Hi there! My name is Kat and I run the show around here! With the expert IT help of my super awesome hubby, Tim. My “day job” is in the aviation industry and it regularly gets me out of the office and traveling around the USA. Hopefully that will eventually grow to include international travel, but in the meantime I’m happy to pursue that on my off time! Lucky for me, I love to travel, and have learned how to do so like a pro! If you’re wondering how to put yourself at east with solo travel, want to learn successful tips for group travel, research specific destinations and learn some basic phrases and culture before you go, or are looking to live vicariously through someone who’s always on-the-go, good news! The search is over!

I have had the travel bug for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we traveled quite a bit around the United States and, occasionally, abroad, as my Dad was and still is self-employed and a pilot. Mom spent her days taking care of us kids (my brother, and fellow travel enthusiast, James, and I). This left us with a fair amount of flexibility for say, a spontaneous trip to the Grand Canyon for lunch on Father’s Day, or over the desert just to see the landscape from the air because – well, why not!

You could probably say that “bug” has turned into more of a beast as I’ve grown! I travel domestically several times each month for work, which is with the company my dad started before I even existed. Once in a while I’m, able to bring Tim along, and sometimes he has his own work trips to go on. We also spend plenty of weekends throughout the year visiting family and friends to celebrate their big events. (Can you say “loyalty program perks are the freakin’ greatest!”?!) These adventures have taken us everywhere from up the coast for the weekend, to around the world for a completely new experience! And finally, I’m a big proponent of solo travel, whoever you are, whatever your circumstances, whatever that looks like for you.

So why the blog, why now? Well, I’m 27 years old and have visited 13 countries thus far – including the USA. (Hey, I’ve been to all but three states, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and West Virginia, that has to count for something). We recently booked a trip to Europe for this spring (2020) that will take us to at least five more, probably more like seven or eight if I play my cards right. So, I thought to myself, “self, you should set a goal to visit 30 counties by the time you turn 30”. Er…maybe by within your 30th spin around the sun is a little more attainable. Anyway, that is my plan now! By June of 2023, when I will celebrate my 31st birthday, I will be able to say that I have seen and experienced at least thirty countries! To some, this may seem daunting. To others, this may seem minuscule. To me it seems like the perfect excuse to get a few more notches on my travel belt!

FUN FACT- An earthquake is happening as I type this. Which reminds me – a little more about us! Our launchpad is in sunny Southern California, where I was born and raised, and where Tim moved at the ripe age of 18 to escape the Chicago winters. When we’re not gallivanting across the globe, we’re home with our three fantastic fur family members, Fenway, Wrigley, and Orion. They have their very own Instagram account, @Trav3ling_Tails. On weekends, we like to keep active, often bringing them along for hikes, or setting off without them for a day of snowboarding or some other adrenaline adventure. When we get home EVERY MEAL is amazing at chez nous (our house) because Tim is also an awesome chef, who kindly caters to my mostly plant-based food choices.

I hope you enjoy this feed! Please feel free to direct any travel planning or other questions to viewfromaborad@gmail.com. You can also follow along on my travels in near-real time on instragram @viewfromabroaddotcom

-XO Kat