Kim | As Kim Travels

Kim, from Bay City, Michigan, has been traveling internationally since she was 18. She now keeps a blog to share her travels with anyone interested in learning more about the life of a traveler. One of our favorite things about her blog is how real she get with the ups and downs of travel. One article in particular dives into The Bad and The Ugly That Comes With Travel. In that article, she shares:

“The travel lifestyle isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Sure, the travel photos that take over Instagram and Facebook are incredible – they inspire you to pack up a bag and buy a ticket to a foreign country…..but I hate to break it to you…..there are bad things that come with this lifestyle.

I’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower, drank out of coconuts on the beaches of Brazil, and bathed elephants in Thailand….but I’ve also gone weeks without running water, have cried in airports, been robbed of valuables, and slept on the floor of a bus station…..”

We highly recommend this read for anyone traveling, interested in travel or simply looking for a good read!

“My name is Kim Charters – I am 23 years old and I was born and raised in Bay City, Michigan…that’s where “home” is.

I have been interested in travel my entire life – going on vacations with my family to different states and even taking cruises to various islands. When I was 18 years old I decided to take a leap and make my first solo trip to Europe to visit an old friend who is from Germany. I haven’t stopped since.

I am a now a solo backpacker and I have stepped foot on almost 40 countries by the age of 23. There is nothing I love more than waking up in foreign cities and experiencing an entirely different culture.

I have a passion for photography. Shooting with my Canon and my GoPro is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. I also am an avid hiker and tend to visit cities where there’s a challenging mountain or volcano trek. I was scuba certified in Bali and love being in the ocean…especially when there’s a sea turtle around.”

I’ve been traveling the world by myself for the last 5 years and if I could give you two pieces of advice it would be to plan less and say “yes” more often. I have found that having an open mind and schedule can open up so many doors for you – take advantage of that. Accept and respect cultural differences, try new things, and step out of your comfort zone. Be scared but do things anyways – truly live.