Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog! My name is Maddie, and my goal for the past year has been to see as much of the world as possible. After traveling to 40 countries, I would say that I have achieved that goal. In 2022 and 2023, I have been on a mix of solo trips, trips with friends/family, and leading educational trips.
Navigating solo travel as a young woman can be daunting, so I will be sharing everything I wish I knew before starting my travels. In this first post, I wanted to introduce myself and my journeys around the world!
Studying abroad
Born in the United States, the extent of my travel growing up was within my own country and the occasional trip to Canada. It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I discovered my love for international travel. I spent my spring semester studying abroad in Lugano, Switzerland, and fell in love with the excitement and unpredictable experiences that traveling brought me.
As cliche as it may be, studying abroad really did change my life. I made like-minded friends, explored Europe, and learned how to navigate international travel during trying times (AKA the COVID pandemic). Every uncomfortable COVID test was worth it for an experience like this.
My first solo trip
In 2022, I took my first solo trip to New Zealand and Australia. This was a giant leap for me, but the confidence I gained from this experience is unmatched. I spent almost a month sleeping in hostels and hopping on buses with only a backpack. Since then, I have been on a few more solo trips, and I am excited to plan more soon.
Working abroad
After I graduated college, I worked hard for the opportunity to lead a college study abroad program. I spent two months in Rwanda and four months in Switzerland leading and mentoring college students. After that, I accepted a position working with CIEE to lead high school students in Singapore.
Starting my blog
In the one year since graduation, I have visited 5 continents. I have been able to do this on a budget and/or get paid to travel, and I will teach you how to do it too! The most important thing I have learned is that the world is much more attainable and much less scary than it may seem, especially as a young female solo traveler.
I hope you’re ready to follow along as I provide city guides, solo travel tips, and crazy stories that come along with budget travel. Learn about hostel etiquette, how to navigate public transportation, and making friends while traveling solo, to name a few. I can’t wait to inspire you as you begin your most exciting adventures!