With my new blog and a few changes going on here at Gen Y Wanderer, I’m rolling out a new interview series profiling other 20-something travelers and expats. Here to kick it off is 25-year-old Jessica Festa – who has been backpacking solo for FIVE YEARS! – from the travel blog, Jessie on a Journey.
Where do you call ‘home’? New York
- How long have you been traveling? Currently I travel frequently – usually anywhere from one week to four months – then return home to New York for a few weeks before doing it again. Right now, I have three trips planned for the next six weeks: Adventure touring in Ohio, a road trip through Australia and a road trip through Kentucky.
- Do your friends and family understand/support your traveling or living abroad? Many had a tough time with it at first, but I’ve been backpacking solo for about five years now and they’ve learned to accept it. Deep down I know they’re excited for me; however, they worry.
- How do you choose where to travel? All different ways. I may read something or see a photo essay and get excited about a place, or maybe I’ll be asked by a tourism board to help promote their destination. For me, I get just as excited about visiting Ohio as I do Africa, as I’ve never been to a place that didn’t indulge my curiosities somehow.
- Why did you start Jessie on a Journey? I originally started it when I took the MatadorU online travel writing class, as a place to post my assignments. Once I started reading some of the more high quality blogs and networking with professional travel bloggers, I realized I really could potentially make a living off my travel writing and turned the blog into a business.
- How old were you when you made your first big trip or visited another country? I’ve been traveling with my family since I was very young. Road trips through North America at first then cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean. My first trip on my own was when I was 20 years old and went to study abroad in Sydney, Australia. That was when I really got bit by the travel bug.
- Where has been your favorite place to travel? That’s really tough. I have a love for Australia because I actually studied, worked and lived there and felt very connected to the place. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Ghana, as I did orphanage work there and lived with a family for a month. Right now, however, I’m hoping to move to Peru or Ecuador, because both have so much to offer for anyone who loves culture, food and the outdoors and are both very cheap to live in!
- Least favorite? I guess I would say Lima. Not because I particularly hated it, just because I have to choose. I felt like some parts were just way too westernized.
- Hostel or hotel? Depends if I’m traveling solo or with others. Hostels are excellent for meeting other people and saving money when you’re traveling on your own; however, if I’m with someone I’m dating or my girlfriends hotels can allow us to relax and have our own fun.
- Good book recommendation to read while traveling: Right now I’m reading “Do Travel Writers Go To Hell?” by Thomas Kohnstamm. I haven’t stopped laughing since I started it! I just read that too! Definitely changes your perspective on guide books…
- Best music for long bus rides: Ha, I don’t think most people would agree but I love techno and house music. I actually woke up once after being passed out on a bus in Ecuador to someone angrily telling me the techno music blasting from my iPod was keeping them awake. Since going to Ghana, I’m also obsessed with high life music. You cannot be sad and listen to high life, it’s impossible.
- Why do you think it’s important for our generation to travel? There’s so much out there to see and experience that people have no idea about! It bothers me so much when people tell me things like “Ecuador is dirty” or “Mexico is dangerous”. You can’t generalize an entire country like that, especially if you haven’t been there! I also feel that traveling has made me a more open-minded and life-skilled person.
- One travel tip: Don’t be afraid of culture shock, but instead embrace it. In my experience, once you allow yourself to settle in to a “shocking” place for a bit and venture out, you’ll learn a lot about not only the destination and people, but yourself. And, you’ll always get a great story!
- What’s something you wish you had known before solo back packing for 5 years? That I could make a blog and share my story with the world. Unfortunately when I began backpacking I wasn’t journaling or blogging, so I missed out on being able to tell many great stories, as now the details are a too foggy.
- What is the most important thing travel has taught you? That there are other ways to live a fulfilling life besides getting married, having kids and owning a home before you’re 30.
- What do you think you’d be doing right now if you weren’t traveling? I think about that all the time and it’s so hard to say! I went to school for non-profit PR and loved it, although it would have to be something where I wasn’t in a desk all day. I also think something in the tourism industry like leading tours or owning a hostel could be fun as you could at least meet other people traveling!
And there you have it — if you’re interested in learning more Jessie check out her blog, Jessie on a Journey. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.