Welcome! My name is Kristen. I, as you can tell, love to travel. I was lucky enough to study abroad during college in Athens, Greece, in the spring of 2023. However, I was a very home-bodied child, so this change came as a shock to most of my loved ones. Before my Greece adventure, I had only been out of the country twice—once to Canada (which we drove to, and I was young), and once to Namibia, Africa.

My trip to Namibia changed the trajectory of my life. My brother was living there at the time, working with the foundation my family’s nonprofit worked with.

Once I saw my brother living abroad and truly getting a taste of a different culture, I knew I wanted to see the world. I applied and emailed the study abroad office at my college, seeing if I could still get in for fall 2022, which would have had me leaving in three months. As we were leaving the beautiful country of Namibia, I got the email that I could be a part of the fall program in Greece. I did end up waiting until the next spring—it made more sense logistically.

I did it. I packed my bags, hugged my family, flew across the world to Europe, and started my study abroad semester. Let’s just say there was more “abroad” than studying happening! I planned and researched my way into exploring 15 European countries and 1 African country. It was truly such a special time in my life, being put in an environment surrounded by peers who shared the same drive and love of exploring the world.

From this experience, I learned that I loved getting to live in a country rather than simply visit. It provided a local perspective versus that of a tourist. Also, being so close to so many other amazing places to travel to for cheaper was a score. Once I finished college, I didn’t have a job locked down and decided that that was an opportunity to leave the country again. I looked into different opportunities and found teaching abroad. Now, I did not study to be a teacher, but I did know I loved kids. I looked into both the Spain program and the Thailand program. Having lived in Europe before, I wanted to challenge myself and discover Asia.

Come October 2024, I packed two bags and moved to Samut Sakhon, Thailand. I signed on for six months and ended up extending for a full year. This experience challenged me in ways I cannot even express. In the beginning months, there were many times I wanted to come home. Thailand was the most foreign place I had ever experienced. I pushed myself, and man oh man, am I glad I did. I now have lifelong memories I will cherish forever. I made relationships with so many different people who touched my heart.

My time living in Thailand was work-focused, which I appreciated. I did find time to travel during holidays and long weekends—thank you, Buddhism, for having many holidays! I traveled to nine different Asian countries and one Oceania country.

In my 24 years of living, I have now traveled to 29 countries. In each country, I journal. I like to write about the things I observe and feel. This blog is not so much a “what to do” tourist checklist—it is more about the experience of visiting each country. Plus all the photos are taken by me(or of me ha!)! The sense that the places we visit are not just sights on a map, but homes to people just like me and you. That the places you step foot in are the places people step foot in each day to get to work or to visit their grandmothers.

I have an adventurous heart and a kind soul, simply documenting my travels and sharing a piece of them with the world—because it has shared so much with me.

I would love for you to follow along on my journey, and I hope it inspires you to take a step toward something in your life—even if it is not to travel, but to act, to do. No more waiting around. Book that trip, write that book, apply for that job. If I have learned anything from all my travels, it is that life is short, life is not that serious, and life is yours.

So do. Act. Make a change.

I mean… what are you waiting for? Why not now?