Hi there! I’m Maddie, and travel is something I have always been intrigued by. Like many people, I always dreamed about travel without actually doing it. Growing up in New Jersey, my family mainly took vacations along the East Coast, yet I constantly dreamed of far away destinations – from Sydney to Paris and Cape Town to Tokyo.
Going to school in Nashville, Tennessee forced me to constantly commute between Nashville and New Jersey. The 13-hour drive was out of the question, so I found myself flying back and forth several times a year. It was during this time that I started to love what many people hate – airports and flying (I’m a self-diagnosed avgeek!). It was also during this time that I knew I had to make travel one of my biggest priorities. The world is such a beautiful, vast place and I felt like I was missing it all. My brother studied abroad in Auckland, New Zealand. During this time, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in New Zealand, and I was HOOKED! My only obstacle was figuring out how to travel without being born into a trust fund.
Once I started traveling, I realized how truly accessible travel could be. My secret weapon consists of a few ingredients: cheap flights, date flexibility, destination flexibility, and spontaneity. You’d be surprised how inexpensive 5-star mega deluxe hotels can be once you leave the USA! I’ve booked trips to places I never expected to go just because I found a great deal, such as Prague, Stockholm, Belize, and the Maldives. Sometimes you find the places that weren’t at the top of your travel bucket list should’ve been up there the whole time. But, I’m also not immune to going to places that are at the top of everybody’s list (p.s. I love you, Australia!!!). This blog is to open minds to places that are a little more off the beaten path and unique and to inspire people to make travel a priority! Plus, I’ve collected a lot of helpful tips along the way! Welcome to the journey – let’s book A One Way Ticket!