Hi, I’m Mariana.

A full-time traveler, digital nomad, seasoned mistake maker, avid hiker, etc.

Back in 2021, I left a 10-year corporate career in Austin, Texas, and headed to Europe with my savings for what I thought was going to be a 6-month sabbatical.

I decided to shift hard from the comforts of a more traditional life because I wanted to prove to myself that I could live exactly the way that I wanted – traveling the world, making my own way, a feisty woman in her element – curious, open-hearted, and with a sprinkle of “fuk it, why not!” attitude.

Along the way, I started this travel blog to share my experiences, document my road trips, and let my parents know that nobody stole me. Here are a few answered FAQs I get about how I did it, when I pulled the trigger, and why I keep going down this path.

Fast forward to today, this blog has become my full-time business and I am absolutely in my element.

I mostly live in Europe and spend months hiking in places like Switzerland and Norway, road-tripping through the cutest towns in Italy that people only see in over-saturated Instagram posts, and trying to stay safe while sorting out how to get from one place to another without using Uber in off-beat countries like Albania and Turkey. 🙈

It’s not all roses and butterflies, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun, enriching, wild, and full of “holy shit” moments than any other chapter of my life.

Want to do something similar?
Drop me a note at: [email protected]

Where I’ve Lived & Traveled

Since I left the US a few years back, I’ve made it my mission to explore all the little nooks and crannies of Europe and make the most of my time here. I typically spend at least a month in each place, and as of late, am settling on living full-time in Portugal for the next chapter of my life. Because of that, my expertise lies within the following destinations:

📍Italy – Rome, Florence, Milan, Sicily, Sardinia, Napoli & Pompeii, Dolomites, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Venice

📍Portugal – Lisbon, Porto, Algarve, Lagos, Madeira

📍France – Strasbourg, Vosges Mountains, Lyon, Provence, French Riviera

📍Norway – Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Geiranger Fjord, Trollstigen Road, Âlesund

📍Turkey – Istanbul, Cappadocia, Bodrum, Izmir, Fethiye, Oludeniz, Ephesus

📍Spain – Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Costa Brava

📍Switzerland – The Swiss Alps (Luaterbrunnen, Murren, Grimmelwald, Stoos), Interlaken

📍Croatia – Split, Zagreb, Pula, Dubrovnik, Island of Vis & Korčula, Plitvice Waterfalls

📍United Kingdom – London, Richmond, Cornwall, Scotland (Edinbugh)

📍Ireland – Cliffs of Moher, Dublin

📍Czech Republic – Prague, Jizera Mountains

📍Belgium – Ghent, Brussels

📍Morocco – Marrakech, Sahara Desert

📍Romania – Bucharest, Brasov, Bran Castle, Transfagarasan, Moldova Region, Sibiu

📍Albania – Tirana, Sarandë, Vlorë, Ksamil, Himarë, Albanian Riviera

📍Montenegro – Kotor, Perast

📍Greece – Athens, Paros, Naxos, Santorini (Oia, Fira), Mykonos

📍Germany – Munich, Berlin, Bamberg

Why Now?

I don’t want to live a life guided by fear.
And I want to live a good story.

When I am 90 years old, lounging at a beach throwing back a top-shelf caipirinha, I want to be the most interesting mofo there, hanging out with her equally bomb-ass friends.

I want to be worldly and wise and to have experiences and stories to back it up. Most of all, I want to meet and surround myself with people who think similarly and make my life richer, fuller, and bigger.

So, I started with an idea and small steps.

So much of my identity in my 20s was wrapped up in my next promotion, next happy hour, or next Bumble date. Surrounded by people and corporate wins, I became lonely and restless. A sabbatical crossed my mind, but then there were my fears:

• Fear of being poor
• Fear of throwing away a great job
• Fear of not meeting people’s expectations of me
• Fear of getting hurt or sick
• Fear of f**king up my life…

I planned slowly, thinking through decisions, their impact, and my own peace of mind. After a year, I saved about $70K, stashed all my belongings at my parent’s house, packed a carry-on, hugged my people, and jumped the pond to Europe.

What I Left Behind

It has been harder than I thought to unplug from a traditional life where everything is familiar. What I left behind was this:

✔️ A good career

A decade at an Austin tech company where I made a good career for myself and forever friends. Simply put, I was addicted to my job and great at it! But I was also burned out.

✔️ My Fam and Friends

My family is tight. Immigrants to the United States since 1995, our relationship is strong. My friends are also wonderful, and I have a few close-knit groups. I left knowing that I would not see them for a bit and worried that distance might lessen our relationship.

✔️ Failed relationships (good riddance!)

A long series of ‘not right’ and ‘not ready’ partners. I dated many examples of excuses for poor behavior… and sometimes, I’m ashamed to say, I think I was all of those things to others. Because hurt people, hurt people. I wanted to end that cycle for myself.

What I gained was freedom.

I think that if people saw navigating the unknown as a stable way to go about life, they would probably do more of it.

Being solo used to mean nobody wanted you. Now it means you’re pretty damn sexy, and you are taking your time to decide how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with. I guess what I’ve gained through this whole transition is the ability to be less afraid of what I can’t control.

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Is Blogging Worth It?

Not for everyone, but hell-the-fuck-yes for some. And by the way, this blog is not just about writing stories, it’s a platform and web presence to launch a whole bunch of other little business ideas (food for thought).

👉 I want to show people that traveling for longer periods of time and making money is very possible.

👉 I also hope to encourage folks to quit the shit that isn’t working for them and pivot!

Yes, I Make Money Travel Blogging

In 2022, I invested in a coach, learned SEO, and started Travel Blogging with purpose. A year and a half later, with some hard work and dedication to the craft, I started making money!

Practicing Slow Travel

When I left my corporate life for a digital nomad one, I promised myself to listen to my gut. Outside my comfort zone and in countries where I am a guest, every day, I am more mindful of how I act, how I connect with my peeps at home, as well as how I bring new people into my life.

And every day, I practice letting go of that silly need for control. Yea, existential AF, but that’s me!

I guess the bottom line is that we are either pushed by fear or pulled by love, and I just want to make more choices rooted in what I love.

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