Welcome to The Fearless Wanderess!
Thanks so much for visiting.
I’m Claire, a Michigan native and neuroscientist who has been traveling the world for nearly a decade.
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.
I wasn’t always fearless…
I used to be extremely insecure in my appearance & abilities, always looking to others to validate my self-worth.
I suffered from severe social anxiety & depression.
At age 18, I wanted to see more of the world, but I had never traveled internationally before. In fact, the simple thought of it amplified all of my feelings of worthlessness!
In short: I was scared shitless.
After I gathered the courage to study abroad in Salzburg, Austria the summer after my freshman year of college, I could agree with the cliche everyone says that travel “forces you out of your comfort zone.”
But what I didn’t know until I did it was what was on the other side:
Mindfulness.
And it was liberating.
Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures.
To bring about the changes we really need, sometimes we need to do something big & dramatic.
I was not satisfied with my typical university path or relegating myself to a conventional life. I knew that I could do better & be better – inside & out.
So I set out to see the world.
I discovered that dealing with the ups & downs of solo travel – taking the train in the wrong direction, navigating in a foreign language, thinking you’re eating chicken when it’s actually goat liver (just me?) – can be like a shock to the system that short-circuits & rewires things.
It forces you to be in the present & to accept what is – what’s around you, & yourself.
And that’s when the magic starts happening.
I realized at this point that I lacked a lot of basic skills when it came to focusing on both my physical & mental health.
So, I set out on a journey to utilize solo travel as a tool to develop myself, my mind, & my body holistically using natural, science-based approaches to push the boundaries of what I’m capable of.
Today, I’ve now been to
40 countries on 4 continents,
mostly solo,
& lived in 7 of those countries.
I love myself now more than ever &
continue to cultivate mindfulness & a healthy lifestyle
in a way that permeates every area of my life.
Now, I want to help you
solo travel & bring yourself to health & self-love in the process,
just like I have.
Destinations
Explore my favorite destinations around the world for solo travel & more.
Tips & Resources
Need a packing list? Wondering how to take photos solo? I’ve got you covered.
Self-Care
Taking care of your physical & mental health, on & off the road is important. Learn how here!
Get to know me better!
Click on the tabs to learn about some of my favorite destinations, tips, & random facts about me!
Favorite solo travel destination
If I had to choose a favorite destination for solo travel, it would be Costa Rica. There are so many other travelers and backpackers there, and plenty of them travel solo. I made some amazing solo female travel friends there! And with so many beaches, rainforests, and volcanoes, what’s not to love?
A must-have gadget I can’t travel without
A headlamp. Sounds simple and maybe like you wouldn’t use it much, but I’ve been surprised! I hang one on the hostel bunk – either between the slats supporting the bed above me or on one of the four posters – so I can see at night while not disturbing others. Also great for late-night walks home in more remote areas. You can check out my cheap, reliable one here!
And for more of my must-have travel gear, check out my post: 13 Travel Essentials that Will Change Your Life
My dream destination
Hands-down, the Maldives. It may be cliche, but I dream of staying in an overwater bungalow over that incredible, clear, turquoise blue water. You would find me laying under a palm tree all day.
Am I an introvert or extrovert?
I’m actually almost a 50/50 split! But technically I’m a little more introverted than extroverted. Chatting with the right people full of good vibes definitely energizes me, but I really need and enjoy my alone time, too.
The instrument I’ve played for over a decade (hint: you like jazz?)
Saxophone. I’ve played (almost) all of ’em, but alto is my first and main love. Jazz band was my favorite in high school! (except starting at 6:45 every morning – that was not my favorite)
One of my sisters was born on the same day as me… how can this be?
She’s my twin, of course! Fraternal, not identical 😉 She’s killing it as a software engineer in the U.S.
What I’m up to now
Right now I’m studying for my DPhil (PhD) in Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford in the UK. I specialize in autoimmune neurology while getting to live abroad – a dream come true. Click here if you’re interested to learn more about what I do in the lab!
