I’m Kelly, I’m 27 years old, and I’m a travel blogger.
And no, I’m not the “quit my job, sold my car, and bought a one way ticket” type of travel blogger. Truth be told, throughout high school and college I always dreamed that I would one day become that type of travel blogger.
I fantasized about the day I would jet off into a new life, mused over the exotic cities I would call home, and envisioned a life without ties on the open road.
But in the midst of all of my fanciful daydreaming, the most unexpected series of events occurred: I fell in love, graduated from college, accepted a marketing position in an amazing city, and moved into a cute downtown apartment with my long-term boyfriend fiance husband.
Before I could say “au revoir”, I realized that my dreams had been dashed. I had begun planting roots, and those roots made me happy.
I was excited for the future of my career, and I enjoyed the stability (and okay, the paycheck) that my job offered me. And above all, I was thrilled to be starting this new chapter with the love of my life; especially given that much of our relationship during college had been long-distance. Now that we were finally living in the same city, I couldn’t imagine the thought of leaving him for a year…or two years…or forever.
I loved the life I had….and those dreams of a long-term nomadic lifestyle no longer felt like they belonged to me.
But still – I needed travel in my life, and I needed it urgently. I needed culture, adventure, excitement, and uncertainty. I needed to explore the world, see the sights, meet new people, and understand myself better in the process.
Would it be possible to bring these visions to life while balancing a steady job, a steady boyfriend, and a “normal” lifestyle?
I know that there may be many people out there in similar situations – dreaming of seeing the world and experiencing foreign cultures, and wondering if they have to abandon the things and people they love most in order to fulfill those dreams.
And for that reason, I am very happy to tell you that it IS possible to have both.
With careful planning, budgeting, and prioritizing, it is possible to have both adventure and stability, love and independence, and excitement and normalcy.
I am, in every sense of the word, a “normal ” millennial woman. I have a job, an apartment, bills to pay, a dog, friends in the city I live in, and a husband I love more than anything.
But travel is my passion, and therefore it is a priority.
Despite my normalcy, I am determined to live a life of adventure and culture – whether that means backpacking Thailand or Colombia for two weeks, vacationing in Mexico for a long weekend, or museum-hopping in my city’s arts district.
This blog is the story of my endeavor to balance a “normal” lifestyle with an adventurous spirit. My hope is that my travels and stories will inspire others to see more of the world, without feeling required to give up the comforts of home in the process.
Because if someone like me can achieve their wildest travel dreams, so can anyone else.
New to The Wandering Blonde? Start here!
When I first wrote the above “About Me” page, I had no idea what this blog would become or where it would take me. I began my blogging journey in February 2015, fresh out of university and busy putting in the hours at my first “real” job.
I started this blog as a promise to myself – a promise to go on all the adventures I had always dreamed of, even if it meant squeezing in trips here and there with my limited vacation days. But between the time that I hit “publish” on my first blog post and the present moment, I’ve realized an even better way to live out my dreams of balancing travel with a “normal” life.
Within that period of time, I “quit” my job (stumbling into the world of remote work in the process) to travel for 3 months in Central America; came home from my trip and actually quit that first job to become a travel agent; lasted 3 months in that profession before quitting that job too; and all the while was working quietly and tirelessly on building my freelance writing career behind the scenes.
As of January 2017, I now work 100% remotely as a full-time freelance copywriter, content marketer, and social media strategist.
And it’s not just the “work from anywhere” perks that drew me to this career path; I genuinely love what I do! Technically speaking, I could take my work on the road and work anywhere I’d like… but truthfully, that doesn’t happen all that often.
Because while I AM location-independent, I am NOT – and will never be – a digital nomad. What I wrote all those years ago remains true: I like balancing travel with my “normal” life at home…and I imagine that will always be true.
To learn more about where I’ve been over the years, head over to my Destinations page.
Posts about me and my journey as a traveler, blogger, and remote worker:
- I Told My Boss I Was Quitting My Job to Travel, and This is What Happened
- How to Find Your Perfect Balance Between Travel and “Normal” Life
- The Introvert’s Guide to Solo Travel
- Just Go: On Travel, Anxiety, and Mindfulness
- “You’re SO Lucky!” – The Thing About Travel and Privilege
Want to start your own travel blog? I’ve written about that, too!
Special travel interests:
Favorite destinations (SO hard to pick, but I did my best!):
I really love the way you write – I’ll be definitely coming back to read more! Especially as it seems we have quite a few things in common, traveling despite having a ‘normal’ life among them. Looking forward to checking out your next post already!
Thank you so much–this made my day to hear! Looking forward to keeping up with your blog as well.
This is a beautiful start! I can relate to what you feel about being normal and wanting to travel at the same time, although I am not as young as you are, but still I know how it feels when wanderlust kicks you in the butt and your itchy feet won’t stop itching. You just gotta scratch it. 🙂 Keep on blogging and safe travels!
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I feel like a lot of people struggle with balancing travel and daily schedules. Safe travels to you too!
Hello there Kelly! Thanks for following our blog and introducing us to yours. And reading your intro resonates with us. We’re married, have full time jobs (well at least one of us does at the moment), we have a mortgage, we LOVE travel and so we make it happen. “Normal life” doesn’t have to get in the way and people like you and us prove that it is possible. As lovely as it is to throw it all in and travel full-time, there are things we know we will miss…. so until we are ready to let those things go, we will keep on with the part-time travel. It works for us 🙂
Happy travels and happy “normal life” 🙂 Can’t wait to get ideas from you!
Hi Kelly! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog 😀
Your blog is very cool and I love your photos!
I hope we can keep in touch!
Happy travels,
Allane
Hi Allane! Thanks so much, I love your blog as well and am looking forward to reading more of your stories!
You’re welcome Kelly 😀 and thank you, I’m happy to know that!
I feel exactly the same, and in a very similar situation! I love travel, but I actually also love having a fixed life, someplace I can call home, a new city to get to know (just moved to Melbourne with my boyfriend), maintaining a relationship and friendships and have a constant battle between eating out alllll the time, travelling and paying my utility bills haha.
I really love your piece about your Southwestern Road Trip, would you be interested in writing a guest post about things to see on a SW road trip for my blog? Email me if you’re interested 🙂 – hellowanderbug@gmail.com
Genevieve xx
Yeah, I feel like a lot of people can relate to feeling like they’re being torn in multiple directions when it comes to travel and spontaneity vs. stability. And thank you, I would love to! I’ll send you an email today! 🙂
Hi Kelly!
Like so many others, I just wanted to say how much I love the idea of this blog! I too always dreamt of spending my life hopping from living in one amazing city to the other. But for a mixture of reasons – amazing group of friends and flatmates, close family, and of course, a well paid job – living abroad has never actually happened to me. It hasn’t stopped me travelling though – 5 countries last year, coming up for 4 this year – and it’s so great to read about someone else living life this way! I look forward to reading more from you 🙂
Kat
Thank you Kat! I think that its something a lot of people can definitely relate too. Good for you for keeping up with the travel dream! 🙂 Looking forward to sharing more stories with you!
So fun! I love your mindset! It’s so hard to fit a travel lifestyle into a the demands of a “normal” life, but if we make it a priority, it can be a reality! And I love that we have both started our travel blogs at the same time. New travel bloggers unite! 🙂
Hooray for traveling and full-time jobs at the same time!
Yes!! Travel + money from job = good things!
Hi Kelly. I ended up on your blog via Lucy’s blog and I love it! 🙂 I feel the same about traveling, I don’t think I would want to give up my steady job and sell everything I own to travel full time. We’re supposed to relocate to Houston next year in August. The only things I am worried about so far are the cultural differences and the hot weather 😉
Greetings!
Thank you so much! I just checked out your blog as well–I’m definitely interested in reading more from you! That’s so interesting that you’re moving to Houston–I’ll be looking forward to seeing how that transition goes! Houston is a fun, lively city but it may take some getting used to, and the heat really IS as bad as they say so just mentally prepare yourself for that 🙂 Interestingly enough, I’m taking my first trip to Germany this summer and I’m SO excited. My family is German (well really its only 1/4 of my heritage, but somehow it always seems to overshadow the rest haha) so I can’t wait to see the country there.
Oh wow. If you need any insider tips or help regarding your German trip let me know (I’m Bavarian and know the most beautiful spots in the mountains) 😉
Safe travels and happy blogging
Hi Kelly, nice to meet you. I see you’ve managed to pack quite a bit of travelling into your “ordinary” life 🙂
I know it’s been 2 months since you pushed the follow button on our blog. Sorry I’ve taken so long to get back to you. Thank you so much for following. I hope you enjoy the stories of our journey. And don’t be a stranger – feel free to join the conversation.
Cheers,
Alison
Hi Alison! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 I love catching up with the stories on your blog, they’re always super inspiring! I will definitely continue reading!
Hello, I wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. I am that type of traveler who sold everything back in the States and now just bounces from country to country for a year or how ever long I feel like it. I usually don’t like travel blogs from people who don’t actually live the traveler life. However, your blog has been a great surprise. I think it’s because you’re not trying to pretend like you do live in these places and know everything about them. You strike a perfect balance between traveler and tourist. Well done.
Thanks so much, Sierra! That’s a great compliment!
I really enjoy your blog, Kelly. Keep up the good work xx
Thanks Christina!! 🙂
Love your blog! Very natural writing style. Nice to see someone else traveling while maintaining a job and laying down some roots! Looking forward to seeing your future adventures!
Thanks so much Erin!!
Kelly, I just stumbled upon your blog and I love it. Yes you can have a partner, home, a job and travel the world too. This is a inspiration. I wish you the best and look forward to following your journey.
Thank you so much Kara!!
Absolutely loving the introduction to your blog here! I’ve been living abroad for the past 2 and a half years now, but I’ve always had a home base. I’ve never been the “drop everything and live out of a suitcase forever” type. It’s just too stressful for me. After this year, my plan is to return home and start yet another location-dependent lifestyle, only this time a more permanent one. So happy to see that people like you are still making travel a priority and making it “work!” It’s so inspiring and helps me see that I can do it too!
Thanks Lauren! It’s definitely important for me to have the best of both worlds: travel and adventure, plus stability and the comforts of home. Call me greedy, but it works for me 😉
Hi Kelly! I’ve just stumbled across your blog and it’s wonderful! I love how you are able to balance a normal life with a more adventurous one. Like you, I have always had the urge to travel, but have realised that backpacking for long periods of time would make me uncomfortable because I like having a home and stability amid all of the adventures. I also fell in love whilst at college and he is my very best friend in the world. However, he is very much a homebody, I have been greatly saddened by the internet telling me that I cannot have a loving relationship and pursue my dreams at the same time because I don’t want to give up on one. But you have given me so much hope! I’ve currently spent the past year living in a different country and he has supported me through all of that so I only hope that I will be able to balance my life like you have with yours in the future.
Thank you so much for letting me see that this is possible. Happy travels! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words! Like you, I also felt discouraged by what seemed like the entire internet telling me to choose travel over my boyfriend. Not sure what kind of relationships those people were in, but clearly they were nothing like mine (or yours) because I could never bring myself to do that! Good luck with everything, safe travels!
Hi Kelly! I love your blog so much and have used several of the Thailand tips for an upcoming trip I’m taking with my boyfriend.
From a practical standpoint, how do you balance travel with a full time job? I work full time and have limited vacation but traveling is also a huge passion of mine so I am curious if you have any advice / what your secret is!
Thank you!
Hey! Thanks so much for the kind words. I think this post that I wrote a while back should have some answers for you that could be helpful, and it’s a lot more in-depth than I can answer here 🙂
hello. i ran thru your blog and is very inspiring. i love the way you have the pictures and every story behind it. i am from nicaragua, where the island with 2 volcanoes, Ometepe is. i would love to create my own blog but cant find it how. id like to share my stores of travel as well. Fee free to email me.
Nicely put! I can relate, I am in a similar situation.
Thanks for sharing!
Hannah T. recently posted…Where to eat in Barcelona
We live very parallel lives! I moved in with my long term boyfriend, now fiancé and love to travel in my free time! I love your blog and hope to one day grow mine like you did yours!
That’s awesome! I love hearing from people who pursue their travel dreams on their own terms.
Hi Kelly,
My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.
I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog The Wandering Blonde has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 100 Solo Travel Blogs on the web.
http://blog.feedspot.com/solo_travel_blogs/
I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 100 Solo Travel Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!
Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.
Best,
Anuj
Hi Anuj,
Thank you so much, I’m honored to be included! I will definitely check out the list and share with my followers!
Cheers!
Kelly
Hi Kelly
I came across with your website on Pinterest and decided to share one of your pin and take a look what’s behind there. It is good to see young people who still have some sense of duty and responsibility in regards to our western civilization, heritage and posterity, instead of throwing it all away for the sake of adventure lust and me-me-me mindset that seems so common among some bloggers. I refer to statistics that show European Americans will become minority in two or three decades if birthrates keep plummeting and current demographic change continues.
You are probably too young to have interest on my niche in wellness and integrative medical travels, but if you like, check it out. Sooner or later someone you love or know will become chronically ill either from vaccines, or other poisons we are exposed daily or simply by aging and it’s good to have some tips in hand.
Best regards
Tuukka – Medical Travelling
Medical Travelling recently posted…5 Principles of Medical Travelling
Hey Kelly!!!
My name is Josiah and I am a 23 year old, originally from Toronto Canada but I actually grew up all over the world. I am on a mission to travel the world for the next 3-5 years and share that journey with people through a daily VLOG. The purpose of my VLOG is to break misconceptions and stigmas around traveling and show people the reality of it – both the good and the bad. I think there is a lot of fear around traveling that is based out of ignorance so I want to share my experiences with those who are not privileged enough to do so – to either inspire people to follow their dreams or to allow people who are not as privileged as me a glimpse of our wonderful world. Anyway, I have been checking out your blog and you have some posts that have similar subject matter to my VLOGs and I was wondering if you would want to embed my video in your blog post! I think it would allow people to have a visual as well as your more descriptive information written word! Feel free to check out my short videos on YouTube – the channel is “grae matter”. If you think it would be a good fit let me know! I look forward to connecting and hope you have an awesome day! All the best, Josiah.
Randomly found the blog, love it. You write really well and it’s very interesting. Keep it up!
Thanks for dropping in, Stewart!
Do you have an instagram?? Would love to follow!
Great blog! Looking forward to the future when we can all visit the most amazing places again. Stay safe.