Girl of the Wanderlost

Welcome!

Perhaps the day will come when I create beautiful prose, but for now let me introduce myself. I'm Melissa, I love traveling, and this is me joining the ranks of the travel blogging world. You can also follow me on instagram @girlofthewanderlost.
I'll share about my travels, my tips and favorites in various places, reviews where applicable, and any other bits of advice I've picked up.
So, the real question...how am I different from any other travel blog out there? In one regard, I'm not. A travel blog is a travel blog for all of that. But if I've learned anything, its that just as everyone travels a little bit differently, so do we all blog a little differently. I seek advice when traveling all the time. Sometimes getting lost while wandering is a wonderful experience. But that most recommended restaurant can also be well worth it. The thing I've learned though is that even some of my favorite bloggers can work for one trip and not for another. Like I said, everyone has a slightly different experience.

Me? I travel on a comfortably flexible budget. I define that as I walk or use public transportation most of the time, but I allow a small budget for taxi fare, as sometimes it is such a relief to have that easy trip back to my lodging or the airport. I tend to stay in simple hostels or airbnbs, not hotels, but I want a female dorm or a private room and bath. I buy groceries my first night in a city for breakfast and snacks, but I allow myself to indulge on dinner and to always, ALWAYS, spare some change for a cappuccino or cup of tea.

I could walk through a million cathedrals or tiny churches without ever getting bored. I can get lost and people watch for hours in a park. I consider a day chatting with new friends in a local pub to be a day completely unwasted. I'll see an exhibit of my favorite artist at a famous museum and not care a bit about walking out afterwards, with any number of masterpieces unseen. I have a 3 castle per trip max, because a suit of armor is a suit of armor is a suit of armor.

 If something doesn't thrill your soul, even the tiniest bit, I will always advise you to leave and find somewhere else to be. Allow yourself the ability to grow into a person who could come back and love something, don't force it.
The last difference...I'm fat. I consider that just a single description, not a definition. But it does color my experiences. I'll hike the same hills, but when I tell you about it, its as someone who stopped 9 times on the way to pretend to be taking in the view and a picture but is really out of breath and needs a 5 minute pause. My weight impacts some of my experience. I don't consider it to have lessened anything, but maybe if you're a fat girl like me, you need the travel advice from someone with a shared experience. Hopefully, I provide that.

So this is me. A fellow traveler. A new joiner of the travel blogging community. I leave you with a favorite travel quote.

"Dare to live the life you've always wanted."