Welcome to WanderShopper. I am really excited to begin sharing with you my global shopping excursions. I have been a huge fan of Wanderlust and Lipstick for some time. My first trip with WanderTours was to Northern India in 2009. I had a fantastic time and was ready to sign-up right away for another.
Since then, I have joined WanderTours for treks in Bhutan (two of them!,) another tour of India (the South this time,) a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam and to test my boundaries on a whitewater rafting excursion on the Rogue River in southern Oregon. I will also be leaving in a few days to join WanderTours on their first offering in Myanmar. As you can tell, I am hooked! The tours prioritize the same sights and experiences that I would if I wanted to do all the planning and work myself. I also love exploring the world with the unique groups of women that WanderTours attracts. So when the opportunity arose for me to share my global shopping and style instincts through a blog on Wanderlust and Lipstick, I was thrilled!
Although I have always loved to travel, I did not make it a priority in my life until a few years ago. My appendix had burst right after returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic. Misdiagnosed for a couple days as something tropical I had picked up, I was gravely ill by the time I was wheeled in for surgery. That whole ordeal was the best thing that ever happened to me. It made me realize two very important things: 1) that tomorrow is not guaranteed; I need to live for today and 2) that my business did not require my presence to survive. Everything that had kept me waiting for another day was gone. I started to live my dreams.
I have always been a shopper. Entering a store or market feels like a quest to search out the unique and the special. I like to find souvenirs and gifts of items that represent the artisanal traditions of the region I am visiting. I love the social dance required for bargaining for an item in a market which is made even more interesting when there is no common language. Just as exciting is getting everything home and finding new ways to use and display my purchases. All of this is the essence of WanderShopper.
I invite you to join me on my journeys around the country and the world as I explore markets, malls, boutiques and even shops of items laid out on a blanket at the side of the road – every space offers opportunity. As I mentioned, I leave in just a couple days to join WanderTours in Myanmar. While in Southeast Asia, I will also be spending some time in Thailand and Laos. Please check-in often for updates from the road as well as postings on past shopping success stories. You can now make WanderShoper your destination for global shopping and style inspiration.