Wanderlust
noun wan·der·lust \ˈwän-dər-ˌləst\
: a strong desire to travel

Formerly The Traveling Scholar, I’ve finally taken the plunge and re-branded after many years of toying with the idea. While I’ve mostly dropped the more academic focus of my site, the desire to travel and endless inspiration for jet setting has never ceased. I originally started documenting my travels as a graduate student in London in 2009, my first foray into real international travel on a regular basis. As a child, I grew up with a restless soul and a desire to see the world, but it wasn’t until adulthood that I could make those dreams a reality. Since then, I have had an amazing opportunity to see parts of the globe that I never imagined, meet incredible and inspiring people, and enjoy experiences that I never thought possible.  My travel style has changed since I started out, and for the most part I’ve said goodbye to my hostel days (though I look back on them with the fondest of memories) and have come to embrace affordable luxury. My style is a genuine mix of high/low, mixing boutique hotels with avant garde hostels and a fair spattering of luxe accommodations. If faced with the decision of a luxury hotel vs. investing in a cultural experience, I’ll take the experience any day. I genuinely believe that great experiences can be had with a bit of research, planning, flexibility and willingness to take everything as an exciting learning experience and a future memory. I don’t believe you have to spend a fortune to engage in meaningful travel experiences and I continue to travel with that guiding philosophy.

I appreciate true experiential travel; diving into authentic local culture through personal interactions, dining and local experiences. Through my international travels – some solo, some with friends and family, some with my now-husband – I’ve learned to be true to myself and to embrace the experiences that I truly value. I quickly learned that many of the most memorable experiences are unplanned, which was a challenge for my inner planner to embrace. I still plan because I enjoy the process, but I’ve learned to embrace the beauty of the unexpected.

After stints in London and San Francisco, I currently call the Caribbean island of Anguilla home, where my husband and I are fortunate enough to be part of the management team of the Frangipani Beach Resort. In addition, I’m proud to be on the board of the Omololu International School, and the curator for Cruiseable, a cruise-focused website and app.

Thank you for following along with my journey on The Wanderlust Effect as I share my experiences, places that have inspired, and destinations that have changed my perspectives on the world. Please peruse, comment and share your questions – I hope that this small corner of the world serves to foster the wanderlust in you.