Hi, I’m Anshula (pronounced un-shah-lah)!
I’m a Texas girl. I love chocolate and scrunchies and window seats and road trips.
At the start of 2019, I quit pursuing a Ph.D. in Computational Linguistics so I could travel full-time.
The semester before, I felt weighed down by the tight world of academia. I felt over-and-over again like I was nothing, like all the parts that made me who I was had sunk so low, I couldn’t see them anymore.
Enter domestic travel. Weekend trips helped tie me back together piece-by-piece. Small towns strapped my heart to my chest and planted my feet on the ground. I wasn’t the same person as before but I was finding out more about myself. And I needed that.
So I quit being a teaching assistant and took a gap year to travel as much as I could throughout the United States (I’m trying to visit all 50 states by the end of 2020. I say this every year. But I’m a very s-l-o-w traveler).
Passport To Eden had already formed. It was a toddler blog at the time, slightly fussy and well into its “NO” stage. I only had a few articles out (but I knew if I pushed for a year, I could make it, so I took the leap). But I wanted to share as many guides as I could over the course of the next year (and hopefully help people discover easy-to-travel low-budget spots near their hometown).
I felt rejuvenated by domestic travel. Empowered. I scrapped societal definitions of success and societal definitions of vacations and chased after what made me feel full.
And I haven’t looked back since!
Email Me Anytime:
[email protected]
What’s Your Travel Style?
I like quiet, tame escapes (so boring, I know – yawn). I’m obsessed with museums (especially art museums). I like finding random remote destinations (realistically, I get lost a lot and this is my excuse) and stopping by every small town whilst on road trips.
And I love food. I will always try local cuisine (no excuses – this is the one place where I dare to be adventurous)!
FAQ
What Are You Currently Reading?
- Our Eden Book Club Picks for this month!
- Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron
- Here’s Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn
What’s Your Favorite Book?
- The Chronicles Of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (all of them)
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
What’s Your Favorite Destination?
Kingston, Jamaica because it’s home. And home is where my heart is.
Can I Pick Your Brain About Blogging?
Yes! Absolutely. The fastest way to get a response is via email: [email protected] Alternatively, you can DM me on Instagram.
2020 Goals
- Visit Yellowstone National Park. I need some serious cheap flight mojo for this. Wish me luck!
- Travel sustainably (I’m reading up on this a lot. If you run a sustainable travel blog or have any tips, please send them over – much appreciated).
2020 Blog Roll
a complete list of where I’ve traveled (and what I’ve written) this month.
Introduce Yourself. I Want To Know You
If there is one thing I LOVE more than traveling, it’s getting to know my readers. Send me an email introducing yourself. Do you run a blog? I’d love to read it. Do you have an amazing travel story? I’d love to hear it. Do you just want to talk about life? I’m game for that. I like to think of my readers as my friends so please don’t hesitate to reach out!
I also value your input. Do you have additions for any of my guides? Is there a destination I haven’t covered that’s on your bucket list? Let me know.
P.S. I’m trying to hold more reader meetups this year (fair warning, you will be subject to the craziness of my husband and me together. We’re somewhat accident-prone, extremely socially awkward, and all-around weird).
EMAIL: [email protected]
On that note, thank you for stopping by. It really means the world to me (*reaches out for another bear hug*). I hope you find infinite pieces of paradise.
Happy Travels,
Anshula
