do EVERYTHING and that I had to keep up with the group.

---In Thailand I rode in tuk tuks, took a cooking class, snuggled tigers (on that note... read more HERE about ethical sanctuaries), danced the night away at many beaches and went on a jungle trek.

---In Laos, I kayaked down rivers, tried banana leaf vodka, explored caves and went to a jungle party.

---In Cambodia, I wandered through Ankor Wat, partied on Pub Street in Siem Reip, learned about the Cambodian Genocide, ate loads of yummy street food & checked out local markets.

---In the Philippines, I jumped off of cliffs, snorkelled, laid on the beautiful beaches in El Nido & Borocay, went on cave and boat tours, explored the Mall of Asia (and, being Canadian, thoroughly enjoyed seeing a hockey rink for the first time in months there!).

The reality of long term travel is that you need to take days off. Hang by the pool at your hostel, sleep in, read a book, lay & watch Netflix - whatever keeps you feeling a bit more like YOU! Travelling long term is challenging in itself, so be kind to yourself and take those days off when you need them.

Feeding elephants during our 3 day jungle trek in Chiang Mai, Thailand

I took a couple of years off of backpacking (no idea why, it just happened that way and I felt like I couldn't) but got right back into it when I went to Indonesia in March of 2018. My love for South East Asia is undeniable and I couldn't wait to venture back there. It was awesome being back when I was a bit older (well, three years later) where my priorities weren't to find the best beach party, but to just explore, enjoy, relax and discover new things with my boyfriend at the time.

Snorkeling in Gili Trawangan, Indonesia

Most recently, I wanted to head back to Central America. It's a bit odd to say, but I feel like in a past life I must have been latin and so exploring latin-based countries, I truly feel at home. It's such an odd feeling, but I relish in it.

It was only a quick two weeks of backpacking, but it felt good to escape the cold Canadian winter for a while (it was -35 degrees here for over a month, believe it or not!) It was loads of fun to explore the country with my friend, Tori, who hadn't travelled to countries that cost less than $20 a day to live. I remember when we were chatting about it, she talked about the budget of a night at a hostel in Central America and said "okay so it should be around $30-$45 a night hey?" and I laughed and responded, "more like $6-$15 a night! Welcome to Central America!" She couldn't believe the cost of living here was so much less than her own European and Australian backpacking experiences.

Volcano Boarding in Leon Nicaragua

When you travel, you meet so many different people and personality types. I have met many people that I just click with instantly and you can get along with so easily. Having said that, there are definitely people you cross paths with and struggle to connect with. I've realized a few things about myself along the way about my travel style & type:

1. I can stay in hostels BUT I need them to be relatively clean. I don't enjoy places that have visible mould, where you shower with snakes or toads or where the bug nets have holes in them.

2. I am open to couch surfing but haven't done that... yet! I am hesitant as a solo female traveller of where I lay my head at night but it's something I hope to experience as I move forward!

3. I love street food, I buy my own groceries but I also love treating myself to a restaurant meal once in a while.

4. I drink fairly casually. Nothing beats a beer on the beach at sunset and pool hopping parties are SO much fun. In comparison to how I used to travel when I was younger, my intentions have definitely changed but I still enjoy a good party once in a while!

5. I am super picky with my excursions! I won't spend $30 to go on a 5-minute slingshot ride in Kuta, Bali but I will spend $30-$50 on an half-day, lunch included jungle top excursion in Brazil. If anything, I am more frugal with excursions than anything else when I travel.

6. I am a beach bum and can lay around all day reading and napping. On the other hand, I also love learning new things at museums (bonus points if they are discounted OR free!). I am an adrenaline junkie but can also be super casual.

7. I don't buy souvenirs, only things that I feel I will actually use in the future. For example, I have a set of adorable sugar spoons I found in Brazil or I have a set of gorgeous wooden salad utensils from Indonesia. No funky magnets here!

Hopefully this gives you a bit of insight into who I am, how I travel and how you can connect (or not) to what I am doing and what my plans are for the years ahead!

Stay wild,

T