About
Vanessa La Viajera
My Story
Hi everybody! Welcome to my solo female travel blog. If you know me in real life, you might be thinking “about time” or “finally!” I’ve built quite a reputation in the past (almost) decade of my life. People know and refer to me as many things now: a traveler, nomad, adventurer, and sometimes even Dora (us Hispanic girls all used to have the Dora haircut – I think it was a bit of foreshadowing for me!). What’s missing from those adjectives and important to note are the words: solo female.
As of today, I’ve visited 25% of the world, most of it as a solo female traveler. This was never something I intended on doing or specifically sought out. Instead, the Universe just sort of guided me onto this path. Now, I’m writing this in 2023 at 33-years-old, because I felt that same Universal guidance that I experienced years ago: that this was my time to start a travel blog. How did I end up here? The summer of 2016, I graduated with my Master’s degree from NYU. My boyfriend at the time was about to start medical school, so we both had a free summer. We decided to go backpacking throughout Europe with what little money we had.
We booked it and two weeks later we went. Nine countries. Eleven cities. It was … magical. That’s truly what it felt like, magic. I have a vivid memory of being at the train station in Locarno, Switzerland: we were waiting for the train, and as I was looking up at the mountains, something inside me was trying to tell me I was meant for so much more than what I was going home to. I felt this itch, something gnawing inside me, saying, “Keep traveling. Don’t go home. There is more to life!!” But I went home and started a new job in October 2016. If you know me in real life, then you know what comes next. December 6th, 2016, I lost my Dad suddenly and unexpectedly. That was the end of my old life – what came next was a rebirth.
After my Dad died, I had two choices: either let the pain and grief cripple me or turn it into something much more beautiful and greater than me. I chose the latter.
I won’t say I led a perfect life from then on because I didn’t, but I tried my best. And that’s all you can really do, is just try your best. In an effort to try to lead a more beautiful life in honor of my Dad, I ended up traveling – a LOT. It was then that people started joking with me that I was a world traveler. Little did we all know, I was just getting started!
Then April 2018 came, and I was let go from my job. I wasn’t upset at all. In fact, I felt – relieved. I had been unhappy at that job for awhile and was finally out. I told myself if I hadn’t gotten fired, I would have stayed, because it was comfortable – being comfortable is easy. Instead, I redirected my thoughts and perspective: this was happening because
I was being directed to something much better for me.
I spent the next several months traveling and it was the happiest I had been in so long. I wasn’t working so I wanted to look into ways to make money while I traveled. I did some research and discovered the world of being a digital nomad. I then became an independent contractor for a market research firm. I worked whenever I wanted and from wherever I wanted – this was my first taste of the nomad lifestyle, and I loved it!
Some time later, I found a job as a remote worker with another market research firm (this time salaried!). And then began my life as a remote worker with unlimited PTO – a true luxury that I am always appreciative of! Over the years, I’ve leveraged both of those perks to continue traveling the world alone. Remember when I said I wasn’t upset when I got let go from my job because the Universe was guiding me to something better?
Yeah, that turned out to be true. After a lot of time thinking and reflecting, I decided it was time to do something I felt the Universe was guiding me to
now. I was meant to write a solo female travel blog.
And so here it is – enjoy!
