Who am I and what's this site about?
I’m guessing that you ended up here because, like me, you're looking for the ultimate escape, a chance to get to know yourself better, or you just want to plan an immersive trip that isn't the same thing that everyone else is doing. You want the life-changing experience, the kind that only adventurers have.
Maybe you're looking for ways to maximize your paid time off, or maybe you're looking to change your life completely, leaving behind the cubicle and embracing an adventure on the other side of the world. Maybe it's something you've wanted your whole life, and nobody around you understands, but your desire for the adventure of a lifetime keeps the dream alive.
I know that's not easy, and it can be pretty scary to go somewhere you've never been before, especially if you're going it alone.
Does it sound familiar?
Well I totally get you, and you're not alone.
I'm here to make it easier and more accessible for you!
So who's this girl on the other side of the computer screen?
I'm just a normal girl from Southern California who has been adventuring around the globe nonstop since September 2012.
I never had a trust fund, and never thought of myself as particularly brave, but over six years later, I'm still traveling the globe and sharing the exact way that I do it on this blog.
I was the kid who used to play Civilization and the Amazon Trail video games. I was the one who spent hours searching the weather and capital cities of far-off places around the world, just to imagine how it would feel to be there. I used to write imaginative stories and paint all the time. I was a dreamer.
Somewhere along the way, however, I started to doubt my passions and instead went for a stable career. I worked as an investment banker for four years in Newport Beach, which burned me out and pushed me to make a change. So...
I quit my job in mergers and acquisitions, sold my belongings and, armed with nothing but a carry-on bag and no company but my own, took a one-way flight to Bangkok.
Seven years later I'm still traveling. Since then, I've hitchhiked solo across China, been invited to countless events by locals, hiked some of the most beautiful trails in the world, done the most incredible SCUBA dives, did a 35-day safari in Africa, spent two months hiking in Patagonia, and even became a Buddhist nun for 10 days.
I came to realize over time that talking to locals, ditching guides and group tours, and always taking local transportation immersed me in the local culture and showed me the real parts of the countries I was visiting - things that tourists almost never get to see or understand.
When other travelers took the tourists boats, I found my way onto the cargo ferries, when others would hire a car and driver, I hung out of the door of a moving train, and when others would take a bus, I hitchhiked.
My journey is endless, and I want to help you do the same thing.
Want to read more about my personal story? Click here!
How to Use Be My Travel Muse
Solo Female Travel Advice
Whether it's your first or fiftieth time traveling alone, this site is full of resources to help you in any region of the world with packing, planning, staying safe, and having a blast!
Destinations
Looking for destination-specific advice? My destinations page has an interactive map that allows you to select where in the world you want to visit. Get itineraries and insider tips.
Read the Blog
What's new? Read the blog in reverse-chronological order. Or, check out the archives to see every post that's ever been published. Go back in time or find a topic that fits you.
How this site can help you live out your travel dreams
Though this advice is for everyone, as a solo female traveler who loves the outdoors and adrenaline, I focus my blog on solo female travel and adventurous travel. I've been interviewed by the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Vogue, Business Insider, and many more for my expertise. I've also authored two books and created a photography course. You can see more here.
When you subscribe to my newsletter, you also get access to a 7-day Dream Trip planner so that you can breeze through the time-consuming process of planning, plus you'll be the first to know when new BMTM Adventures tours go on sale, will get access to personal insights that don't always make it onto the blog, and any updates you may have missed. The emails are tailored to your interests and personal needs (just open the first one and click on the link that best describes you!).
On the blog, I post every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday with inspirational posts, practical packing lists, country cost guides, how-tos, food and exercise tips, and all kinds of info about countries in every continent in the world (except for Antarctica, but we're working on that!).
Ways to Stay Connected
Group Adventure Trips
A few times per year, I invite a small group of women to explore a new part of the world with me. Past tours included Alaska, Botswana, Namibia, Patagonia, and Peru. Join us in Galapagos and Iceland in 2019!
YouTube
For the best look at my travel experiences, in-depth packing videos, and tutorials that make traveling (and blogging!) easier, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Keep in touch by tuning into my daily Instagram stories and see where I'm traveling in real time. My best photography and the goofy behind the scenes of the adventures can be found here.
I hope this site helps you to have an adventure!
If you're new around here, start here for an introduction to Be My Travel Muse, or check out the Best of the Blog for some of the most helpful, inspirational, and wow-that-really-happened? reads.
See you around the interwebs!
Happy travels!
Hugs,
Kristin