Hey there! I’m Jen, a world-traveling teacher with an Alani in one hand, a passport in the other, and a classroom full of stories waiting to be told. When I’m not lesson-planning or chasing flights, I’m usually at home surrounded by my animals, I have a ton and they are the real bosses of the house but remind me daily that happiness can be found in the simplest routines.
When I was 28, I was in a completely different place. I was miserable in my job, exhausted in my relationship, and broke enough that I actually overdrew my bank account just to buy a travel book. (Spoiler: totally worth it but do not recommend doing that.) I wanted to see the world so badly, but I barely had two pennies to rub together. I dreamed of seeing the world, I was told “people like me don’t travel” and that I needed to stop dreaming. No, I am not joking, if you are in that type of relationship I promise you can do better. I was reminded daily that I was just a poor ordinary and plain girl from a small town and would never amount to more. Narcissistic abuse anyone? Seriously I can get so mad at myself for thinking that BS was okay.
So, I made a promise to myself. I was going to change my life and go somewhere. Anywhere just to prove that ordinary poor girls like me can travel. I focused on paying off debt, saving every spare dollar, and creating a life that didn’t need an escape. I started doing savings challenges and started with the penny challenge and never looked back. It took me three years to save for my first “adult” international trip to Guatemala, where I worked on a coffee farm and fell completely in love with travel, people, and purpose. The best part? I paid it out without using credit cards. It would take me 10 additional years to get 100% out of debt but I promised myself I was going to get out of debt and I did. I know without a doubt that debt trapped me in a relationship and a job that I did not want.
After Guatemala, I started exploring solo. I traveled to Merida Mexico where I worked at an animal shelter then I traveled to San Jose Costa Rica where I helped build a kindergarten as well as teach English and realized I loved teaching. Like love love teaching. Those early trips gave me courage, clarity, and a whole lot of unforgettable memories and also convinced me it was time to leave my adjuster job behind. I started pursuing teaching, beginning with ESL work through VIPKID, I fell in love with it so much I was going to go to China full time to teach English at the end of March of 2020…. and well we all know what happened. So I changed my plans and got certified to teach social studies to high school kids and BOOM now I teach high school kids World Geography. I love what I do. I get to teach about the world when I am not traveling the world. I love it.
But during those life changes I was determined to change all aspects of my life. So I did.
After Guatemala I decided I was done with my ex. I couldn’t do it anymore and in fact I decided I was done with the dating world in general and I am going to be a solo world traveler and famous. I even made an embarrassing Facebook post about it I boldly claimed I was going to be the next female solo traveler and get famous. I only had about $120 to my name and debt collectors calling every hour but I was going to do live that life. Don’t drink and Facebook is all I have to say. (I like to call this time period in my life, my quarter life crisis). Thankfully the universe, had other plans and I met my husband at a museum and after 5 months of dating I convinced him that traveling to China was a great idea (he was totally game). So, we went to China on probably the most budget trip ever. We stayed in an $18 dollar a night guest house, ate $2 noodles and took the cheapest and shadiest tuktuk trip around the hutongs. We traveled to the Forbidden City with two men from Sudan we met at the entrance. We visited the Great Wall and loved every single minute of it. We loved our trip to China so much, we went back a year later to Chengdu, and he proposed in Leshan, right in front of the Giant Buddha. Since then, we’ve snorkeled with sea turtles in Barbados, road-tripped through Ireland, and celebrated Starkbierfest in Munich because every good teacher deserves a strong beer now and then. We have cruised through the Greek Islands, drank wine in Montenegro and shopped through the bazaars of Istanbul. We have built a life together piece by piece that we love and I know I can inspire you to do the same. I have been in the trenches where life had me feeling defeated and that I was never going to live a dream life. I have been broke, I have been in bad relationships, I have been in a job that was not for me. I have been massively in debt, I remember at one point I wasn’t paycheck to paycheck. I was overdraft to overdraft. I would see I was overdrawn and have debt collectors calling me. I don’t tell you this to brag, I tell you this because IT DOES GET BETTER WITH HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION Trust me I have been there. I wish I could have traveled in my 20s but that was not the life I was dealt. If I am going to be honest I did not make the choices that allowed that life. I made those choices and I make my choices now. I wish I could say that I have traveled to 100+ countries, but the reality is that is not my life right now. I am okay with that. I am going at my own pace. Comparison is the thief of joy and I don’t want to waste anymore of my life not living in joy. So I stopped comparing myself to others.
Seventeen of my twenty-five countries have been with the hubby by my side but that same adventurous, scrappy girl who once overdrew her account for a travel book is still here, just with a few more stamps and a much bigger smile. I also have a lot more common sense and budget skills. I don’t believe in going in debt to travel. (if you do charge your trips do you boo, I just know debt kept me in bad situations and I swore to myself I would never be in that position again). I do travel hack though. I am not perfect.
Here on Hall Pass to Everywhere, you’ll find stories from the road, budget travel tips and honest reflections on building a life you love the quirks, chaos, and all of it.
So whether you’re grading papers, dreaming of your next adventure, or just trying to find that spark again, I am here to support you. Welcome.
Grab your hall pass, because we’re going everywhere.