Hi! Alisa here

Fun fact: my mom is from the US and my dad is Russian. This has always been a confusing, but core part of my identity.

My multicultural upbringing (and my parents’ work) came with a lot of travel. My first flight was at just two months old and my first solo international trip was at age twelve! Through this early and frequent exposure, travel became a comfortable and joyful place for me. 

I loved experiencing the novelty of the cities we traveled to and seeing how people in Finland, for example, did things differently from people in Thailand (hello Finish sauna and Thai tuck-tucks!) 

After college, when it came time to start my “adult” journey in the world, I found myself locked into a pretty good 9 – 6 job in a Manhattan office building, that … required a one-hour commute on the subway each way, and happened to have no windows. 

Not only did I feel my circadian rhythm was being thrown off by the lack of sun exposure in my windowless office, I was also struggling with the lack of flexibility at my job, which locked me in 8 – 7 each day. 

Growing up as a little globe-trotter, I missed the joy of experiencing a new place.

About a year and a half into my job, I seriously started plotting my escape. How could I get out of this 9 – 5 (or 6) rut and back to a more travel-centered lifestyle? 

The Covid-19 pandemic was the first domino that fell and started to change my course. Like many office jobs, my company sent all their employees to work from home. 

A few weeks in, I made a risky move and asked my boss if it would be ok for me to travel abroad to my parents’ home and work remotely from there. Miraculously, I was given the green light!

Even though the circumstances in the world were really challenging (I don’t want to discredit anyone’s experience during the pandemic) I was so happy to be out of that office! It was my first taste of location flexibility and travel during my professional career, and it was sweeter than a chocolate chip cookie. 

As the pandemic started easing up and flying was becoming safe again, I started taking small trips to visit family and friends across the US. I took my job with me wherever I went. I worked remotely from the Michigan Lake beach while visiting my brother. I worked from my grandparents’ porch in Texas, and even a Florida hotel, while on a trip for my college roommate’s wedding!

I was sneaking in ocean swims, paddle boarding, sunset walks… I was so so happy to feel free. 

I’m a firm believer that travel helps us expand our worldview, discover our values, learn, and grow as human beings. Growth can happen through observing, conversations with strangers, trying new food, dancing, laughing… the value gained through travel is like nothing else. 

Fast forward 18 months, and when my company started calling employees back into the office, I knew I couldn’t go back. I made the risky decision to quit my job and look for a position that fit the lifestyle I was building.

Fast forward another 18 months and I can confidently call myself a digital nomad. In the past two years, I’ve visited close to a dozen countries, switching between weekend trips, month-long stays, group–, family–, and solo trips. I’ve met some incredible people along the way who have taught me so much about this messy world of ours. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Our world is so beautiful and diverse. We can all benefit so much from seeing a little more of it. 

Maybe you resonate with my story and also want to get out of your office job. Maybe you’re happy with your work-life balance and don’t need as extreme of a change. Or maybe you’re somewhere in between. But if you’re here, I suspect we share a passion for seeing the world. 

Planning can be stressful and a huge time-suck. That’s why I created this blog: to bring you the best recommendations, tips, and tricks so that you can focus on what really matters – just getting out there! Whether you’re looking to plan the best weekend getaway, a quick road trip, or a full-on world tour, this blog is here to help you make your dream come true.

So cheers to you and your next adventure. I’m so excited for what you’ll learn about yourself and the world around you along the way!

From one explorer to another –

Much love, 

Alisa