What kind of camera do you have?
I own a Nikon D90 DSLR. I have the kit lens, a 50mm 1.8 lens, and the 35mm f.18 lens which is the only one I usually bring with me on my travels. I also have an iPhone SE which I use for Instagram photos.
What kind of computer and software do you use?
I have a Macbook Pro and an iMac. The apps I use the most are Photoshop, Slack, Timely and Spotify.
To edit photos on my phone, I use A Color Story and sometimes VSCO Cam.
How can I start my own blog?
I wrote a post on this very topic right here! Long story short: use Bluehost and WordPress and write about things you love.
What are some of your favourite books?
There are many, but some that stand out in my memory are Cloud Atlas, Man of My Dreams, Garden Spells, Tiny Beautiful Things, and The War of Art.
I often post round-ups of my favourite books to this category. You can see everything I’ve read (updated admittedly sporadically) here. You can follow me on GoodReads here.
Where in the world are you right now?
I live happily in the West end of Toronto, Canada!
What did you study in university?
I have a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies from McGill University.
What hostel would you recommend in _________?
I’ve tried to include links to the hostels I stayed in (and liked!) in the “Favourites” section of each of my City Guides. If I didn’t particularly like the hostel, I didn’t include it in the guide and wouldn’t recommend it.
Where should I eat or do or stay in _________?
All the places I loved are in the “Favourites” section of my City Guides! They aren’t comprehensive, since I am not a travel expert, but they are always places I really enjoyed and would recommend.
Do you have any tips on travelling alone?
Definitely! I wrote a post on this topic here.
How much did it cost you to travel to _________?
I don’t like to share my financial details on the blog but my budgeting tips are very simple: figure out approximately how much you want to spend on accommodation, food and activities each day, multiply by the number of days you will be away, and save at least that amount (though I usually save more). Some days on your travels you’ll spend more, and others less. You can get estimates for these totals by country online, there are tons of awesome blogs detailing their travel expenditures these days. A good place to start is with the budget blogs listed here.
How can you afford to travel so much?
I save my money and am fairly frugal. I don’t spend more than I have, ever. I am lucky to not have any debt from university which helps a lot, and before I went to Europe I was a waitress for about 2 full years at a busy place where I worked hard and made a lot of tips. I also worked in Korea for a year which is an awesome place to save money and close proximity to lots of great travel destinations. In short: I’ve been lucky but I also don’t spend frivolously, and I save as much as I can.
Do you have any advice for people just starting university?
Yes. Here are 20 things I wish I’d known when I started.
How do you make big decisions?
Slowly. I make a lot of pro and con lists (especially weighted ones), recognize that I need time to process all my thoughts and feelings, and remember that nothing is permanent. I also almost always try to do the thing that feels “bigger” and more expansive, and that is most in line with the person I want to be. I use this helpful perspective to frame the whole process.
How can I get a job in Korea?
It’s not hard. I wrote a post about it here. I also wrote a list of things you might want to pack here and the top 10 things you should know about Korea here.
I’m going to Busan! What should I do when I’m there?
Awesome! You’ll have an awesome time, Busan is a beautiful city. You can see my top recommendations for restaurants and activities here.
What theme and plugins do you use?
I currently use the Shamrock theme. Some of my favourite plugins are Akismet, Disqus, and Swiftype.
How do you stay organized?
I almost always have a notebook on the go to do my version of the Bullet Journal, I use Asana with my clients, Todoist for tracking my personal tasks, and lots and lots of Google Docs.
