Alyssa Bean is a 24 year-old Purdue graduate who decided to ditch a structured life and travel the world instead. After volunteering in Cape Town for a month, her wanderlust took sent her to different countries and opened her up to possibilities she never thought possible. Now a year later, she shares her travels through her blog and her Instagram inspiring people around the world to take a risk and go.
Photo By Luke Jackson Clark @luke_jclark
HC Purdue: How many places have you visited since you began traveling last year?
Alyssa: “I’ve been to four continents, four countries and countless different places within each of those. I started my travels in South Africa, and it snowballed from there. After Africa I went back to the states where I traveled to Colorado, Wyoming, California, Illinois, Michigan and New Hampshire. Then I went and backpacked all of Thailand, and now I’m currently exploring Iceland.”
HC Purdue: You seem to be taking on life one day at a time, what’s your secret to tackling life with so much zen?
Alyssa: “The secret is to stop focusing too much on the ‘how.’ Before I started traveling, I felt like I needed to know how I was going to do everything. You really only need to know how to take the next step. You don’t climb a staircase with one giant leap to the top, you take it one step at a time. If I can figure out the next step, that’s all I need to know. Things have a way of coming together I’ve found. Releasing the anxiety of needing to have all the answers has released the limitations I used to put on myself.”
HC Purdue: So are you like an “influencer” now?
Alyssa: “This is such a funny question, I definitely don’t feel like one! I stumbled into blogging by accident. After I got back from Africa my grandma, who did a lot of traveling in her younger years, told me I needed to start writing down all of my stories because in 50 years, memories fade. So I started a blog and made it public that way my Grandma could follow my travels around the world. I was absolutely shocked when other people started reading it, reaching out to me and telling me that I’ve inspired them in some way. I’m quite humbled by it. “
Photo By Luke Jackson Clark @luke_jclark
HC Purdue: How are you funding your travels?
Alyssa: “This is the question I get the most. It’s been a variety of ways. First off, I sacrifice my weekends. I don’t go out to the bars, I rarely go out to eat, rarely buy coffee anymore. It’s well worth the sacrifice. As for working, I have clients where I act as their online marketing and branding advisor. I manage their social media accounts and advise them on their online marketing strategies. The beauty of that is that I can work anywhere I have my laptop.”
“If I’m in between clients sometimes I’ll get work wherever I’m traveling if I need to make ends meet. For example I’ll pick up a couple shifts of bartending, reception at a hostel, etc. My current trip to Iceland however is sponsored. I’m traveling with three influencer friends who are talented videographers and photographers, and together we act as a media collective where we create media content for our sponsors. The work I do is incredibly fun, however I sacrifice the safety of a consistent 9-5 job. To me it’s worth it.”
HC Purdue: What have you learned about yourself since beginning this journey?
Alyssa: “I’ve learned that I’m capable of becoming the person I want to be, which is the most incredible feeling in the world. I always dreamed about who I wanted to be, and feeling myself slowly getting closer and closer to becoming that person has been such an incredible ride.”
Photo By Keenan Lam @keenanlam
HC Purdue: What was a high point for you while traveling?
Alyssa: “There have been a couple moments where I just stop and look at where I am in life and just can’t stop smiling. Even though my bank account may be smaller than some of my friends who have entered the corporate world, I know that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be and no amount of money could replace that feeling.”
HC Purdue: What was a low point for you while traveling? How did you get through?
Alyssa: “It was really difficult when loved ones and strangers would tell me that I was being irresponsible with my life when I decided not to enter corporate America. I hate the feeling of letting other people down, but I knew I wouldn’t be happy with that lifestyle. If I didn’t give myself a shot I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life. I had to learn that it’s okay to be misunderstood. Eventually people come around.”
HC Purdue: What’s something you wish you’d known earlier?
Alyssa: “I wish I’d known that less it more when it comes to packing. You really don’t need as much as you think, and it always turns into a hassle or I end up losing things/ having to leave things behind.”
HC Purdue: What are your traveling essentials?
Alyssa: “Toothbrush, extra chargers, photocopies of my passport, my Ahnu hiking boots.”
HC Purdue: Was there someone you met during your travels that made a large impact? Either Negatively or positively?
Alyssa: “You never know who you are going to meet while traveling and how they’re going to impact your life in the future. While I was backpacking Thailand, I decided to hop on a boat in Koh Phi Phi last minute where I met a videographer from LA. He and I stayed in touch, and he connected me with two photographers from London, and now the four of us have formed the media collective Move To Create, and we are taking this sponsored Iceland trip together. Crazy how the world works sometimes.”
HC Purdue: What’s been your favorite destination so far and why?
Alyssa: “I would have to say Thailand. It’s an incredibly easy country to travel on your own, and the culture is so vibrant. Not to mention the landscape is to die for. It has everything from tropical beaches to mountains and jungles, elephants and temples. There’s something for everyone, not to mention your money goes a long way over there so you don’t feel guilty spending extra on unique experiences.”
HC Purdue: What do you love most about traveling?
Alyssa: “The people. You find the most incredible people while traveling. I also love all the surprises. I haven’t been to a single place that’s been exactly what I expect it to be.”
HC Purdue: What would you say to people with reservations about traveling on their own?
Alyssa: “The hardest thing you’ll ever do is purchase that first ticket and take that first trip. Once you take that leap, you’ll realize there are far more good people in this world than there are bad. If the desire is there, do it. Be brave and just do it.”
HC Purdue: What’s on the itinerary for this year? Can we have a sneak peak of your bucket list?
Alyssa: “I’m hoping to hit Denmark, Norway, and Sweden this November. A couple things on my bucket list that I’m itching to cross off are see the Amazon rainforest, and fly in a hot air balloon. We’ll see if I can cross those off by the end of the year!”
Check out Alyssa’s blog here or follow her on Instagram @lyss_bean