• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Lessons From My First Year of Travel Blogging

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 · Blogging, Digital Nomad

2020. What a freaking year to grow a travel blog, am I right? This isn’t my usual travel guide or itinerary. For those, head to my latest posts. In this post, I’m going to casually talk about the ups, downs, learning-curves, and wins from my very first year of travel blogging “professionally.”

I couldn’t help put that in quotes because I am FAR from a professional blogger. What I mean by that is, this is the first year that I’ve approached my travel blog as a career path and as a lucrative business opportunity!

If you’ve closely followed by for a while now, then you already know that I started my travel blog back in 2015 when I lived in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Man, what I’d give to have “seriously” started back then). But it’s only been since the end of last year, around August 2019, that I decided to pursue the business of travel blogging for real.

So if you’re interested in starting your own blog, or are just curious as to how this year has gone for me, then read on!

Table of Contents show
My First Year of Travel Blogging in Review
August-December 2019
My First Blog Partnership
Time for a Blog Makeover
January-February 2020
My First Paid Partnerships & Hotel Collabs
Realizing What My Blog Values Were Really About
March-June
June-August
Our Southwest USA Road Trip
September: Moving Back to Mexico (For the 3rd Time)
December 2020
January 2021
Getting to Mediavine (December 2021)
2022–Now

My First Year of Travel Blogging in Review

August-December 2019

Crossing the Mexico-US border by Van: Complete Guide // BUCKETLIST BRI

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Long story short, it was sometime after turning down an opportunity to join Peace Corps Panama 2020-2022 that I officially decided to pursue travel blogging. For me, this was a fairly obvious and enlightening moment.

I had already grown my other blog to over 60,000/UMV and the second one to 30,000/month.

So I already knew how to grow an affiliate blog and the ins and outs of blogging in general. Now I just needed to apply that to my personal adventures and experiences on my travel blog.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize that I could apply the same growth techniques and ignite a career out of travel blogging, but it did. I believe things happen in their own timing, though, so all is good!

But let’s back up just a wee bit…

In June 2019, we had already been living in Mexico for over a year and decided we wanted to buy a van and road trip across Canada. So we did. We bought a 1990 Roadtrek in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and drove for four days to reach my family’s home in Tennessee, USA.

August rolled around quickly and so we packed up the van and took off. We traveled over 10,000 miles and saw Canada from east to west – from the craggy cliffs in remote Newfoundland & Labrador all the way to the city shores and forests of Vancouver, BC.

In blog time, I was just starting to dabble in Pinterest and I was writing and publishing articles like crazy to catch up on all the guides I had missed out on writing over the years I’ve been traveling and living abroad full-time. I have always had a HUGE backlog of article ideas and one by one I was checking them off while also blogging about our travels in Canada.

My First Blog Partnership

Sea Kayaking with Red Rock Adventure in the Bay of Fundy, St. Martins, New Brunswick #Canada #outdoors #adventure #travel // BUCKETLIST BRI www.bucketlistbri.com
Exploring the sea caves with Red Rock Adventure

Funnily enough, one of the first “signs” I had that I was on the “right track” with my blog is when I landed my first brand partnership with an outdoor adventure tour company called Red Rock Adventure (that I actually first read about in Nat Geo) located in the tiny village of St. Martins, New Brunswick (one of our first stops on our van road trip).

It was right around the time of my birthday in August. The collab included 2x tours on the Bay of Fundy – one kayaking trip to see the sea caves and one to see the famous Fundy coastline by Zodiac boat (plus free homemade scones and drinks in their adorable coffee shop Shipwreck Cafe). In exchange, I wrote 1x long review post and included them in a round-up guide for things to do in the town, including images for blog + social and a backlink. Fairly typical stuff.

The overall value of the collab was around $300-400. Seeing as, at the time, I only had 1K on my blog, and only 60K monthly visits on Pinterest (which in hindsight, was nothing huge at the time, especially since I ended up growing to over 600K a few months later!), I felt pretty good about it. Actually, I felt freaking good about it! And all I did to land it was walk inside and just ask!

That was the first time I said, “Hey! I’m a travel blogger – let’s work together!” Now that my blog is 10x or more the size, it excites me to see what’s possible moving forward.

Lesson: That was one of the first lessons of blogging. Numbers don’t matter as much as VALUE. Since then, I’ve always been aiming to provide as much value as I can. The second lesson I learned from that is I DID and DO have what it takes to do this.

Time for a Blog Makeover

It still wasn’t until a couple of months of slow blogging later, in November-December, that I reinvented my old travel blog. I changed the domain name and rebranded myself to Bucketlist Bri and paid $250 to hire a theme developer to help me put my website design and structure together.

At the time, Paul and I were freezing in Canada, working from 7 AM to around 7 PM every day in a Starbucks somewhere. That is, at least until we landed a 2-week pet sitting gig in Vancouver and had a temporary home base with a warm bed and hot shower to enjoy.

Those weeks flew by. It was a time for hustling, writing articles, and building the foundation of my blog!

After that, Paul and I split for 2 weeks to spend Christmas with our families (USA + France). We rejoined for 1 last day in Vancouver to store the van, and the next morning, on Jan 1st, 2020, we moved back to Mexico for the second time.

Lesson: Design doesn’t matter as much as content. Don’t waste your money or time worrying about aesthetics. Let that come later. Your content is what should shine most. Oh, and simplicity is key when creating a blog.

January-February 2020

I started out this year extremely productive and energized. We just left Vancouver, Canada, where we left our van life travels behind, and moved back to the warm shores of the Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

My First Paid Partnerships & Hotel Collabs

Hotel Review: PAL.MAR Hotel Tropical in San Pancho, Mexico
Outdoor shower @ Aldea Bamboo Eco Cabana & Glamping Retreat in San Pancho, Mexico | Bucketlist Bri

My blog at the time was just starting to pick up organic traffic from Google and Pinterest. I felt really confident about growing this year, and as a result, decided to reach out to the hotels in San Pancho for possible partnerships.

All my offers were accepted and included 1-2 free nights in the hotel with some activities included, plus I was compensated for my time by 5/6 of the hotels I worked with.

On top of the hotel partnerships, I was networking with other travel bloggers for future trips together while receiving offers from brands to promote their products on my blog and Instagram. I can honestly say I didn’t have a strategy in place, or a specific goal in mind. I was just exploring my options, and working with my local community and giving back was a way for me to express that.

Lesson: It was a busy time for Bucketlist Bri and I was just starting to realize the power of my voice on my blog. It’s not just about having this platform but the value I was offering, through my writing and through my photography. It felt natural to blog and share unique experiences and stories (like it always has). Even just starting out, I could see how much potential my blog had. It served as a great reminder to stop underestimating myself, my experiences, and the gifts I have to share.

Realizing What My Blog Values Were Really About

Seeing my teeny-tiny success made me want more. What else could I do?

I was ready for it all and was just speeding toward more growth and more opportunity. So one day I reached out to one of Mexico’s state tourism boards and got an interview with the director.

But wait! Not all that glitters is gold! The meeting ended up being a BIG disappointment. I ended up learning a very valuable lesson that has stuck with me ever since.

The day of my meeting came and I was fairly anxious and excited. But within minutes of speaking to the director, not only was I not taken seriously for not having over 500K Instagram followers (haha that’s for real), but I quickly realized that the partnership I was chasing after wasn’t at all in alignment with my blog values of slow and mindful travel or supporting local communities.

Turns out, this tourism board and the people in charge of it, just wanted mega influencers to come to promote their ritzy hotels. He literally said to me, “That’s it. That’s all we care about.“

I was floored because this kind of thinking and behavior is what allowed some of the small towns on the coast to become overrun with tourists, resulting in sewage problems that led to mass sickness and health issues, poor management of business and organizations, and overall just drowned out what the real culture, real people, and real experiences that made that part of Mexico so alluring in the first place.

A slower and more meaningful type of travel, one in which the local people, community, and environment all benefit, was essentially cast aside in order to welcome (and encourage) only high-paying tourists who stay in chain hotels.

Lesson: So the partnership never worked out and at first, I was pretty bummed because getting sponsored by a tourism board so early in my blogging career would’ve been huge for me. But I’m SO glad it didn’t work out. If it had, I would’ve been compromising on my blog values. I always, always, want to stay true to my words and intentions here on Bucketlist Bri.

March-June

san pancho beach with chairs and palm trees
ocean wave crashing with sunset light

You can guess what I’m about to say here, haha. We were in Mexico when the novel coronavirus halted the world, so that’s where we stayed until we maxed out our 6-month tourist visas and ended up leaving the country sometime in June.

Those months, Bucketlist Bri, like many other travel blogs, took a hard hit. I watched as my organic growth dwindled down back to numbers I hadn’t seen in a few months. It was pretty depressing and de-motivating.

I slowed down my writing and completely abandoned the idea of doing any partnerships. I didn’t want to promote travel, so I ended up holding off on publishing a few pillar travel guides.

Like millions around the world, we spent our days inside. The beach was closed off. We ordered pizza for delivery every Friday night for 8 weeks in a row. We climbed up on our roof each evening after work to see the sunset dip down over the Pacific ocean. And our trip back to Vancouver in May to pick up van life and travel with Paul’s family was canceled.

But in many ways, we were extremely fortunate. We still had each other and we counted our blessings triple-fold that we didn’t have to separate. (Having done long-distance before, we were extra thankful to not have to go through that during a pandemic).

So when the time came to leave Mexico, we booked flights to the USA to stay (and quarantine) with my family over the summer. Our van, to this day, is stuck in Canada. Just waiting for us to return.

June-August

It had been around 7-8 years since I had spent so much time at home with family. So although it halted our travel plans, I was super grateful to spend this time with my mom and sister. I usually only get to see them 1-2x a year, so having a few weeks of down-time together was nice. Both Paul and I also had to renew our passports and it seemed like doing it in the US was our only option.

In the meantime, Bucketlist Bri stabilized. A few of my articles picked up in searches and brought me consistent traffic each month. If anything, it gave me hope.

Lesson: Never give up. While many bloggers abandoned ship, I knew one day that travel would resume, even if locally. So I kept writing and started publishing articles again. And sure enough, my traffic soon outperformed its previous stats.

Our Southwest USA Road Trip

Utah Welcome Sign | 2 Week Southwest Road Trip Itinerary

It was mid-August when we decided to celebrate my 27th birthday with a 2-week road trip in the Southwest USA. Getting outside hiking and enjoying nature was deeply needed, so we just went for it.

I also had just bought a new lens, my Sony 24-105 f/4 G lens, and a new body, the a7II, and I was excited to break it in on this trip. (It was seriously time for an upgrade from my a6000 and kit lens!).

Those 2 weeks were amazing. It was the first time since March that we were exploring somewhere new. Having abandoned all exercise months prior, my body was also in great need of the challenge and opportunity for movement from hiking and exploring every day.

Blog-wise, during our 2 days in Zion National Park in Utah, I had the opportunity to partner with the Ponderosa Ranch Resort. It was my first collab since the pandemic began and, once again, it felt like a sign to keep going with the blog.

We spent two nights glamping under the stars, went horseback riding, and experienced a thrilling sunset jeep tour. The staff loved the content I produced in exchange which gave me a boost of confidence in my blogging journey. I know “reassurance” is futile, but it’s nice to know your work is appreciated!

Lesson: I am someone who mixes “work” with “play” too often. While I loved having the opportunity to stay at this adventure resort, it meant that I had to work while on “holiday.” I was able to push the bulk of the work back, and complete it all after the trip, but it definitely taught me to separate my work with Bucketlist Bri when I’m traveling for leisure and the joy of discovery (without having to create content about it).

Thanks to that road trip, I was able to pump out over a dozen new blog posts, some of which started to rank just a few days or a couple of weeks after publishing (to my giddy surprise!). I was finally creating new content and for it to be ranking so quickly was a HUGE eye-opener that I needed to focus on writing more. Much more!

Lesson: For me, striking a balance between growing a blog and growing on social platforms is tricky. But this trip made me realize how much more value I could give (and get) if I kept my blog as my centerpiece. Writing, is after all, what I love to do. So why not make it a priority?

September: Moving Back to Mexico (For the 3rd Time)

ven a la luz statue and raw love cafe entrance

Just a few days after returning from our Southwest trip, Paul’s allotted 90 days in the USA came to an end. The only country we could flee to, to stay together and not be separated, was Mexico. It’s the easiest for us, familiar, and it’s also easy for Yoda (our travel kitty).

But this time we didn’t want to return to the west coast. Instead, we set our eyes on the Riviera Maya. Although we’ve traveled there twice before, this time would be to temporarily settle down there. So within a week’s time, we traded the mountains of Tennessee for the cenotes and Caribbean shores of Tulum.

We ended up living in Tulum as digital nomads for 3 months. In many ways, life returned to normal, except for wearing masks and social distancing. We could go to the beach again. We ate out at outdoor restaurants. We made new friends and discovered new activities like scuba diving (I even got my PADI Open Water Certification!).

But despite all the freedom to enjoy this tropical life, I became riddled with anxiety.

Everyone looking outward-in thought I was living in paradise, but for me, I felt trapped in my mind. Maybe stuck? Some days I couldn’t even explain it. But I’d panic anyway.

In any case, it began to take its toll on me. I stopped posting as much while trying to just get through my freelance work each week.

Lesson: You can still suffer from lack of self-care even if you’re pursuing your dream life. There will still be dark days and days where you just can’t do anything. And you don’t have to feel guilty about that.

December 2020

women scuba diving in tulum reef

September and October in Tulum flew by, and come November I had finally hit my first 10K/month traffic goal on the blog.

So, with a pandemic, it took me a year. I still wonder if I would’ve ever made it long before had life continued as normal. I guess we all wonder about the “alternate reality” of what could’ve been. But I’m really stoked to have reached 10K and I’m even more excited to see what’s possible for my blog in 2021!

When December arrived, we only had 2 weeks left in our apartment in Tulum. Unsure of where we were going next, we waited until the last moment to decide on a destination.

Within just a few days, we decided to leave the coast and move somewhere completely new, somewhere we hadn’t explored before. Moving always takes its toll on our work schedule, so the first two weeks of December I didn’t get THAT much work done and instead went diving and organized our departure.

But on Dec. 14th, we moved from the beach to the mountains.

We ended up in a charming and colorful town called San Cristobal de las Casas, located in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.

January 2021

The new year 2021 started with lots of energy and I had several exciting new projects in the works, including a 30-day blogging challenge and the launch of my very own blogging course.

My course is designed to help new or existing bloggers establish a solid foundation and understanding of growing a blog with SEO and article writing. It also includes two 1-on-1 coaching sessions with me and access to our 30+ member community.

I also had it in the works to start my own podcast or YouTube channel, but I was undecided on which would be best. I chose YouTube but abandoned it fairly quickly after making only 1–2 videos (one of which was about our Pacaya Volcano Trek).

Yep, that spring, we moved from Chiapas, Mexico to Guatemala. Thanks to all the new posts I had been publishing, my blog traffic skyrocketed to around 45,000 monthly pageviews. I was just shy of reaching 50k and applying to Mediavine, but I waited too long and my traffic took a dip over the summer.

I officially launched my blog course later that year in September.

Getting to Mediavine (December 2021)

It wasn’t until December 1st, 2021 that I finally got accepted as a publisher on Mediavine.

Mediavine requires 50,000 monthly sessions (or about 60,000 monthly pageviews) to apply. I had just hit the mark!

Putting ads on my blog through Mediavine changed everything. Suddenly, I was making $2,000 more in income than before. I stopped freelance writing and focused on scaling the blog even further.

2022–Now

Within the next few months, my blog traffic practically doubled, as did my affiliate income.

Come springtime, I finally hit $100+ days on Mediavine (which fluctuates), but I was making more money than I had ever before from my blog alone combining ads, affiliate income, and partnerships.

Over the summer, I started attracting paid brand partnerships and went on a couple of press trips for tourism boards (some non-paid, but inclusive of travel and activities, and others paid and all-inclusive).

As we round the corner into 2023, I am remembering 2019 Bri who worked tirelessly to get here. To have the exact financial freedom I have now. To have the exact travel blog I wanted and the opportunities I once dreamed about.

Lesson: Whether your current situation looks like 2019 Bri or 2022 Bri, I hope you know that whatever you’re striving for is within your reach. It may not look like what you expect, and it may take longer than you’d like, but it’s out there and is waiting for you.

If you have any questions or would like my help in scaling your blog, feel free to reach out by email, on Instagram @bucketlistbri, or @bootstrapblogging. And you can learn more about 1:1 blog coaching with me on my course page.

  • Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
  • Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
  • Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
  • Share via EmailShare via Email

By: Bri · In: Blogging, Digital Nomad

you’ll also love

woman sitting in apartment rental abroad in mexicoHow to Find & Rent an Apartment in Another Country
Sunset over Guadelupe church in San Cristobal de las Casas Chiapas, MexicoThe Digital Nomad’s Guide to Living in San Cristobal de Las Casas
The Ultimate Digital Nomad Guide to INDIA

Join the List

Stay up to date with the latest adventures and travel guides.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elisa says

    December 30, 2022 at 4:32 am

    Thank you, this is one of my fav travel blogs!!!

    Reply
  2. Meg says

    January 4, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    Congratulations on all you’ve achieved in the past year! You are always an inspiration. I hope to be able to recap a successful blogging year like this next year. I am keeping the blog and writing a main focus! Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Bri says

      January 5, 2021 at 8:47 am

      Thank you so so much, Meg & Chris!! I am so grateful for your support. I know you will crush your blog writing goals this year, so keep it up!! and Happy New Year! xx

      Reply
      • Ana says

        January 5, 2021 at 1:33 pm

        I loved reading this article! Thank you for sharing! You’re such an inspiration.
        Big hug and a happy new year! x

        Reply
        • Bri says

          January 5, 2021 at 4:08 pm

          Aww thanks so so much, Ana!! Your comment is so sweet. Sending love & light your way! Happy New Year! x

          Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Next Post >

25 Epic Cenotes in & Around Tulum You MUST See

Primary Sidebar

hello!

I’m Bri, an adventurous digital nomad living abroad full-time since 2015. It is my hope to inspire you to live a life of adventure, seek out meaningful experiences, and travel slowly and mindfully!

About Me

Connect

join the list

Featured Posts

ven a la luz statue and raw love cafe entrance

10 Essential Tulum Tips: What to Know Before Visiting Tulum

Aldea Bamboo Eco Cabana & Glamping Retreat in San Pancho, Mexico | Bucketlist Bri

A Look Inside Aldea Bamboo – An Eco Glamping Retreat in San Pancho

hiking wall street trail in bryce canyon

Hiking the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trails in Bryce Canyon

QUICK LINKS

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • WORK
  • COURSE
  • PODCAST
  • DESTINATIONS

Search

Let’s Connect!

@bucketlistbri

Here’s how I did it! 🦋

↯ ↯ ↯

THEORY 📚

1.  Getting familiar with SEO, better blog writing, structure, site speed, etc. I grew two successful niche blogs before ever turning my focus on my travel blog, so when I finally did start, I already had a good foundational knowledge of what to do + how to improve!
 
2. Believing I could do this and actually saying out loud that I was a blogger / writer. 
I waited a LONG time to give myself permission to take action. I used to say allll the time, “If only I had started sooner” — so much so, that I got sick hearing myself repeat it — so I decided to start. I took my travel blog seriously at the end of 2019, right before you know what… But that didn’t stop me and after travel picked back up, so did my traffic (and quickly!)

PRACTICE 💻

3. I adapted to the changing blog landscape and prioritized valuable long-form content and originality > shortcuts

4. I put my head down, grit my teeth, and focused on my output. 
For a month straight, I’d wake up at 6AM, make tea, and then blog until 12PM. After lunch, I’d write a 3k-word blog post for my freelance client, and then I’d spend the remaining afternoon and evening publishing my blog post from that morning, and starting on the next one. I grew so much during that time (from 12k to 30k+ sessions), & it showed me just how powerful FOCUS was. I was quickly ranking in organic search results so traffic (+ earnings) came in fast. 

5. I grew authoritative content hubs and internal links 🕸️

6. I prioritized my goals: writing, and earning sustainable, passive income from my blog > growing on social media to score brand deals that would take me away from writing 

7. I started another (niche) travel blog to keep learning, experimenting, and putting my skills to the test!

8. I created a mastermind and community of travel bloggers @bootstrapblogging. The community helps SO MUCH in overcoming stagnancy & loneliness (because blogging can be a lone-wolf gig). 

9. I keep my blog ethics close to heart and keep my focus on what impact I want to have. This is crucial because burn out happens so quick with blogging!

IF I CAN, YOU CAN TOO!! 💛

#travelblogging #travelblogger #blogtips
The adventures that your soul craves, that mine cr The adventures that your soul craves, that mine craves, originates from a curious desire to go beyond — to seek, to learn, to travel deeper beyond what is known, what is familiar.

If you dare not to live outside your comfort zone, then you will default to comfort. 

It is not easy to choose different or difficult, but it is always, always worthwhile ⚡✨

#traveldeeper #slowtravel #mindfultravel #liveadventurously #adventureanywhere
How to travel more locally ⬇️ I believe local How to travel more locally ⬇️

I believe local travel / responsible tourism can have a long-lasting, positive, and powerful radiating effect on both the individual and on the communities and destinations they visit — starting with an internal (and eternal) spark, a seedling… one of inspiration, love, and connection 🥹💛

(Add a healthy dose of adventure, and voilà — my favorite travel recipe!)

🎥 footage is all from my 3-night stay with the indigenous Tharu women and families of the Barauli village nearby Chitwan National Park, in the lowlands of Nepal.

Read below if you want to have more local experiences like this ❤️

🏡HOMESTAYS
Not all destinations offer homestays, but many around the world do! I found this homestay in Nepal through @communityhomestaynetwork 

*If I don’t lodge with a homestay, I’ll seek out eco boutique hotels, guesthouses, or local Airbnbs

🔍RESEARCH / DEEP TRAVEL
Do research about local activities and organizations in advance and make the effort to include these off-beat or underrated places/things to do in your itinerary. 
Search Google for the destination + words like ecotourism, responsible travel, local, community tourism, women-owned businesses, etc, to see what surfaces. I’ll also check Instagram and tourism board websites + social accounts.

🌿BOOK TOURS RESPONSIBLY
Really take a moment to vet the tours you find online before you book!
> How do they operate? Are they local, employing locals, benefiting local communities? Do they operate transparently? Can you find more info about their mission, sustainability actions, certifications, etc? 

💰WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO?
Local bus vs private taxi,
Local food vs international restaurants
Local shops vs commercial stores
… Being mindful of how your money supports your host community/destination is meaningful and can totally transform your travel experience(s) 🙏

Choosing the local route opens up so many new opportunities for discovery and connection!! 

✨Share this to your story if it resonates + follow for more adventures abroad + local travel tips! ✨

#localtravel #chitwan #adventuretravel #mindfultravel #nepaltravel #responsibletourism #barauli #homestay
Mexico with mummy pt. 1 🌵 Last November, Paul Mexico with mummy pt. 1 🌵 

Last November, Paul and I slow-traveled and lived for 6 months in La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur where we basked in the sunshine, dove with sea lions, and ate our weight in fish tacos 🌮 

(Peep my La Paz blog guides for all the juicy deets)🧃👀 

Some of you may remember La Paz is also where I started my Invisalign treatment earlier this year (update: my bottom teethies are nearly straight!!) so here we are six months later to pick up my second load of trays, but this time I brought mom along for the ride to show her around some of my favorite places😃 

Highlights from La Paz (except for the first)👇

💀 Face painting for Día de Muertos in Oaxaca
🌊 Playa Tecolote, one of the best beaches next to Balandra Bay
💡 When in La Paz
🍕 The BEST Naples pizza + burrata salad @ La Casa Madre 
🦋 New baby tats thanks to @tattooinknm
🌞 Sunset and sunken ships from the hurricane
💻 Snuck in a bit of blogging 
🍻 Beach beers!
♟️ My favorite little park in La Paz with a giant chessboard (Parque Piedras y Pájaros)
✈️ We got a plane to catch! La Paz > Oaxaca 

Being back in La Paz made me super nostalgic 🥲 
Revisiting a place after spending an extended amount of time there is always a strange feeling; you feel at home yet you're still a visitor, a tourist, with much to discover. You see people from the community you started to build, but before you know it you are packing your bag and saying goodbye again. I even had to go pick up some clothes we left in our last apartment 🙈

As bittersweet as it is, I'm so grateful for the "slomad" life. And also very grateful to be able to share some of the places close to my heart with my mom 🇬🇧 

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be in La Paz again (if not for my teeth, lol, which is not a bad place to "have to go back to" for that, right?) but I know that this wasn't my last visit 🥲 

#lapazmexico #bajacaliforniasur #mexico #mommydaughtertrip #golapaz #lapazbcs
Alone but not lonely is my new mantra 💛 I am s Alone but not lonely is my new mantra 💛

I am so proud of and grateful for the version of myself that solo travel has made me to step into... 🤗

10 years ago, even if I had already been living abroad, the thought of eating ALONE in a restaurant or taking myself out alone (not to mention traveling through different countries alone) just baffled me — literally, I didn’t understand what the attraction was to do such things alone! 
But now... OH MY GOODNESS 😱 total transformation. Now I’ve solo traveled abroad in Portugal, Japan, and Nepal and all three were like stepping stones to the next solo adventure 🥾 🧘‍♀️ 🏔️ 🥰 🏯

Please everyone go solo travel, if you can, and if you feel pulled to!! 

It’s such a powerful way to get to know yourself, step outside your comfort zone, and make connections! 

As much as I enjoy traveling with my partner, I just simply wouldn’t have had the same encounters or made the connections that I did on this trip and to think what I would have missed out on 🥲 ❤️

Because traveling alone literally forces you to *go out there* and in doing so, you realize just how capable you were of doing it all along! 🙏

#solotravel #solofemaletraveler #nepal #soloadventure #nepalnow #nepaltravel #nepaltourism
When you stay open and curious, pretty magical thi When you stay open and curious, pretty magical things can unfold 🥹 ✨ 

I’ve been harboring this story unsure as to HOW TO EVEN BEGIN to tell it, but the how is less important than the why. 

And this experience reminded me of my why ☺️ 

I live for this kind of magic in life, or rather, it’s this kind of magic that lights me up and makes me feel most alive — the adrenaline of an adventure and how a story unfolds right in front of me like a movie, one in which I’m not only the producer, director, graphic artist, etc but the screenwriter too. And perhaps most interestingly, the viewer as well. 

I’ve said this before, and recently too, but whenever I travel, I often let “the story” lead the way. And there’s always a story. Whether you think of it as scripting your own play, directing your own film, or authoring your own book, we get to be both the creators and the audience. And I think that’s pretty neat. 

For a long, long time, I’ve often kept those kinds of travel moments locked away in my journal — for my personal reflections only, unsure that they’d mean anything to anyone else. But what I’ve come home to lately, is that these stories are mine to tell and if they matter to me, then, well, that’s all that matters.

So here’s to sharing stories that matter, for the intrinsic value of the story itself, and for the meaningful seeds of inspiration and magic that take root in our hearts 🥰 ✌️ 

#solotravel #trekking #nepal #langtang #travelstories #travelblogger #travelstories #mindfultravel
Follow My Adventures

Footer

On the Blog

  • Start Here
  • Destinations
  • Digital Nomad
  • Responsible Travel
  • Slow Travel
  • Van Life

Info

  • Work With Me
  • My Blog Course
  • Slomad Stories Podcast
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

adventures await x

Copyright © 2023 · Bucketlist Bri | All Rights Reserved

2 shares