Steff went on her first solo trip in 2011 and has been hooked on traveling ever since, which is why she started working remotely as a translator and copywriter 2 years ago. She loves beaches, diving, dogs, beer, and random games (like asking would-you-rather-questions) which is why she combined them with her love for traveling and started documenting them on her Instagram account and travel blog wouldntyourathertravel.com.

Why I Started Solo Traveling

It basically started out of “necessity”. I initially planned to go to Thailand with 2 friends when I was 19 in 2011 but both ended up canceling our plans and I ended up going alone. In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have happened.

How I Choose Where To Travel Next

I absolutely love summer and the sun, so my travel plans definitely do evolve a lot around the weather. Apart from knowing the visa regulations and checking how much flights and hostels roughly cost, I usually don’t spend more than 10 minutes looking up potential places I could go to. This gives me enough freedom to explore and be spontaneous. I do always make sure to book the first night when arriving somewhere new.

I Try To Travel Often

During my studies and before working remotely, I usually went on 2 bigger trips that lasted for 3-weeks each every year. I also tried to make use of long weekends and squeeze one or two city-trips in. They were all on the budget/backpacking end which always included staying in hostels and exploring a new city/area every 2 or 3 days. 

Since I started working remotely, I spent my summers based in Munich, Germany, and my winters in Bali, Indonesia. This allows me to explore Europe as well as Asia.

I’m honestly up for any kind of activity, from exploring new cities and food scenes to hiking, diving, or going on road trips. It’s always about the balance for me.

I've Traveled To 50 Countries So Far

I checked off country number 50 (Slovenia) in August this year. I honestly love exploring tourist spots as well as hidden gems, although I tend to stay away from crazy, overrun party places like Cancun in Mexico or Palma de Mallorca in Spain. 

One of my favorite ways of meeting locals is and always will be through Couchsurfing. Especially in the US, I met some amazing people that I’m still in touch with, even after 8 years. I got to spend a night on a sailing boat in Honolulu, stayed in a super amazing apartment overlooking the harbor and sunset in Honolulu, went stand-up paddleboarding in Waikiki, and caught a wave while doing it (thanks to my host) all while making a great friend that ended up visiting me in Munich last year. 

Hostels will also always be one of my favorite places to meet people. I met an Australian girl in a hostel in Chile, and, although she left the next day, we managed to meet up over and over again in Bolivia and Peru over the next two weeks. We became such good friends that when I came to Australia 3 years later, we continuously met up and basically explored half the country together.

How I Pack For My Trips

I absolutely love traveling as light as possible and usually always take a backpack because it allows you to be a lot more flexible. My luggage usually consists of about 15 t-shirt/tops, 5 dresses, 4 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of long pants, a towel, and my cosmetics. I always put each “category” of clothes in a packing bag because it makes staying organized soo much easier. 

Absolute must-haves are always my camera and laptop, Imodium (because there is a 99% chance you’re going to need it at least once haha) and antihistamines, and one warm jacket (because bus rides in Asia or South America are incredibly cold).