Fearless Friday No. 30 – Courtney, Travel Content Creator

Name: Courtney

Pronoun(s): she/her

Nationality: American

Hometown: Chicago

Current location: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Occupation: Travel Content Creator

Meet Courtney

On Education

Did you attend college? If so, where, and how did you choose that school/those schools? 

I went to college at the University of Iowa and graduated with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Counseling. I chose to focus on Human Resources because I wanted to be an advocate for employees and help make people’s jobs enjoyable and fulfilling. I got my minor in counseling just for fun. I was passionate about human behavior and took multiple courses on human sexuality. It was during my first sexuality course when I realized I was on the queer spectrum and I came out to myself and my professor in one of my papers.

I had good grades and “the perfect resume” filled with internships and leadership positions. But, something told me to study abroad my last semester of college.

My motives could have been getting another gold star on my resume or maybe for one last adventure before selling my soul for a gray corner cubicle. Either way, it ended up changing the entire course of my life.

If you studied abroad, would you recommend the experience?

I didn’t have money to study abroad but like I said, something told me to just go for it so I took out a loan and booked my flight to Florianopolis, Brazil, an island in the southeast of Brazil. It was a 12-week summer program and the classes were all in English with other American students. I moved in with an upper-middle class Brazilian family in a beautiful house with a pool. It was frickin’ great.

There was a “spring break” in the middle of the program – a week of no classes when we could explore wherever our young hearts desired.

I wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro and when I couldn’t find anyone to go with, I chose to embrace it and go on my very first solo adventure to “the most dangerous city in the world.” My parents were not pleased. (lol)

At the time, I had no idea what a youth hostel was and had never navigated a foreign city by myself. My friend helped me book a bunk bed off hostelworld.com for $9/night in the heart of Rio. I stepped into the hostel with the blind confidence of a young, naïve 21-year-old who had never left the US before. 

For the next week, I met backpackers from all over the world who were traveling for six months or more. I thought, How is this even possible and why was this never presented to me as an option?

I met an Irish woman who backpacked Africa by herself, a continent I thought was too dangerous to travel to as a woman.

I met an Israeli woman who quit her job to travel for an indefinite amount of time and told me in a raspy, confident AF voice, “life is too goddamn short, you need to live your best life.”

The women in that hostel changed my life. After my week in Rio, I called my mom. “Mom, I’m going to solo backpack the world.”

She probably thought I was absolutely nuts at the time, but said if I could fund it myself, she would support my decision.

What advice do you have for students who want to study outside of their home country?

I would encourage everyone to study abroad or take a gap year before going to university. If I could go back in time, I would have studied abroad for more time (or never gone to college to be completely honest).

For past international students: How did people back home react when you told them you were going to study outside your home country?

Most people will praise you and your bravery for doing something out of the norm. Travel and studying abroad is much more accepted and praised than it used to be. But, know that people who have never traveled or studied abroad will tell you it is dangerous. You must go where you are called to go – do not let other people’s fears stop you.

Professional Background

Would you say travel or living abroad have impacted your career path? How?

After my life-changing experience in Brazil, I graduated college and worked multiple jobs, one being a Human Resources Assistant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When I quit my job(s) to travel, I wasn’t sure how I would make money in the long-term.

My anti-sabbatical lasted five years.

I would backpack for 6-12 months, then go home and make money, then travel again.

Eventually there came to a point where I wanted to be able to support myself while traveling. I turned to teaching online and teaching abroad. I taught English in South Korea and quickly realized it was not for me.

This year, I was able to give up my odd jobs (serving/bartending/teaching online) and go fully remote as a full-time travel blogger and freelance writer. I feel incredibly blessed to combine my love for travel with my job and help other women do the same.

Psst, if you’re curious about teaching in South Korea, check out this feature by Jash, an engineer-by-education-turned-nomadic-teacher who has taught in South Korea and several other countries: Fearless Friday No. 28 – Jash, Nomadic Teacher in Haiti – The Millennial Abroad

What sorts of challenges do you face in the workplace? How has travel prepared you to deal with these challenges?

I never want to sugar coat the world of content creation and travel blogging. It is not a get rich scheme, it takes a lot of work and you really have to love it. It’s not for everyone. Don’t be fooled by bloggers’ beautiful Instagram feeds. Most of my days are spent in cafes. Travel has taught me to be resourceful and resilient.

Did you ever feel unsure of your career path?

Yes, I had so many doubts and struggled a lot with imposter syndrome.

I created a YouTube channel and didn’t make my first YouTube video for an entire year.

I was afraid to put myself out there. When I started stepping into my power and showing up, that’s when I got more opportunities and was able to move to Mexico as a digital nomad. Imposter syndrome never goes away.

On Lifestyle

Lots of people think traveling is cool, but not something they can see themselves doing. What are the characteristics of a traveler or person who would enjoy living abroad, in your opinion?

Everyone is a traveler, you just have to find the travel style that fits your personality and core values. I started as a Student Traveler then traveled as a backpacker and Anti-Sabbatical Traveler then was a Work Abroad Traveler (teaching English) and now I’m a Digital Nomad Traveler. There are so many ways to travel, explore the way that feels empowering for you.

If you value independence and time freedom, you will probably love backpacking.

If you value financial freedom and stability, you might enjoy working abroad.

If you want location and financial freedom, Digital Nomad travel might be for you.

Would you recommend backpacking and budget travel? Why?

Backpacking and budget travel gave me the freedom to travel longer and have local experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. When I first started traveling, everyone assumed I was wealthy or that you had to have all this money to travel, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you can afford luxury travel or not, I recommend backpacking/budget traveling to everyone. 

One of my favorite ways to travel for free is work exchange, which is volunteering in exchange for accommodation and food.

It’s a great way to learn a local language and travel longer. I used the website workaway.info (but there are a couple different websites to use) to find work exchanges like caretaking for an elderly woman in Antigua, Guatemala, working at a hostel in San Cristobal, Mexico, teaching Zumba and yoga at a weight loss clinic in Mazatenango, Guatemala, and working on an organic farm in Ecuador. I also recommend Couchsurfing (couchsurfing.com) and house sitting (trustedhousesitters.com) to travel for free.

Would you recommend solo travel based on your experiences?

You must solo travel at least once in your life, even if it’s just to another state or city.

Solo travel teaches you long-lasting lessons of self-love, self-trust, and resilience.

I get a lot of messages from women who are nervous to travel by themselves and question whether it’s safe and how to avoid loneliness. I was also afraid of all those things before my first trip and to be honest, I still get nervous.

There is no better feeling than arriving at your first destination and knowing that you planned all this by yourself. You did it. It’s a high. Once you travel by yourself, you will become addicted to the freedom and the liberation that solo travel gifts you.

Why does the world need travel blogging?

I would not be where I am if it weren’t for the encouraging words of authors and bloggers. When family members told me I was wasting my education and asking me when I would “grow up,” I leaned on the comforting words of Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed. Their courage and powerful stories propelled me to where I am today.

If you have a story to tell or advice to give and have the urge to share, start a blog or a YouTube channel or document your story on social media. I believe story-telling is the most powerful tool for change and collective empowerment.

One Last Question

What advice would you give to someone who knows they want to travel but aren’t sure where that fits in with the rest of their lives?

Surround yourself with people who inspire you, whether it’s travel facebook groups like Girls Love Travel, Instagram accounts, Reddit threads, or travel networks like Nomadic Network and Travel Massive. Read travel memoirs and start exploring different options.

Here are a couple of articles that might help you in your journey:

How to Overcome Your Fear of Traveling By Yourself

How to Quit Your 9-5 to Travel–12 Ways to Travel for Free

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Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited.

If you connected with Courtney’s feature, want to travel vicariously to Mexico through her gorgeous photos and fun reels, are interested in LGBTQIA travel content, want to learn Spanish, or just like her vibe, she invites you to connect on the following platforms.

instagram.com/courtneytheexplorer

youtube.com/courtneytheexplorer

courtneytheexplorer.com

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