About Katie on the Map
My favorite smiling hostess in Bamboo.
I initially started this blog because I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish by a certain birthday. The blog would not only keep me accountable, but also give me an outlet to write outside of work.
I had every intention of posting regularly when I went to New Zealand and Australia, but realized quickly that a) using the internet in a hostel on a common computer is not necessarily conducive to effective posting and should be used mostly to update Facebook and assure your parents that you’re still alive and b) internet access in Australia is really expensive.
When I traveled around SE Asia last year, a few things were different. I received an iPad for Christmas and almost everywhere in Asia has free wi-fi. As we moved from country to country, I was able to update more frequently, sharing my experiences with friends and family.
After returning home, I wanted to keep posting my experiences, whether it was an event I’d attended or a craft project I’d attempted (darn you, Pinterest!). Part of it was simply that I enjoy writing and wanted to keep this outlet. The other part stemmed from the fact that if someone else could avoid a mistake I’d made, I wanted to share if only to spare someone else that particular experience.
As a result, this blog is changing and evolving. For the most part you’ll find descriptions of my travels in a sort of memoir/diary/stream of consciousness type of format. Sometimes I’ll include recommendations of where I stayed or ate or activities I tried; some of the posts will be tips and tricks that I’ve learned from experience or necessity.
My overall goal is entertain and inspire. I believe that everyone can and should explore, even if it’s within a 25 mile radius of home. I hope you enjoy, and will join me, for my adventures on the map.
About Katie
My sister (left) and me (right) in Egypt, circa 1986.
Who am I? Well, that’s me up there, in the green shirt.
In short: I’m a traveler, writer, hiker, diver, connoisseur of Colorado brews and grammar stickler.
In long: I’m an unapologetic wanderer that got hooked early in life when my family moved to Naples, Italy for three years. For first through third grade, we lived in the small neighborhood of Pinatamare and traveled as much possible while still advancing to the next grade. From England to Egypt, France to Flanders, my parents took my sister and me to castles and crypts and everything in-between.
Keeping me in one place for an extended period of time was rather difficult after that.
I re-visited London and Paris with a group in high school. A spring break trip to see a friend in Lilles, France, turned into a weeklong whirlwind from London to Paris to Germany and Brussels. I nannied for a family in Rome after graduating university and continued taking trips as often as possible, visting Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe while living in Colorado.
It was in 2011, though, that my travel habits changed drastically: I bought a ticket to New Zealand and Australia and took off for two months. After traveling through New Zealand with a group called Active Adventures (I love them and highly recommend any of their trips), I landed in Sydney and explored Australia. On my own. It was my first time solo traveling.
Since then, I’ve taken long trips and short trips, as much or little as I can afford and wrangle, both in the US and abroad.
You can usually find me hidden on the Gulf Coast of Florida or high in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, if I’m not off on one of my adventures.
When I’m not traveling…
I currently own my own public relations business, which means that while my boss can be demanding and picky, I can set my own schedule and travel on a relatively flexible schedule.
I’m also indulging my love of travel writing as much as possible. I’ve written for several magazines and online outlets and am always looking to expand my writing opportunities. Some of my clips include articles in American Spa, Jezebel Magazine, Tuxedo Road and MUST SEE Magazine as well as Aol. Travel, Viator’s Travel Blog, Liftopia’s Blog, WeHostels’ Blog and The Vail Daily. You can see more of my clips here.
Katie on the Map 