Hi! I’m Amanda, The Awakened Explorer. I am an East Coast girl that is now living in Sunny San Diego. I love to explore the world and my own backyard. I was born in New Jersey but grew up in Virginia, and I’ve had a love of travel since a young age. By the time I was one, I had already taken my first plane ride from New Jersey to Texas. My parents helped nurture my travel bug by taking my brother and I on car trips all along the East Coast, but mainly to Florida. My parents and my stepfather helped to spark the explorer in me by taking me hiking, camping, kayaking, skiing, and exploring. I spent my summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains, exploring the trails, and also on the Jersey Shore, finding my love for beautiful landscapes and the ocean. The Awakened Explorer in me came during my junior year of college when I went on my first international trip to Cancun, Mexico, for spring break. While there, I got to experience the culture, history, and yes, some nightlife. After that trip in 2005, I knew that world travel was for me and the travel bug had caught me. It took a while before I found my next adventure out of the country, but I did a lot of exploring in the U.S. I did not leave the country again until 2008, when I went on a Caribbean cruise and that sampler platter of islands I visited sealed the deal. Since then, I have made sure I have traveled to a new place every year, preferably out of the country. Part of traveling and exploring to me is also discovering all the U.S. has to offer, in addition to my own backyard, here in San Diego. I moved to San Diego five years ago and am trying to take in all it has to offer. Since 2005, I have traveled to 8 countries and countless places all over the U.S. I hope you find my adventures as exciting as I do. Thanks for stopping by and reading about my love to travel and explore!
