In my twenties, I traveled reactively — last-minute flights, overpriced hotels, Instagram-worthy destinations that cost a fortune for three days of content. I came home broke and exhausted, calling it adventure. At 30, I travel more than I ever did, to better places, for less money. The difference isn't income — it's strategy.
I set up flight alerts for everywhere I want to go and buy when prices drop, not when I'm desperate. I travel mid-week and off-season when the same destinations cost half as much. I stay in apartments instead of hotels because I cook half my meals and experience neighborhoods instead of tourist strips. I plan trips around experiences instead of locations — a cooking class in Oaxaca costs less than a beach resort in Cancun and gives me something I actually remember.
The myth is that travel requires either youth or wealth. Neither is true. It requires intention and planning. The women who travel well in their thirties aren't the richest — they're the most organized. Book ahead, be flexible with dates, and prioritize experiences over aesthetics. You'll go further on less.
One honest essay about life at 30, delivered weekly.
I booked a one-way ticket to prove I could do it alone. I came back knowing I could do anything alone.
Forget the party. Take yourself somewhere new and mark the decade with an experience, not an event.
Thirty hits and suddenly the career you built in your twenties doesn't fit anymore. That's not failure — that's growth.