About Jennifer
Hello there! Thanks for stopping by and for taking a little time to learn a little bit more about me. I’m Jennifer, the creator of this travel blog, World On A Whim.
My first foray into the world of international travel began when I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain, in 2009. Up until that point, I had grown up and gone to school in Los Angeles, California, and while I had done the domestic family trip a couple times a year, living in a new city across the world really fostered this passion for exploration.
In Barcelona, I had what I guess could be classified as your classic study abroad experience -- I missed a midterm to visit Sevilla, partied all night in Ibiza, saw the pope in Rome, and climbed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I fell in love with Europe and with Spain and decided to move abroad after graduating from UCLA with a Bachelors in Political Science. I did an internship in Washington D.C. with the Executive Office of the President during the summer of 2011, and moved to Madrid immediately after to teach English through the Spanish Government program, Auxiliares de Conversación. BTW, if you’re thinking about living abroad, this program is a great way to balance work and travel and you can be completely self-sufficient while doing so.
5 Interesting Facts
- I am a terrible cook, but a phenomenal saran wrapper.
- Your girl has never received a parking ticket in her life. I can read 6 parking signs on one pole no problem. The city of LA just can’t trick me.
- I am utterly incapable of whistling and blowing bubbles with gum. And you can’t teach me. Many have tried and all have failed.
- I was chased by a wild bull in Spain while on a hike with 30 campers. Fun fact: I was the counselor in charge.
- I don’t eat fish...why? Well, because it tastes fishy!
I came home after backpacking Europe and tried a host of different jobs and careers with this constant inner monologue which basically consisted of an actual seesaw in my brain: doing something “important” versus doing something that made me happy. It took two years and a whole lot of stress after I started my blog in December 2015 to consciously make the leap from hobbyist to full-time travel blogger.
Yes, that meant I had to give up a steady income for an uncertain future in this new industry. But, I have an immense passion for what I write. As a traveler, I am strategic in my planning, experienced, and can impart deep knowledge to help others overcome their fears about travel and start planning the most memorable trip.
And that is why my day is made when I receive an email from a reader asking me what mode of transport to take from Santorini to Mykonos in February or in what order they should visit the cities of Andalucia. There is nothing more exhilarating in life than meeting new people, cultivating relationships and having shared experiences that you wouldn’t have had if you did not travel. Growth happens when you go outside of your comfort zone and while traveling, you will do this every single day.
So if you need assistance along the way or just want to say hi, connect with me on one of these social platforms and tell me a bit more about you and what crazy, deep, dark, Google/Instagram hole you fell into to find yourself here. I mean it. Reach out! I would love to help you realize your travel goals.
Xoxo,
Jennifer