Edinburgh, Scotland is my current home. I grew up in Missoula, Montana, USA.
I am currently a master’s student at the University of Glasgow (Education, Public Policy & Equity). I have also been a yoga and barre instructor, English teacher, and tutor. The top of any mountain is my happy place.
Vegetarian-leaning fish lover. Wine > other beverages. Good food is important to me.
I have traveled to 40+ countries and this blog is a space for me to share my notes with friends/others who visit places and want a little inspiration/guidance.
Travel is not always pretty. Sometimes the four-hour bus ride takes ten, the sleep is crappy & the tap water is not safe to drink after all. As I learn how to navigate a new place, I learn about myself. As a solo female traveler, I learn how to walk a fine line between fear & confidence among strangers. I learn to appreciate the difficulty/fragility of just surviving when amenities are limited. Talking to fellow nomads in hostels offers alternative outlooks which can be as shocking/shaping/life changing as immersion in foreign cultures. I post a lot of pictures of beaches & luxuries on social media but am not overlooking the dirty details. Travel, for me, is both a privilege & a duty. I gain empathy for fellow humans through diverse conversations. Connection with others lends meaning to life. As we sit sharing our wisdom, I feel inspired by their fairytale/nightmare stories, I learn to embrace ups & downs and carry on. I’m grateful for every person I’ve been privileged to meet, both at home & away. You all give me life. What a big world full of wonderfully different souls.
I find my way in new places through a mixture of research and asking around. Some recommendations here were found online since I follow other bloggers, others were stumbled upon or recommended by locals/former visitors. I hope to provide honest and useful info to fellow travelers and I invite feedback and interaction especially regarding any commentary I may make about experiences in certain places.
If there is one lesson I have taken from travel it is that every single moment is a brand new challenge. You never know what will happen on the road or even when you are feeling ‘at home.’ I find this liberating and motivating– building new lives again and again in completely new surroundings provides much meaning in my life. I hope that my words can inspire other travelers to go to new places. I hope that as we all start to move around the globe we find a deeper sense of community in the world and learn to treat each other better through it. Thank you for taking the time to read about me and about my experiences. Bon voyage!
-Grace
Grace in the World 