About the author | How I caught The Travel bug

Hi, I am Tatiana—currently a digital nomad traveling around Europe 90 days at a time ( the Schengen zone rule) and beyond, in other parts of the world.

Do you like my rooftop mobile office in front of a beautiful church and a storks’ nest (see the picture below for a closer look at the nest)?

It was a cheap accommodation for incredibly fun experience in Portugal right at the start of my nomadic life. I was so ecstatically happy!

These kinds of unusual and affordable experiences is something I became a pro in and I share my knowledge.  But let’s start from the beginning on my story.

Making a change

Eventually, I decided to make a big change to my life.  I stopped buying needless possessions, got my passport updated, and started investing in travel gear and plane tickets to Europe.

 By that time I’ve already explored all the best spots in the US and I needed to see new places.

With time, I became a serious expert on finding affordable flights and discovering incredible places to visit. 

I’ve learnt how to choose the best travel destination for me, because I discovered that not all great destinations are great for us! For example, if you are traveling solo and going to stay at some remote beach destination, you might start feeling lonely! While solo stay in a large city is usually great for me!

You know the ‘10,000-hour rule’ about becoming an expert? I spent more than 10,000 hours planning trips, and I became the ‘official” travel expert!

Becoming self-employed to have more time to travel

The next step was figuring out how to find time to travel more. 

Becoming self-employed allowed me to frequently visit Europe from the US, thanks to flexible schedule and the affordable round-trip deals I was finding. In fact, the deals for 2 weeks were less expensive than domestic flights between American cities, plus staying in the US hotel for 4 days!

I also learned a lot from my previous travel mistakes.

Becoming an expert on packing light

At first, I wasn’t good at packing.

My very first international trip found me dragging two suitcases, as all the stuff I was sure I needed on that trip was not fitting in just one. Midway through the trip, I asked myself if I was enjoying carrying around suitcases full of outfits and shoes I would never have time to wear. I suspect you know the answer to that question. 😉

So, I started working on becoming an expert in packing light and smart.  The years of playing Tetris growing up paid off; if there is a tiny space in my suitcase, I know how to use it wisely now!:) 

I put on my expert consumer hat and figured out how to pack like a pro.

I  experimented, until I found the best tiny containers and the best packing cubes, suitcases, and backpacks for different trips.

I also figured out which items I need for a comfortable flight and many other things I will share with you.

I have wasted a lot of money buying the wrong items until I found the best ones, and I want to help you avoid these mistakes.

Visiting Europe right after Pandemic Travel Restrictions

The pandemic restrictions on travel were not easy for me. I missed my beloved Europe so much, but since I was in the US, I had to wait.

I was very happy to be able to go on a couple of brief trips within the US, I went to New York and San Francisco, and that scratched the itch a bit.

And when the time came for me to finally be able to fly to Europe back in 2021, I went to Spain right away and had another amazing trip. The best part of my trip was spending a week in Palma de Mallorca. I loved every minute of that trip!

I was SO happy traveling and missed Europe so much upon my return that I have finally made the decision I have yet to regret (hopefully never!):)

Deciding to go nomadic

So, I made the decision to become fully nomadic for my sanity.

Some people see professional care specialists for their mental sadness. I knew my sadness would be cured once I had the ability to explore new places and see pretty old houses every day. I knew I would become very happy instead!

I have an uncurable need to see pretty city scenes. I can’t help it!

And since there are no old houses or pretty big city scenes on the West coast of the US, it was time for me to go on an indefinite road trip to Europe (mostly, as long as visa allows). I want to explore every corner and every back tiny narrow street of old areas of cities in Europe.

Starting my nomadic life

Oh boy, was I right about becoming very happy again once I got the chance to be traveling and exploring full-time! That was the best thing I did for myself. I went to Spain in 2022 and took endless videos and pictures in Alcazar de Royal in Seville, and in hundreds of other places.

Masks were still mandatory in Spain in 2022.

I understand that people are different, and some people actually enjoy sameness. It’s comforting for them!

But I was simply born for exploring and documenting my explorations and embracing new cultures and traditions. It’s fun for me!

And since I am nomadic and can be anywhere now, why not spend the cold winter months in SE Asia and other warm continents to warm up, explore new territories, and enjoy the low cost of living there? 

How is my nomadic life going

Nowadays, I can be found hopping all over the world full-time, exploring, recording what I see, and looking for ways to make a living out of my adventures.

I also do lots of blogging, even though I still haven’t covered a lot of wonderful destinations I’ve visited but haven’t had a chance to cover yet. The magority of my time goes to taking videos of my walks and editing them. I haven’t posted many of my videos yet. I’m trying to see if something will be done to protect Copyright, instead of letting steal them. That’s a topic for another day!:)

It’s a very unconventional life, but it’s the only one that calls to me and keeps me oh so excited!

And let me tell you about the creative juices my exciting life is producing. It’s not just a stream, but a strong, never-ending river of creativity lately!

This creativity is partially the result of traveling and partially the result of traveling alone. You can read more about the benefits of traveling alone here.

I still haven’t figured everything out. It’s a journey, not a destination, even though I keep talking about destinations on my blog!

If you’re interested, you can keep up with my adventures and findings on social media and in my posts.

Please subscribe to my blog if you’d like to follow along. The form is in the footer.

I also give practical advice on travel itineraries, as I’m very experienced in that area, especially in the best way to get around Portugal, and know I know to find great bargains without sacrificing the quality of your trip!

Check out my travel tips on Alonga Travel, and reviews of the best European destinations and city breaks.

I also review online flight booking companies where you can buy the cheapest air tickets.

But enough about me! 🙂