My Travel Inspiration
Way back in 2015 after I had graduated college, I had a life changing experience. I was on track to move to Colombia to teach English in Alemeria for a year with a guy. Yes, a guy… Though the idea of moving to a new country was exciting and something I’d always wanted to do, I couldn’t feel excited about it! I tried to convince myself I was excited, but deep in my gut, I was not. In fact, the idea of going started to make me feel sick! Apparently, it was not the right kind of travel inspiration for me.
At the very last minute before giving the company my official answer, I said no.
As soon as I said no, all my worries, fears, and sick feelings went away!
But…. after I said no, and me and the guy split ways, I started to feel a bit empty. Like I was missing out on an adventure, but it wasn’t mine to have. You know what I mean?
First thing I did was go to my favorite book store in Salt Lake City.
It is called the King’s English. It is the coolest book store in the whole world and the best place to find travel inspiration. Anyways, when I got there, I asked one of the employees for an inspirational book for female travelers. They had one! It is called “The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 10” (so clearly are many volumes).
This book is a compilation of true stories of solo female travelers. I read a few of the stories to soak in their travel inspiration and started searching for a job!
I started to research seasonal jobs in Alaska…
And came across an amazing website called Cool Works (Click HERE to check it out. It might change your life!)
I applied for five outdoor adventure jobs all over the state and if my memory serves me correctly, I got an offer for all of them. And no… I’m not bragging but just demonstrating that it’s not that hard to get an outdoor adventure job, even if you don’t feel qualified.
Kawanti Adventure took the prize for me!
It was a zip lining job in Ketchikan, Alaska in the Tongass National Rain Forest. It is probably the most Fern Gully-esque looking place I have ever been in my life. And quite under rated. The Zip line courses goes through a bear refuge and right over a very popular salmon run area.
Needless to say, it an amazing job! The drive up was my first true solo trip because I drove through the Canadian Rocky Mountains in winter in a car with no heat and a lot of problems. But that’s a story for another day…. While there, I made some amazing friends and framily, learned a lot of cool things, ate a lot of fresh King Salmon, and got well acquainted with black bears.
One day, I was seriously pondering buying a one way ticket to South America.
My buddy Drew, obviously got tired of my back and forth on it and came over, sat down at my computer with me and helped me push all the buttons to buy a one way ticket to Peru. (Click HERE to read about my month long trip to Peru).
Since then I have been living the life as a seasonal traveler. And also being a travel inspiration for a lot of friends and family. Which leads me to why I started this blog; To inspire people to open their hearts and travel!
So my question for you is, what inspires you? And why? I would love to hear your stories!
To read up on the basics of the tour, click HERE
Follow me on Instagram and tag me in your adventures!
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Catherine says:
I like reading your blog filling in the parts of your story that I having heard already when you would come home for a short period of time to rest, unload and then rehear up for your know travel plans. It was both an exciting and worrisome time for me, mom, knowing I was mostly only hearing the good things that happened and then starting the whole ‘clara leaves on a new adventure’ and does she know enough about the new place to safe safe; will she be trusting of the the wrong kind of people but over time and coming to know my Clara my explorer daughter better, I came to trust and know her as a computable planner, traveler and explorer, able to make friends and that she had good instincts. My daughter was growing up in a way of her choosing having been given a good foundation at home. I learned after hearing many good reports to mom and dad and honestly many tears and fits of deep concern that I had to let go. I had to see her off letting her know that I trusted her. I had a lot of growing up myself.
Now, I am reading her blog post I relish in the happiness and fun she was having, trusting in her personal growth and that it would lead her back home. All of her travel and all it entailed was helping her become the person she need to be.
A wonderful wife and mother; sister and aunt; daughter and friend. -
Lovely site! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am bookmarking your feeds also.
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You have great travel skills. Raising children and keeping a marriage strong and healthy is its own kind of travel experience. If traveling is about learnt about other people and cultures then you are happily on the most remarkable travel journey so far and you do it so well.
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