Kristin Addis
Storyteller & Travel Blogger
My vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered, brave, and confident in their abilities. Where we explore other cultures, spend more time in nature, and come to love our world more. Solo traveling is the best thing I’ve found to promote these qualities. We become the chief architect of our own destiny. Everything is new and our entire surroundings are an opportunity to grow. My purpose is to create resources to make traveling more accessible, adventurous, and immersive.
“I was born and raised in a Los Angeles suburb. For most of my life, I did what I was supposed to do – got good grades, went to college, studied abroad in Taiwan, and got a steady job in finance when I was 22. I thought this was my only option.
But my creativity didn’t get a chance to shine that way. I was obsessed with painting, writing, and reading history books from a young age. The American Girl series was my jam. I was the kid who used to play Civilization and the Amazon Trail video games, who spent hours searching the weather and capital cities of far-off places around the world, just to imagine how it would feel to be there. I was a dreamer, but I didn’t think I could make it into a career.
Four years into my investment banking job, I was miserable, dreaming of my Taiwan days and wondering if there was an alternative to the golden handcuffs. After a year of agonizing, I quit that fancy job, ended my lease, said goodbye to my friends and family, packed a carry on bag, bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok, and took a chance on my dream. I wanted to write, I wanted to create, and I wanted to get to know those far off places I’d dreamt of as a kid. That’s when I started this blog, and it’s been my job ever since.
Seven years later I’ve had some crazy adventures, including hitchhiking solo across China, freediving with humpback whales in the South Pacific, hiking for 14 days to over 18k feet in Nepal without a guide, leading women’s adventure tours all around the world, and even becoming a Buddhist nun for 10 days.”
Articles by Kristin
