About Me
I’m a 20-something with a serious case of wanderlust.
Over the past decade, I’ve traveled on all six inhabited continents, using every form of transportation you can think of. As a kid, I wandered with my parents and three brothers. Now, I continue the adventure on my own. Right now, I’m trying to find a way to feasibly carry three or more instruments AND things that are “actually essential” to life on the road. You know, clothes, food, medical kits, the boring stuff. ;)
I’m a “world schooled” kid, meaning that I traveled full-time as part of my education. I studied all the required basics (math up through Calculus, the sciences, history, language, etc) and then some, self-teaching (with parental help) and participating in online courses. After finishing with high school material, I began taking basic required introductory courses through Oregon State University’s e-distance program. The day after I turned 19, I moved to Kingston, Ontario to start my undergrad in Geography. I graduated from Queen’s University with honours in Spring 2019. A week after graduating, I turned down a job in urban planning to continue traveling.
Weird facts about me:
- The ocean scares me
- I love a good sword fight
- I make hats
- I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and early-onset arthritis
- I’m a terrible dancer
Being able to support yourself through location-independent work is a key part of living on the road, so I’ve created work for myself as a freelancer.
I started at 15 through a blogging mentorship at Wandering Educators and a writing gig at Teen Travel Talk. I’ve worked as a freelance writer, edited, set up and managed websites and social media for businesses and bloggers, and taught creative writing skills via Skype. I’ve even ghost-written a book series. In my spare time, I sometimes dress up as a fairy and fiddle for children’s camps or as a busker. Just because.
I’m wildly passionate about travel and education.
More than that, I want to encourage others to find creative ways to make their dreams a reality. If you need help brainstorming online income ideas, finding the confidence to travel solo or with your family, or have questions about traveling as a teen, hit me up.
The Long Story, for those who want the details:
My time on the road officially started when my dad quit his job after saving up a travel fund for 2+ years. We packed our things into storage, sold the house in the backwoods of New Hampshire, and all six of us took off on a year-long trip through Europe and Northern Africa… on bikes. I was eleven at the time.
It was a fantastic year, spent in tents and on the road, having adventure after adventure. Unfortunately, while we were in Tunisia, the economy crashed, the money was gone, and my parents were forced to choose between going home and hunting for a job, or finding a way to make money while on the road. They chose to reinvent their careers. Dad now works as a freelance computer developer and programmer, and Mom works as a freelance travel writer/editor/project leader, which is what inspired me to find ways to build an online career while traveling as well. It wasn’t easy, but they persevered. They are my inspiration.
We did come “home” a few months after the crash, but settling in just wasn’t working for us. So we kept going. We were more likely to spend a few months in one destination than to hop in a van and hit the road daily, but we did both over the years.
Current Adventures:
From last September, I spent about 7 months traveling the world solo. The experience was life-changing. Solo travel is a fully new experience! I found my purpose again, rediscovered joy in my life, learned many new things and made incredible connections around the globe. I moved relatively slowly by some standards, visiting:
- Hong Kong
- Bali
- Portugal
- Spain
- Morocco
- Scotland
- Sweden
- Turkey
I was in a remote mountain pass when COVID really hit the global scene and borders began shutting down. It took three action-packed days to get back to Canada, where I quarantined and tried to find my feet again. Unfortunately I lost every bit of my work in the course of a week, going from fully self-sustaining and thriving to making literally $50 a month.
Now I’m regaining clients and doing my usual entrepreneurial thing – there’s always something to be done if you know how to look!
Currently based back in Kingston, Ontario, teaching art, building websites, playing music, growing my community, and really just loving life in this phase. How’s things with you? Getting notes from followers is my favorite, so feel free to drop an update from your end. ^_^
Read more and follow my adventures!
23 Comments
Renee
Hi, Hannah.
Is there a way to subscribe to your blog? I’d like to receive email notifications for new posts.
Cheers,
Renee
EdventureGirl
Hi Renee!
There is now! Click on the “subscribe” button on my homepage and you’ll be all set!
Smilez
Hey, Hannah!
Remember me? I love your blog! Thailand seems to be more interesting than I thought. It seems like just yesterday you left for Thailand. Gym was never the same without you! <3
I tried to subscribe to your blog, but it doesn't seem to be "Safari friendly." Think you can help?
-Smilez
P.S. I'll be sure to recommend edventuregirl to all our friends here in New England, one of the only places where summer actually starts in July!
Thomas
Hi Hannah, great blog! I was wondering, in your interview with Nancy Vogel she mentioned how content she was at the moment just staying in one place and putting down roots. I realize that you are 16 and pretty much have to travel where and whenever your parents decide to go, but do you ever yearn to just stay in one place for an extended period of time and just live? If yes, then where would be your choice of residence?
Keep up the great work!
-Thomas
EdventureGirl
Hi Thomas!
First of all, I love travel. To be honest, after about six months in any one place I get “cabin fever” and long for the road again. Second of all, it’s a common misunderstanding that we kids simply follow our parents around. Quite often, we’re the ones to suggest a new destination and help with the planning. In fact, I’ve funded and taken a few trips of my own already. But to answer your question, yes, sometimes I think it would be nice to settle down somewhere familiar for a while. Choosing one place to call home would be hard though… I think I have to say any of these three come the closest to being home for me: Wolfe Island, Canada; Lago de Atitlan, Guatemala; or somewhere in the forests of New Hampshire. Thanks for the great question!
Hannah
Jonnel Licari
Hannah, I love reading about your family’s adventures. Hope to do it with my husband and children some day. For now, we stay put in Italy (mostly, we do travel when we can) where I’ve started an organization to open the minds of kids here through language and cultural activities. If you ever want to come back to Italy (I read that was your favorite place on your travels!) please get in contact. We’d love to have you involved in what we’re doing!
email: ingleseforyou@yahoo.com
EdventureGirl
Hi Jonnel! It sounds like you’re doing some really inspirational and important things in Italy! Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that I’ll be in Italy any time in the next few years. If I decide to travel there anytime in the future, I will certainly contact you! Good luck with your work!
Kaitlyn
Hey, Hannah! A friend of a friend told me that I needed to check out your blog- and it’s awesome. You’re so lucky to have travelled to so many neat places! Also, I love Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, I got to go there on a missions trip with my church when I was in high school. Right now I’m in Makassar, Indonesia on a gap-year before going to college in the Fall, and I know totally get what you mean about missing your friends back home but making some new ones along the way. Anyways, good luck on all of your adventures!
PS Your parents seem totally awesome
Here’s my blog in case you ever wanna check it out-
http://www.myrotaryyouthexchange.blogspot.com
:)
EdventureGirl
Hi Kaitlyn! Thanks for reading some of my posts! Where in Lago de Atitlan did you go? Did you go to San Pedro, or Panahachel? Hope you had a good time in Makassar! We were just there! Crazy, right? I checked your blog out, it looked pretty cool! :)
Ira
Hey, Hannah! I have so many question to you because you are really interesting person ,in my opinion : )) As you said I am a original “normal” teen but ,frankly, I dream to treavel )) How can I talk to you in person ? ) With best wishes , Ira
EdventureGirl
Hi Ira! Feel free to like Edventuregirl on Facebook. I’m also on Twitter, Linkedin, and Google +. If you want to email me directly, please use hannah@edventuregirl.com, and let me know a bit about you. Thanks for contacting me!
Hannah
Emily
Hey dude! Your life sounds a lot like mine! I moved onto a small sailboat when I was 6 with my family In the Caribbean, and have done quite a bit of traveling. I was home-schooled in Tahiti, Great barrier reef, been all over Europe, spent some time in Japan. Now I am 20, and living in New Zealand. I’m finally going to a real school haha! I’m at university studying Nursing and plan to travel again when I finish my degree. :D
EdventureGirl
Wow, so cool! :D We were just in New Zealand a few months ago. Where are you at? Are you going to be a nurse as you travel?
H
Emily
Awesome! I live up north in Whangarei :) If you ever come back in the next two years hit me up if you need a place to crash :D
and yup! Thats the plan! Do you think you will do any tertiary education?
Stormy
This is my new favorite blog. The snow is flying outside my window while I try and coax a fire to warm my chilly bones. My faithful little ship is safely tucked in dry dock for the month leaving me all day to explore i\and live vicariously through you eyes. Thank you for sharing your beautiful life. Alan
shelley
Amazing blog, thank you for sharing about your life. One question I have is whether or not your parents vaccinated you and your siblings? We haven’t vaccinated our 4 year old and are interested in world schooling. Thank you in advance. s
EdventureGirl
Hi Shelley,
Yes, we’ve all been vaccinated before visiting regions where we’d be at risk of getting various sicknesses. I’ve had all of the usual American vaccinations, in addition to all the hep vaccines, as well as typhoid, meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, and yellow fever. My grandpa had polio as a child and permanently lost the use of his left arm, so we’re pretty serious about getting all of our vaccinations. Thanks for checking out my blog!
Andrew
Hi Hannah, my ex-wife and I are hoping to worldscho our two boys, and so i have a couple questions for you. 1) were you constantly on the road or did yoi have a homebase to come back too? 2) what did your parents do for money if you were constantly on the road? 3) If your in college or University how has worldschooling affected you in school and for making friends at the school?
LIndsay
my girl. you are incredible. i loved traveling (feeds my soul) long before i (accidentally) became a mother. now, it means even more. raising my kids outside the confines and boringness of suburban america is all i want for them. if my girls grow to be half what you are as a person, i will prouder than proud. keep it up!
Cyn
I envy your bravery in traveling alone. I would love to see more of the world, but I feel like I would be paranoid and looking over my shoulder all the time out of fear of getting attacked or robbed, especially as a petite female. How do you handle the fear?
EdventureGirl
Hi Lindsay! The fear goes away once it becomes clear that the risk is much, much lower than people would have you believe. When I first started traveling solo, I was definitely nervous – I prepared by making sure I had a few pieces of gear to make me feel safer, by carefully choosing my lodging and destinations, and by always having a plan B. But after just a week or two on the road, I realized/remembered that people are generally GOOD. In my most recent 7 month trip, I was alone pretty much all the time and went to destinations across Indonesia, Europe, Turkey, and Morocco, and only had one slightly unsafe instance – not much different than when I’m home in Canada, to be honest. So I’d say, trust your ability to handle situations and plan well, trust your gut, and trust that 99% of people aren’t out to get you. Also, give it a couple of weeks on the road to fight your fear. <3
Snowglobe
Hi, Hannah.
Love hearing about your life–so exciting!
I have a connective tissue autoimmune disorder. (Not EDS.) Do you follow a special diet and if so do you have trouble finding approved food “on the road”? (This is something that is on my mind a lot.)
EdventureGirl
Hey! I am very careful about my diet most of the time, but don’t have any particularly special needs. I focus on maintaining a well-balanced diet based on fresh food as much as possible. If you can score a kitchen in your accommodations, you’re set pretty much anywhere in the world. Things do get complicated if you’re vegan, gluten-free, or have serious allergies.