About
Me, in Madrid
Who Am I?
I’m a girl who can’t sit still.
Since I graduated college in 2007 I’ve been either traveling or saving up to travel. I’ve spent time living and working in London (still my favorite city on earth), backpacked around Eastern Europe and seen most of the lower 48. I’ve celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, Christmas in Rome and more Thanksgivings in the UK than I want to count.
In September 2010 I embarked on an epic, free-form backpacking trip around Asia and Australia. For parts I traveled with friends, at other points with my boyfriend, but for a large hunk of time I was flying solo. After a brief stint back home I set off again-this time to South America.
When I tell people my plans the most common reactions I get are:
You’re so brave! Or You’re so lucky!
I don’t really think I’m either, which is why I created this blog: to show other twenty-somethings that long-term travel is a viable option.
Aside from travel I have an affinity for Diet Coke, irreverent British literature and puppies. God, I love puppies.
WHAT are you doing, you crazy girl?
I’ve never been an enthusiast of the working 9-5 for 40 years thing, so I’m trying to break out of that mold and pursue the things that make me most happy in life. In September 2010 I left my job, determined to make it as a blogger and freelance writer. I started backpacking around the world, intending to be gone for at least a year. I’ve been writing about my travels here and hopefully demonstrating how accessible and realistic budget world travel can be.
Where are you going?
My itinerary is in constant flux. I have a basic idea of what I want to do but I’m trying to be open to changes due to logistics, budget and serendipity.
If you want a more up to date idea of where I am in the world please follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
What about your job?
This IS my job now.
In the past I worked a 9-5 that can best be described as “bearable.” In all honesty I had zero reservations about leaving something I didn’t care about to pursue the things I really DO care about. Sitting all day in a windowless cubicle just doesn’t work for me.
What I care most about, what I think I’m actually good at, is traveling and writing about my travels. It’s the only “job” I’ve ever had that I actually liked beyond getting a paycheck. As it turned out, my travels weren’t a career break at all, they were a step towards a new and exciting path.
Aren’t you scared?
I’m more excited than anything else but yes, sometimes I’m scared. However, I don’t see this as a good excuse not to put myself out there. I’m a big believer in the importance of doing things that scare you.
How can you afford this?
I’m not independently wealthy and I don’t have rich parents. I have college loans and poor spending habits just like most any twenty-five year old. I saved up for two years to make this dream a reality: mostly by living at home and putting away as much money as humanly possible.
You can read more about how I saved for this trip here.
When I’m on the road I try to keep my living expenses as low as possible staying in hostel dorms, eating street food and generally being a cheap bum.
Well good for you, but why should I care?
Most of us (particularly in the US) have been told our entire lives that there is a specific life model we need to follow: go to school, get a job, get married, have kids, work work work, retire and THEN maybe if you are in good health and financially secure you can do some traveling.
Well I’m not buying it. There is no one size fits all path to a happy and fulfilled existence. I mean this is the most practical, least hippy-dippy way possible. Life is about choices: figuring out what you want, pursuing your passions, finding what makes you happy and than finding a realistic way to make it happen.
If for you that means working in a cubicle for the next 10 years than more power to you. But if you want an alternate option: a chance to travel, to learn about yourself and the world around you than you owe it to yourself to pursue that. And luckily, your twenties are a really awesome time to do that.
I’m hoping to demonstrate that extended travel in your twenties, whether it is a career break, a chance to work abroad or something entirely different, is a viable and even a responsible option. The world is there, waiting for you, if you’re willing to make it happen.
What is Twenty-Something Travel?
In addition to being a record of my own travels, the purpose of this site is to encourage others to launch their own international adventures. I get the feeling that many of my peers would like to get out and travel but believe it’s too hard, too expensive or just too daunting. I think that maybe they just need to be pointed in the right direction. Be it backpacking, teaching or working, volunteering or learning abroad, I think that spending time outside of your comfort zone is incredibly rewarding and important.
Want to Learn More?
You can read interviews with me on the following websites:
Stephanie Yoder Says Life is Not a Race, Nor is Travel
Who’s Out There Now: Stephanie
