TL;DR: Just a girl in love with the world who doesn’t have time to see it all. I also don’t edit my photos with Photoshop or Lightroom – what you see is what you get.
Who is The Directionally Challenged Traveler?
My name is Pamela – I am a type-A personality, extroverted, Gryffindor, and proud travel nerd.
I was lucky as a kid, my parents liked to travel. Well, relatively at least. We did the Grand Canyon, a lot of the mid-west states, Florida, some Caribbean cruises, a Disney cruise, etc. When I was 12, my mom persuaded my dad to let me go to Mexico with the Girl Scouts. It was the first time I traveled on my own and didn’t experience homesickness (the last time this happened). In fact, I even emailed my parents telling them I didn’t miss them at all (harsh much?), but they still haven’t let me live down.
I don’t remember all the details of the trip being that young, but I remember being in awe of the language, the culture, and the food. I try to look at every trip with that same lens wherever I go.
However, I really attribute my love, and addiction to traveling to my first adult trip alone (without family) when I was 20 and went to Egypt. This trip really opened my eyes to a VERY different culture that I had limited experience and knowledge about. I met people I never would have otherwise. It also lit a fire in me to travel the world. I made a goal to visit all 7 continents before I turned 30. A goal that once achieved, wasn’t going to slow me down. From camping in Antarctica, to eating sea urchins in Japan, I still ache to see more of the world. My motto is that I’ll travel anywhere with anyone at any time.
Why a travel blog?
In 2019, I left an incredibly toxic job which also broke my heart. I turned to the one thing that has always made me happy – travel. I realized that I was happiest when I talked about travel, read about travel, planned travel, and of course – traveling.
I took a leap into a world that I knew nothing about. I never followed bloggers on Instagram or ‘influencers’ because I know the photos are edited and often not real. It felt self-centered and braggy rather than sharing something they love with others. That’s not what I wanted.
I aim to create a travel blog that focuses on real travel. Those of us with limited time off from work don’t have hours to wait for the perfect picture or have time to change outfits numerous times in one place for a variety of photos.
The ultimate goal of The Directionally Challenged Traveler is to help you plan your dream trip. It might not look like my dream trip and that’s okay. That’s the beauty of travel. On the blog, you’ll find the good, the bad, and the ugly. I promise to be honest with what I’ve done and not done – and things that aren’t worth the time.
What you won’t find here: Professional photography, an Instagram model, or perfect hair.
What’s with the name?
I get lost pretty much everywhere I go. From my hometown in New Jersey to the streets of Rome, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been called ‘directionally challenged’ my entire life so now I’m owning it. When traveling, getting lost can bring unexpected experiences and unique adventures – don’t be afraid of getting lost.
What does ‘letting the bucket list flow’ mean?
There are only a small number of countries that have made it on my bucket list – and even fewer ‘things to do’. While I am a big fan of lists and goals, sometimes our bucket list should flow to reflect places and things we’ve learned about or encountered by chance. Letting the world talk to you about incredible destinations and follow it to where you’re called to, instead of where someone else wants you to go. Relax a little bit, and let your bucket list flow!
