Leaving Room for Spontaneity

Jul 25

Souks of Marrakech — *Getting dressed by Moroccan women in the souks of Marrakech*

Most of you know I much prefer off the beaten path experiences to the typical tourist spots. I don’t pick places based on popularity or trends. I choose sights, sounds, and locations that draw me in and light me up.

Sure, I might be a professional travel planner, but I still always leave plenty of room for spontaneity. For me, that’s what travel is all about. I’m not afraid to get a little lost, and I’m always down for an adventure.

Sahara Desert Group Trip — *Playing with camels at sunset in the Sahara Desert*

Since early 2021, I bathed in mud on top of a volcano and swam with plankton in Colombia, celebrated Day of the Dead in a cemetery in Mexico City, rode a camel through the Sahara Desert in Morocco, and took a hot air balloon ride over the otherworldly landscapes of Cappadocia.

*Bathing in mud on top of a volcano in Cartagena, Colombia*

Pre-pandemic, I moved across the world and taught English to children in Spain, witnessed the devastation of hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, played with monkeys and sloths in Costa Rica, and spontaneously road-tripped with strangers to the most southern tip of Australia.

Laura at Great Ocean Road, Australia — *Great Ocean Road, Australia*

I crashed a quinceañera by myself with a Colombian family and a Kurdish wedding in Turkey. I got dressed and styled by a group of Moroccan women in the souks of Marrakech, and it’s a memory I’ll have for the rest of my life.

I’ve eaten things I never thought I would, like grasshoppers, kangaroo, and pig feet. Sure, some of these moments were semi-planned, but just as many were not. When you leave a little room for the unplanned and open yourself up to new opportunities, amazing things can happen.

Eating grasshoppers in Tulum — *Eating chapulines (grasshoppers) with new friends in Tulum, Mexico*

I’ve made friends I’ll have for a lifetime from all over the world because of this, and I’m so excited for my next adventures.

My only regret?

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧.

If this speaks to you and you want more authentic travel experiences but don’t know where to begin or just need a partner in crime, just know I’ll be here, and I’m all in.