Every human should exist with purpose and passion. What drives you to wake up in the morning? What does life have to offer to you? What knowledge and discoveries can you share with others? The reason I live is to experience our Earth. There are (many) ups, (some) downs, and lots of unknowns along the path I’ve chosen, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I find that staying stationary leads to mental stagnation. Which isn’t much better than being six feet under.
I’d like to share a scenario which I encountered more than a few times while teaching English in France. During my introductory “Hello, my name is Mallory” classes, many of my students asked me where I had traveled. I proceeded to list off the countries I’d visited. They, either loudly or under their breath, assumed I was rich. To which I responded, ”Les filles, you like to go shopping, right?” All of the girls lit up and were quick to agree. “Well, I don’t go shopping. I don’t buy new things. Look at this sweater I’m wearing; it’s five years old. I save as much money as I can, and spend it during my travels.” Then I wrote couchsurfing.com on the board for my students to copy into their notebooks. Sharing culture was a part of my job description, after all.
- Owning and maintaining a house
- Owning and maintaining a car
- Having and raising a child
- Shopping for and owning material possessions
- Keeping up-to-date with technology
- Keeping up-to-date with fashion
- Getting your hair or nails done
- Eating out instead of cooking in
- Drinking
- Smoking
Life is all about priorities. How you spend your money gives you a good idea of where yours lie. Experiencing Earth through travel is my #1! I hope that my adventures will inspire you to discover all of the magnificent friendships, sights, and cuisine that are waiting for you in unexplored territory. The personal growth and satisfaction to be gained by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is more rewarding than you can imagine!
My Adventures and Explorations
2012
- Trieste, Italy
- Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Tirana and Shkodra, Albania
- Pristina, Kosovo
- Skopje and Kavadarci, Macedonia
- Sofia, Bulgaria
- Bucharest, Romania
- Segovia, Spain
- Malmo, Sweden
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain - North American Language and Culture Assistant Program
- New York, New York
- Las Vegas
- Almuñécar, Spain
- Marseille, France
- Sofia, Bulgaria
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Montreux, Switzerland
- Madrid and Toledo, Spain
- Casablanca, Rabat, Fes and Marrakech, Morocco
- Budapest, Hungary
- Bratislava, Slovakia
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Lyon, France - Teaching Assistant Program In France
- Chicago, Illinois
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Crosslake, Minnesota
- Boston, Massachusetts
- New York and Catskills, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Los Angeles, California
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Los Angeles, California
- Tzfat, Tel Aviv, Negev Desert and Jerusalem, Israel
- New York, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- Crosslake, Minnesota
- Duluth, Minnesota
- Glenwood, Minnesota
- Montpellier and Paris, France
- Seattle, Washinton
- Portland, Oregon
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Crosslake, Minnesota
- Honolulu, Hawai’i
- San Francisco, California
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- London and Liverpool, England
- Toulouse, France
- Nice, France
- Rome, Reggio Emilia, Florence and Venice, Italy
- Toulouse and Bordeaux, France
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Lyon, France
- Paris, France
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Swinoujscie, Poland
- Greifswald and Berlin, Germany
- Brussels, Belgium
- Ile de Ré, Sains du Nord and Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- Milan, Italy
- Paris, France
- Avignon, France
- Nîmes, France
- Carcassone, France
- Montpellier, France – Study Abroad
- Bemidji, Minnesota
- Portland, Oregon
- Seattle, Washington
- Boulder, Colorado
- Las Vegas, Nevada
[...rewind]
- Normandy, Bretagne, La Rochelle and Paris, France – Where it all began!
