I grew up in Southern California, U.S., and I currently still live there.
I’ve been traveling more frequently the last five years. I didn’t travel outside Southern California (my hometown) much at all during my childhood. In 2020, when I finally paid off my college debts, I started to travel more. But since this also coincided with the pandemic, I did a lot of road trips until the world opened up.
I wanted a space to share all of the research I do before each trip. I love writing and planning, and I thought blogging might be a good fit for me. So far, it is!
Just me. EVERY post on this blog is written by me based on first-hand experience and my own research. I spend hours crafting each post to make them as helpful as possible. I also take my own original photos (sometimes with the help of a travel partner). I do not use AI to write my posts.
At this time, I do not go on sponsored trips or work with brands. I spend my own money to travel and write honestly about my experiences. I do add affiliate links, after the fact, for tours and hotels I liked and recommend. This helps me make a little money at no cost to you. It’s not enough to live off of yet, so I still work full time.
I’ve been personally stepping away from social media the last few years for various reasons but mostly because it’s so time consuming. I find that my time is better spent working on my blog. I now only have one social media account which is on Instagram (@wanderfulplansblog). Lately, I don’t post much there, and it’s currently private. But you are welcome to request to follow me! If you’d like to stay in touch with my travels and updates, the better option would be to subscribe to my newsletter. 🙂
My starter camera was an Olympus PEN E-PL8, and I used that for years. In 2022, I upgraded to the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, which I love. Both are lightweight, mirrorless cameras, perfect for traveling. The built-in wifi on both cameras makes it super easy to transfer photos on the go. I own four lenses and primarily use two when traveling because they are so lightweight: Panasonic Lumix 25mm f/1.7 and Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5. I also own the Olympus kit lens that came with my first camera as well as a zoom lens, the Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6.
So far, I’ve been to 8/195 countries, 15/50 U.S. states, and 25/63 U.S. national parks.
My favorite would definitely be Edinburgh, Scotland, a city that surprised and amazed me, and I can’t wait to go back.
I have immediate plans to visit more of the U.S. as well as several countries in Europe and Asia.
Edinburgh, Scotland.