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About The Fearless Wanderess

Hi, I’m Claire!

Welcome to The Fearless Wanderess! Thanks so much for visiting.

I’m Claire, a Michigan native and neuroscientist who has been traveling the world since 2015. After leaving my typical college life to travel for two years while finishing my degree, I fell in love with traveling. And even more so, I fell in love with the personal growth I experienced through traveling! Out of this, The Fearless Wanderess was born.

It's finally here: today is the day I move to Oxfo

It's finally here: today is the day I move to Oxford! 🎉 For those of you new here, this fall I'm starting my DPhil (PhD) in Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford in the UK 🇬🇧 I'll be researching a rare neuroimmunological disease called #CIDP that my twin sister has had since we were really young - she's the reason why I do what I do & why I've been working towards this moment for most of my life 👩‍🔬 There have been plenty of ups & downs, rejections & setbacks along the way, but I found that really the key is to never. Ever. Give up if it's that important to you! ☝️ 3 years ago I got rejected to all 10 PhD programs I applied to. This year I got fully funded offers from both Cambridge and Oxford. Anything is possible with perseverance and hard work! 💪 Of course some parts of this are new & scary, but I'm mostly just really, really excited to start fresh on this new journey & all of the incredible people I know I'm about to meet 💖 Thanks to all of you who have followed me on my journey so far & I hope you can stick around for a very exciting & interesting next few years as I fulfill my dream of truly living abroad! 🌍

Sunsets are good reminders that endings can be bea

Sunsets are good reminders that endings can be beautiful 🌅 As I finally fly out to Oxford tomorrow night to start my PhD, I've been thinking a lot about where I've been and where I'm going 🤔 I've been working so hard for so long to get to this point, and I can hardly believe it's finally here 😯 In making the transition to this new chapter, there have been a lot of endings this year, though - some happy, and some not so much - but the sunsets on Isla Holbox in Mexico reminded me to always find the beauty in these endings ❤️ And after the sun sets, it always comes up again the next day 🌞 As they say - when one door closes, somewhere a window opens 🪟 And I'm ready to jump through that window! 😅 What's a new chapter you're preparing to move onto? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Walking into the weekend like 🙌 Who else wishe

Walking into the weekend like 🙌 Who else wishes they could be looking out over these endless blues this Saturday?! 🌊 I'm already so missing Mexico and its sunny warmth & tropical seas 💙 But at least it's sunny here in Michigan this weekend, and the cooler, fresher air is so welcome after the Mexican heat 🌞 What are you up to this weekend? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Travel how you want, not how you feel like you sho

Travel how you want, not how you feel like you should 🌿 One of the beauties of solo travel is traveling on your own terms and nobody else's ✨ So don't get caught up in visiting places, traveling faster, and ticking off all the sights just because you feel like you "should" ☝ After a few days' delay on Isla Holbox due to bad weather, I found myself feeling rushed, feeling like I "should" keep moving on and make sure to see Chichen Itza and the surrounding cenotes before leaving - because who goes to the Yucatan and doesn't see Chichen Itza?! 🤭 But I had to stop myself and focus on doing what filled up my soul instead of getting caught up in "shoulds" ✋ - And that was definitely enjoying the last days of beautiful weather on Holbox's beaches and jungles before going back home 🏝 I'll just save those cenotes and ruins for another time (and it'll give me an excuse to go to Isla Holbox again) 😉 Agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇

Meant to stay on Isla Holbox for 3 days, stayed fo

Meant to stay on Isla Holbox for 3 days, stayed for 6... 🤗 I almost don't want to tell anyone this because Holbox seems to be the last untouched paradise in the Yucatan, but it's absolutely my favorite place in Mexico so far! 💙 Not only are the white sandy beaches filled with palm trees and the water so many shades of brilliant aqua, turquoise, and jade, but it's also one of the best solo travel destinations in the Yucatan in my experience 💁‍♀️ Che Hostel is great for meeting people and having a bumping party any night of the week, and the beach is all yours for lounging all day 😎 There's a huge range of chill and party places to stay and something to match every budget 💲 Bohemian beachy vibes, healthy tropical food, need I say more?! SO much better than Tulum in my opinion - skip it and just come here 🌴 Have you been to Isla Holbox? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Happy Saturday! 🌞 Wishing you tropical vibes &

Happy Saturday! 🌞 Wishing you tropical vibes & palm trees all day, wherever you are... 🌴 It's been raining nonstop on Isla Holbox since I arrived 2 days ago, so hoping the weather finally clears soon! I really want to get to exploring this incredible island 🏝️ What are you up to this weekend? Drop your plans in the comments! 👇

SWIPE ➡️ Instagram vs. Reality 😂 You might

SWIPE ➡️ Instagram vs. Reality 😂 You might have heard of Daniel Popper's beautiful sculpture "Ven a la Luz" ("Come to the Light"), the most instagrammed place in Tulum, Mexico! 📸 Depending on when you get there, you might have to stand in line for hours to get your shot 🙈 I arrived by bike after seeing the ruins that morning. Even though it was only ~10 am, it was SO. FKING. HOT. that I don't think I've ever sweat more in my life 🥵 I literally had to edit out the sweat stains (almost my entire top) because I was so disgusting 😂 Good thing I had this skirt with me to cover up the damp rag that was my shorts! 💧 I was so exhausted, hot, and sweaty, I didn't even have the energy to capture the ridiculous line that showed up afterwards... 🤦‍♀️ Yes, my friends, I did this one "for the gram." And was it worth it? With the short line, just barely; if it had been longer, absolutely not! ❌ So here's my advice: if you must (and I totally get it - I did), go pretty early (7-8 am), and if you aren't staying nearby, do yourself a favor and just take one of the expensive taxis. Your electrolyte balance will thank you 🍶 Has anyone else had an experience like this in Tulum? 😂 Let me know in the comments! 👇

Finding myself in the last week of my trip, I'm re

Finding myself in the last week of my trip, I'm reminded of the importance of presence 🙏 I've been catching myself feeling out of balance, constantly feeling like I'm running out of time ⏳ But how can I enjoy the beautiful places I am now if I'm just always focused on how I'll be leaving sooner than I'd like?! 💁‍♀️ Exactly - I can't, & neither can you if you're always waiting & worrying about the next moment 💙 So here's your mid-week reminder to find the beauty in the here & now, no matter what season of life you're experiencing ✨ Because before you know it, it'll be gone, & that's time that you'll never get back 🧭 How are you practicing presence today? Let me know in the comments! 👇 👙 @saltyluxe_store

It's not often you get a private island all to you

It's not often you get a private island all to yourself! 😮 But when you combine the rainy season with COVID & no cruise ships in port, you might just get this lucky 🍀 My day on Isla Pasión north of Cozumel was one for the books, with all inclusive food and drinks and only 2 other guests *on the entire island* for the whole day!! 🏝️ The only way to get there is to book a tour since you can't reach the island yourself. I booked with This is Cozumel, who bring you in a jeep through the jungle to a little fishing boat launch where you take a boat to the island 🛶 They were so professional, attentive, & most of all, friendly! Despite the rainy/cloudy weather, I loved the taste of Cozumel I got on this special day 💙 Fun fact: did you know a Corona beer commercial was filmed here? 🍺 Have you heard of Isla Pasión? Would you like to go? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Here's your reminder to follow that dream with all

Here's your reminder to follow that dream with all of the life, love, enthusiasm, & gusto you've got! 💙⁣
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Round the corner, guns blazing, & tear down that path toward your dreams without looking back! ✨⁣
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And even if sometimes it might seem like you're about to crash, keep a smile on your face, a laugh & song in your voice, & you can never go wrong 😉⁣
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What dream are you following this week? Let me know in the comments! 👇

It's finally here: today is the day I move to Oxfo

It's finally here: today is the day I move to Oxford! 🎉 For those of you new here, this fall I'm starting my DPhil (PhD) in Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford in the UK 🇬🇧 I'll be researching a rare neuroimmunological disease called #CIDP that my twin sister has had since we were really young - she's the reason why I do what I do & why I've been working towards this moment for most of my life 👩‍🔬 There have been plenty of ups & downs, rejections & setbacks along the way, but I found that really the key is to never. Ever. Give up if it's that important to you! ☝️ 3 years ago I got rejected to all 10 PhD programs I applied to. This year I got fully funded offers from both Cambridge and Oxford. Anything is possible with perseverance and hard work! 💪 Of course some parts of this are new & scary, but I'm mostly just really, really excited to start fresh on this new journey & all of the incredible people I know I'm about to meet 💖 Thanks to all of you who have followed me on my journey so far & I hope you can stick around for a very exciting & interesting next few years as I fulfill my dream of truly living abroad! 🌍

Sunsets are good reminders that endings can be bea

Sunsets are good reminders that endings can be beautiful 🌅 As I finally fly out to Oxford tomorrow night to start my PhD, I've been thinking a lot about where I've been and where I'm going 🤔 I've been working so hard for so long to get to this point, and I can hardly believe it's finally here 😯 In making the transition to this new chapter, there have been a lot of endings this year, though - some happy, and some not so much - but the sunsets on Isla Holbox in Mexico reminded me to always find the beauty in these endings ❤️ And after the sun sets, it always comes up again the next day 🌞 As they say - when one door closes, somewhere a window opens 🪟 And I'm ready to jump through that window! 😅 What's a new chapter you're preparing to move onto? Let me know in the comments! 👇

Walking into the weekend like 🙌 Who else wishe

Walking into the weekend like 🙌 Who else wishes they could be looking out over these endless blues this Saturday?! 🌊 I'm already so missing Mexico and its sunny warmth & tropical seas 💙 But at least it's sunny here in Michigan this weekend, and the cooler, fresher air is so welcome after the Mexican heat 🌞 What are you up to this weekend? Let me know in the comments! 👇