Personal FAQ
How did you break your neck?
Oh, you know, the classic way: bungee jumping accident. It’s probably mostly my fault, seeing as I walked to a bridge I’d heard of where bungee jumping was supposedly common and I handed a man $20 and he pulled some ropes out of a backpack. Clearly not the most legit. I’d like to say it was the worst $20 I’d ever spent, but the location was beautiful.
Do you ever get lonely traveling solo?
Yes, and no, but mostly no. The beauty of traveling solo is that you get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, including spending time with people. If I’m lonely, I make friends. If I’m staying in a hostel, making friends is a piece of cake, and if I’m staying in a tent in the mountains, I only need to be bold enough to start a conversation. If these two options don’t work or aren’t available, writing letters to loved ones or taking videos to send to them later on (when I have service again) are great ways to feel connected in the moment.
Why don’t you share any of your content from your months in South America?
This question breaks my heart every time I receive it. I would love nothing more than to share that content from my most recent time down there. I think that my time spent on the Huayuash Circuit with a broken neck included some of the most beautiful, most exciting, and most terrifying experiences of my backpacking career. I wish I could create a video series for you all to share with you, but sadly all of my equipment and content was stolen. When I finally conceded to the truth that something was desperately wrong with my neck, I got off the circuit two days earlier than intended and went to the hospital. On my way there, I was robbed in the street and all of my content from the months I had been in South America was stolen. Honestly, this is still hard for me to think about. It was one of the most vulnerable moments of my life and it saddens me to recount.
Did you grow up in this lifestyle?
I did not! I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, far from any mountains to climb or trails to backpack. I spent years envying those living the life I admired, but it wasn’t until I was in graduate school out in Los Angeles, California that I went on my first backpacking trip. I fell in love and continued to develop my skills from there, and the rest is history.
Do you ever consider working as a therapist again?
Honestly, I don’t. Sometimes, I think about how much time and money I spent working through college, graduate school, practicums, internships, supervision hours, etc. and it seems crazy that I simply walked away. But then, I spend just 30 seconds thinking about how in love I am with my life now, and I shake my head at the notion of ever going back to being a full time therapist. I feel freed from the mundane M-F 9-5, and the fact that I get to share my passions with the world makes me smile every day.
Why did you start a YouTube channel?
Believe it or not, it’s hard to remember exactly what my motivation was. What I do remember is that those closest to me consistently urged me to share my travel and expedition stories in some form. I remember playing around with ways to do this, but I had zero experience with social media, blogs, etc. and without a knowledge base I consistently put off starting any sort of platform. I dabbled with Instagram for a little while, but it wasn’t until I had to get off the Appalachian Trail due to a blood infection that I finally created my first YouTube video. After receiving so many messages asking for more information about what happened, I finally decided to create a video to direct to future questions. Once the platform was created, it made it easier to continue creating content, and everything grew from there.
Check out my YouTube Channel HERE
What did you do before you started guiding?
My undergraduate degree is in Counseling and Psychology, and my master’s degree is in Marriage and Family Therapy, but my focus was on sexual assault and trauma. As a therapist at a non-profit in LA, I worked with a wide range of clientele, but once I moved into the private sector, I began working with primarily (though not exclusively) young women and survivors of sexual assault and trauma.
What is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled?
For years, this has been my least favorite question. It is probably the most common question I receive, and it drives me absolutely nuts. I have always held to the belief that every mountain, every town, and every location on earth has something unique to offer, and trying to compare the Peruvian Andes to the Norwegian fjords or the views from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro to the crystal clear waters along the coast of Thailand is nearly impossible. I refuse to pick a favorite, and I encourage you to do the same. Once you pick a favorite, you might stop exploring.
What’s your favorite color?
If I have to answer, I always say green, but I do love a variety of colors. Cool colors are my favorites: blues, greens, grays, and aquas, as well as deep tones like navy, burgundy, and black. I don’t like pastel colors though, and I look terrible in yellow and orange, so I usually shy away from those.
How do you travel so cheap/ how can I do what you do?
I get this question a lot, and the answer is a bit too long for a Q&A style page, so I took the time to write a blog post to help answer this question for you. You can check it out HERE.