We each hold our own definition of adventure. Here, I dedicated to all the moments stepped out of a comfort zone. Stories, places, and situations that pushed limits, whether physically or mentally. Here's to overcoming barriers. One second of bravery can lead to a lifetime of adventure.
A Complete Guide to Road Tripping Western Scotland
A COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPPING SCOTLAND’S WESTERN HIGHLANDS I can’t pinpoint the exact moment Scotland piqued my interest. Maybe it was a picture of a highland cow on Instagram, or a tip from a fellow traveler on the natural…
Seven Rad Things to Do Around Melbourne, Australia
SEVEN RAD THINGS TO DO AROUND MELBOURNE Melbourne is one of the few places I’ve visited twice. In a world of new adventures, I often opt to visit new places instead of returning to old destinations. However, thanks to an…
Nine Incredible & Unique Places to Stay in the United States
NINE INCREDIBLE AND UNIQUE PLACES TO STAY IN THE UNITED STATES Walhalla Treehouse, South Carolina If there is a place in the United States that perfectly combines adventure, romance, and luxury, it’s the Walhalla Treehouse. If there is anything in…
A Solo Hike Up New Zealand’s Gertrude Saddle
A SOLO HIKE UP NEW ZEALAND’S GERTRUDE SADDLE Around dawn, I peeked my head out from the thin blanket I had spread across myself in the backseat of my compact rental car. The night had lingered in the mid-40s,…
The Ultimate Guide to Free Camping
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FREE CAMPING 1. Free campsites Yes, there are actual camping areas designed specifically for free camping. Don’t expect anything fancy, as 9/10 times the campsite will include nothing but a fire area, but you usually find…
Lost in Translation: Why We Thought We Were Being Robbed in Colombia
LOST IN TRANSLATION: WHY WE THOUGHT WE WERE BEING ROBBED IN COLOMBIA As I packed up the last of my belongings at our Colombian mansion I couldn’t help but think how smoothly the trip had gone despite the many…
12 Gifts Every Adventurer Will Love
12 GIFTS EVERY ADVENTURER WILL LOVE 1. Airbnb Gift Card ($50-$100) Travelers like to stay in unique places. Something more thrilling than the local Hampton Inn. What better gift than a gift of experience? Airbnb is a home-rental site…
The Four Weirdest Places We’ve Slept While Traveling
THE FOUR WEIRDEST PLACES WE’VE SLEPT WHILE TRAVELING I’m sorry if this is your first time here. We’re about ready to get to know each other real quick. Josh and I travel on a tight budget, which often…
Six Hidden Michigan Secrets
SIX HIDDEN MICHIGAN SECRETS Michigan is consistently and vastly underrated, but we like it that way. There are rarely crowds which ruin beauty, and there are still dozens of unexplored and relatively unknown places hidden throughout the Upper…
Six Travel Hacks to Extend Your Dollar in Europe
SIX TRAVEL HACKS TO EXTEND YOUR DOLLAR IN EUROPE I’ve heard it time and time again. Travelers spending anywhere from $2,000 to upwards of $25,000 for a ten-day jaunt through Europe. The thought of traveling overseas automatically means spending…
A Guide to Camping With Cats
A GUIDE TO CAMPING WITH CATS “Your cats actually camp?” Yes, yes they do. But the process hasn’t been easy, and a cat isn’t going to go from catnip and couches to a tent in the woods overnight.…
How to Go From Counting Quarters to Counting Countries
HOW TO GO FROM COUNTING QUARTERS TO COUNTING COUNTRIES If you’re reading this and live in the United States or another first-world country, you are more privileged to travel than a vast majority of the world. It doesn’t matter where…
30 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit Michigan Right Now
30 PHOTOS THAT WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO VISIT MICHIGAN RIGHT NOW From the golden shores of Saugatuck to the rocky cliffs of Lake Superior, Michigan holds some of the most pristine and untouched beauty in the country. Still not…
How I Managed to Get Eleven People to Travel to Colombia
HOW I MANAGED TO GET ELEVEN PEOPLE TO TRAVEL TO COLOMBIA If you ask me how I managed to get eleven people to travel to Colombia, I don’t have an answer. Rewind a few months. I’m sitting in…
Seven Places to Go When You’re Lost, Broke, and Ready for Adventure
SEVEN PLACES TO GO WHEN YOU’RE LOST, BROKE, AND READY FOR ADVENTURE You’re at a crossroad in your life. Maybe it’s a failed relationship, a crappy job, or just a total “over it” outlook on life. You’re ready to…
It Took Me Three Days to Fall in Love With THIS Country
IT TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS COUNTRY I think New Zealand is the world’s “most wanted” travel destination. Have you ever had someone tell you they DIDN’T want to visit the land of…
Stories Behind My Ten Favorite Travel Photos
STORIES BEHIND MY TEN FAVORITE TRAVEL PHOTOS Pictures are worth a thousand words, but sometimes they’re worth much more. Travel or not, we each have photos we cherish that capture a particular moment of happiness. Or perhaps a not-so-happy moment…
How I Snagged a $21 Flight to Australia
HOW I SNAGGED A $21 FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA I recently had you all guess where I snagged an international flight for $21 on Instagram. I received dozens and dozens of questions from you asking how it was possible once…
How Much Does it Cost to Travel The World for a Year?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TRAVEL THE WORLD FOR A YEAR The $$$$ of travel is a question I get more often than not. And of course, everyone who asks that questions knows the answer: it varies. But…
How to Travel With Your Significant Other and Not Kill Each Other
HOW TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER AND NOT KILL EACH OTHER I’ve stood on a lot of cliffs with my boyfriend, Josh. Together, we’ve traveled to twenty-some countries and over thirty states. To be honest, I’m surprised…
8 Tips for Making Road Tripping Easier
8 TIPS FOR MAKING ROAD TRIPPING EASIER Whether taking a short weekend trip to Northern Michigan or a trip across the United States, there are a few things I’ve learned about making life on the road easier, more…
Glamping in Idaho Will Make You Believe in Narnia
GLAMPING IN IDAHO WILL MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN NARNIA Sometimes the best places come with the lowest expectations. Five years ago if you asked me to choose between a trip to California or a trip to Idaho I would…
A Proper Guide to Road Tripping the United States
A PROPER GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPPING THE UNITED STATES The vast, wild, and untouched landscapes of the United States draw millions of adventurers to head out on a road trip every year. From the Rocky Mountains of the west,…
The Most Insane (And Scenic) Hikes in the United States
THE MOST INSANE (AND SCENIC) HIKES IN THE UNITED STATES From hiking on the ledge of thousand-foot cliffs, slippery granite slopes, and white deserts, here are seven of the most insane and scenic hikes in the United States. …
Four Reasons Why Everyone Should Visit Scandinavia
FOUR REASONS EVERYONE SHOULD VISIT SCANDINAVIA Scandinavia might have words like menneskerettighetsorganisasjonene, and the winters might be brutal, but if you’re looking for awe-inspiring landscapes, friendly people, and saunas with beer, it’s a region not to be missed. Consisting…
One Year of Travel: A Photographic Journey
ONE YEAR OF TRAVEL: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY It’s officially been a year since I declined a full-time job after graduation to embark on a life-altering adventure. I could write a book (actually, I am writing a book…eek!) about everything that…
Eight Other Travel Blogs to Inspire Your Wanderlust
EIGHT OTHER BLOGS TO INSPIRE YOUR WANDERLUST When I begin looking for my next destination, I don’t often turn to guidebooks or the Travel Channel. Instead, I gain most of my wanderlust from reading other blogs. Bloggers tend to…
The Epic Five: Utah’s Insane National Parks
THE EPIC FIVE: UTAH’S INSANE NATIONAL PARKS Sunrise in Arches National Park Within the borders of Utah sits five incredible and awe-inspiring national parks. How many can you name? The stunning and magical landscape which makes up this beautiful…
Seven Things That Suck About Long Term Travel
SEVEN THINGS THAT SUCK ABOUT LONG TERM TRAVEL I dreamt for years about traveling long term. Waking up every day in a completely new environment, without the slightest clue to where I was going next or how I was…
An Inside Look at the Van Life: Q&A
AN INSIDE LOOK AT VANLIFE: Q&A Living in a van isn’t the most usual lifestyle. And with an unusual life comes many questions. Few people will ever understand what living in a van for months on end entails. The…
Bucket List: The Glass Beach of Northern California
BUCKET LIST: THE GLASS BEACH OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA There are few places that stand out in such a way it almost seems fictional. For example, a beach made entirely of sea glass. In the quaint (and extremely adorable) Northern California…
The Best Places to Visit in the United States: 2017
THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN THE UNITED STATES I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow I’ve ticked off 42 states on the United States map. You know what that means, right? I’ve got 6 1/2 years…
Please Don’t Ruin This:
Below is a selection of photographs showing fragile environments affected by our decisions as a country and world.
A Road Trip up the Pacific Coast Highway
A ROAD TRIP UP THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY Oh, California, I have such a love-hate relationship with you. A magical coastline, (mostly) beautiful weather, mountains, redwoods, orcas, and oceans. There aren’t many places in the world where Christmas Day…
Making Travel Photos Insta-Worthy
MAKING TRAVEL PHOTOS INSTA-WORTHY I take travel photos. I’ve never put on make-up for a photo. Usually, I’m hiking, sweating, probably unshowered and may or may not have shaved my armpits in the last three days. I have a…
8 Alternative European Towns to Visit
8 ALTERNATIVE EUROPEAN TOWNS TO VISIT We all know about Paris and Rome. We’ve added Santorini and Cinque Terre to our list of “must-see” places. Twenty years ago these sights were busy, today they are a tourist hell. Sure, some…
How to Renovate a Van into a Home
HOW TO RENOVATE A VAN INTO A HOME I’ll always look back and remember that my first home was a van. Nearly two months after arriving back to Michigan from Europe, I am preparing to embark on yet another…
Around Europe in 90 Days
AROUND EUROPE IN 90 DAYS (VIDEO)
What Happens in Europe…
WHAT HAPPENS IN EUROPE… Three months in Europe comes with a lot of memories (and mishaps). When beginning a journey of such magnitude, you know that along the way you will create stories both good and bad, and come…
How to Visit 25 Countries for Under $3,500
HOW TO VISIT 25 COUNTRIES FOR UNDER $3500 When you leave to travel an entire continent for 90 days, you come home feeling as if everything has changed, even though it hasn’t. That was me when I drove into…
Mount Olympus: A Trek up Greece’s Highest Mountain
MOUNT OLYMPUS: A TREK UP GREECE’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN And I peeked over the edge, only to realize that a thousand-foot cliff waited for me on the other side. I was roughly 400 vertical feet from the summit of Mount…
Traveling Europe on A Budget
TRAVELING EUROPE ON A BUDGET Currently in Warsaw, Poland downing a foreign alcoholic cider that cost a whopping .62 cents. ANYWAYS. I hear you’re interested in traveling in Europe? Backpacking maybe? So you’ve decided to travel through Europe and…
The Island of Cies
THE ISLAND OF CIES Arriving in Europe on June 2nd with no plans, no itinerary, and a limited budget was probably one of the scarier things I’ve done while traveling. I’ll admit that although I’m not a planner (or…
Red River Gorge Cabin Life: Treehouse Edition
RED RIVER GORGE CABIN LIFE: TREEHOUSE EDITION Last week I returned to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky for some climbing and exploring. On my first visit last October, I fell in love with the area and the atmosphere…
An Alternative Graduation: Hot Air Ballooning
AN ALTERNATIVE GRADUATION: HOT AIR BALLOONING I’m a college graduate, guys. I’M A COLLEGE GRADUATE. Whew. What a weekend. Last week my pending graduation was finally beginning to hit me. My Facebook feed was filled with classmates taking pictures…
Travel Essential Packing List
TRAVEL ESSENTIAL PACKING LIST
An Audition to Be the Director of Toughness
AN AUDITION TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF TOUGHNESS A while back I auditioned for Columbia’s Director of Toughness and made it all the way to the final round. It was one of the most unique experiences, although it has…
Behind the Blog: How to Start your Own
BEHIND THE BLOG: HOW TO START YOUR OWN It’s new and relatively unknown. Blogging is a concept many people are trying, but not many know what they’re doing. It’s evolved significantly in the past few years, and the future looks…
Shalee Wanders, LLC 2019