When I first started traveling, I was a classic over-packer. I remember standing in my New York City apartment, staring at a massive suitcase that felt like it weighed more than I did. I was worried I wouldn’t have the right outfit for a rainy day in London or a sudden dinner invitation in Paris….
When I left my office job in New York, my life literally fit into a single, oversized suitcase. I thought I was being “prepared.” In reality, I was just making myself miserable. I spent my first month in Europe dragging that heavy, rattling plastic shell over uneven cobblestones, sweating through my coat, and feeling like…
When I was working my first office job back in New York, I remember staring at the clock, waiting for 5:00 PM to roll around so I could go home and dream about the places I wasn’t allowed to visit. I had a limited number of vacation days and a very rigid routine. I spent…
There is a very specific kind of sinking feeling that hits you the moment the baggage carousel stops moving, the lights dim, and your suitcase is nowhere to be seen. I remember standing in an airport in Europe during my first big solo backpacking trip. I was tired, I was hungry, and suddenly, I was…
I remember sitting in a tiny, crowded cafe in Bangkok during my first month teaching English abroad. I had my entire life—my passport, my emergency cash, and my backup credit card—stuffed into a loose side pocket of my backpack. Every time a motorbike roared past or a stranger bumped my shoulder, my heart would jump…
When I first left my office job in New York, the thought of being sick in a foreign country was one of my biggest fears. I remember sitting at my desk, staring at a spreadsheet, wondering how I would manage if I suddenly felt unwell in the middle of a trip. Would I know where…
When I was living in New York City, working as a sightseeing guide, I spent my days talking to people who were visiting the Big Apple for the first time. They were usually a mix of wide-eyed wonder and nervous energy. I remember one woman from Ohio—she was about to take her first-ever solo trip…
There was a moment in my life—back when I was still working that soul-crushing office job in New York—where I thought traveling the world was something only “other” people did. People who had a secret manual on how to navigate the globe without everything falling apart. When I finally took the leap and left that…
When I was working as a sightseeing guide in New York City, I spent my days surrounded by thousands of people. I learned quickly that the biggest danger to travelers isn’t always the grand, dramatic scenarios people imagine—it’s the small, subtle ways our guard can slip when we’re overwhelmed by a new city. Back then,…