One year ago today I stored all my belongings in my friend Francis’ garage in San Diego and began my journey of working remotely around the world. {Special shout-out to him for being such a gracious friend.}

Seeing all my possessions in once place was humbling. I am proud to not be a hoarder and it’s clear I spend all of my money on food and traveling. {Another special shout-out to my people at Dominos, you know who you are.}

Also, I don’t miss any of those items! Well, maybe my Josh Allen candle.

April, 2022 was a very transitional month for me. I had just gone through a breakup, found out my boss was leaving (essentially putting me in charge of a stressful situation), was dealing with some health stuff, and was moving out of an apartment I had lived in/loved for six years. On top of that, we were all still recovering from the insanity that was the Covid -19 pandemic.

Since that day on April 24, 2022, I’ve traveled and worked remotely in 8 countries, 8 states, and 35 cities; lived in 12 Airbnbs, 15 hotels, and crashed on several friend’s couches; airports became a commonplace; I slowly became a pro at navigating train and metro systems; regretted (almost daily) lugging around my giant suitcase (pack light kids!), and smooched 5 European men.

I am so proud of how much I’ve developed as a person, especially with my confidence of being on my own and traveling internationally solo.

And not only did I succeed at working remotely, I was acknowledged for kicking butt. I think part of that was the fact my excitement/zest for life was at an all time high. I would wake each morning with a smile on my face and elated at what the day could bring. In Europe, I worked EST hours which allowed me to explore until late afternoon. By the time I started my work day, I had already logged 15,000+ steps!

Reflecting on the last year makes me happy. Someday, when I’m an old {still hot} lady, I can’t wait to share my adventures while drinking wine and getting handsy with my accented husband.

Thought I would also include some of the things I’ve learned below. Hopefully this helps encourage anyone reading to also embark on their own adventure/push themselves out of their comfort zone, whatever that may be.

Now… where to next?

Things I’ve learned

As someone who is a “planner,” being spontaneous can be both rewarding and plain fun, you never know where the day will take you. Traveling alone is a mix of empowering, scary and rewarding. Food is just better in Europe. Accents make men about 20-30% more attractive. Having friends who were willing to meet up with me during my journey made it even more magical. And being able to spend time with family on the east coast has been priceless.

Jess’ tips for traveling to Europe/UK alone

1. Take advantage of the freshly squeezed OJ. Everyday if possible. Nectar of the gods in my opinion. 
2. Drink house wine. It’s cheap. And good. 
3. Make friends. Now’s your chance to meet people from all over the world and learn about their culture. 
4. Understand European appliances. For example: don’t use laundry detergent in the dishwasher like I did by accident. Oops. 
5. Europeans don’t like dryers for some reason. Allot time for drying on clothesline. 
6. Wear trendy sneakers, cobblestones don’t like heels and no one wants to see you walking like a dinosaur. Well maybe we do. 
7. The ground floor is not considered the first floor, it is considered 0. You’re welcome. 
8. Be prepared to walk up a lot of stairs. Many places don’t have elevators. 
9. Pack light. A lot of places don’t have elevators and you look like a dumbass with your big bag (I know from experience). 
10. At the train station, be sure to get your ticket time stamped before you board. 
11. Patience is clutch. Sometimes traveling can bring out the worst in people. 
12. Remember, your US plugs don’t work in European outlets. Get an adapter (they’re everywhere at the stores over there). Also I wouldn’t bring your hairdryer and just use the one at the hotel/Airbnb. The wattage doesn’t translate over there. 
13. Take notes—traveling is so eye opening and inspiring. I love writing down things to read, research ideas, stores I like, recipes to try, etc. from each place I visit. 
14. Always look both ways. In some countries you drive on the other side of the road. Or they just don’t have any rules and it’s insanity (like Italy). Or there are bicycles everywhere (like Amsterdam). 
15. Most places are cashless and take credit cards. Use one without a foreign transaction fee and let them know you’re traveling ahead of time so they don’t mark it as fraudulent. Also, no need to bring cash, just use your ATM card over there. 
16. Tipping: no need to leave big tips. They don’t do that in Europe. A few euros will do. 
17. Give yourself extra time—it’ll take longer than you think. And you’re not familiar with how they do things in that country and you’ll hit some snags. 
18. There are rarely mirrors, outlets, and counter space in the bathrooms so a travel mirror is nice to have.
19. Enjoy every minute. Life is short!