ABOUT ME
Hey! I’m Lauren and from a young age I have always loved travel and food. After graduating in May 2022 from Iowa State University with a degree in Culinary Food Science, I decided to take a leap. Instead of going down the more traditional route of immediately starting a career, I have chosen to follow my dream of traveling without a set destination or timeframe.
“I travel because I’d rather look back at my life, saying ‘I can’t believe I did that’ instead of ‘if only I had…’”
– Florine Bos
Before I even had my first job, I have been saving money from my allowance and birthday and Christmas gifts for travel. Once I got a job, I saw my savings begin to grow and began to dream where it would eventually take me. That inspired me to work even harder so that I could save even more for my adventures.
My first solo trip was two weeks after my high school graduation in June 2018. That summer I spent six weeks backpacking across Europe and while there traversed Germany, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Although most of the trip was solo, fortunately, I was also able to visit some family and friends.
After my first year of university, in August 2019, I was able to do my next solo trip which was to Ireland and Northern Ireland. This was my first 100% solo trip; no stopping to see family or friends. Finding a cheap flight was the catalyst that led to this adventure. Thankfully, since I also saved all the tips I made working that summer, I was able to be spontaneous.
Jumping forward to January 2020, I was able to take advantage of a study abroad program at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki, Greece. Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic caused my semester abroad to be abruptly cut short. During the short time I did have in Greece, I was able to take weekend trips to Poland, Israel, Palestine, and Switzerland.
“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.”
–Anthony Bourdain
Throughout these and many other adventures I have been on, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to explore and learn about different cuisines and cultures. I am looking forward to expanding my world views as well as my palate.
Follow along to see where I go next!
​
Lauren
