“I have no special talents; I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein
Hola- I’m Michelle Weigold, a Kentuckian with a love for photography, cats, grilled cheese, & genealogy.
I am a former high-school Spanish Teacher turned travel blogger (& artist, photo editor, & full time mom!), & am a proud alumni of The University of Kentucky & Xavier University Cincinnati!
When I’m not busy wrangling my two young sons, I’m probably planning my next trip!
Why the Website?
Travel is my passion, & I want a way to share this with friends, family, & anyone else who shares in this love too.
People are always asking me, “How do you afford it? How do you plan it? How do you decide where to go? What do you do when you get there?“, & I thought a blog would make an easy way to answer some of these questions!
I also heavily rely on blogs & advice for my own trip planning,& love the idea of helping other travelers make their trips go more smoothly.
How do I afford it?
Contrary to what you might think, I don’t have a secretly wealthy relative who funds my travels. I don’t work for the airlines, & have only recently had certain experiences funded by tourism boards. I have been able to afford my travels over the years by simply making it a priority.
I’ve never had a very high-paying job, I’ve never had a free flight in my life, & I haven’t really attempted to make use of miles or credit card points yet. I travel so much because it’s important to me. Plain & simple.
In my younger years, my travels were made easier due to study-abroad programs (& the whole “being single with no kids” thing). I paid to take courses abroad, & traveled from there. This was essentially part of my tuition bills. I studied abroad in undergrad & again during my Masters program.
After graduating college, I funded backpacking trips & other 2-3 week international trips by saving up money while I worked. Living with my parents in my early-mid 20’s was a choice I made so I was able to put aside more of my income. I set up a separate bank account specifically for travel.
I was able to afford it by traveling inexpensively. I also picked destinations based on airfare trends, choosing cheap flights versus choosing a specific destination. I stayed in hostels, & do my own research so I can keep things as cheap as possible.
For example– At the age of 25, I had saved up enough money to be able to quit my real-estate job & move to Valencia, Spain for a year. While there, it was very affordable to travel throughout Europe using low-budget carriers.
For my African-safari honeymoon, we set up a honeymoon registry for our wedding guests. When I spent 2 months in Costa Rica, I had won a partial scholarship. There are lots of creative ways to make travel affordable, but the main way is to make it a priority!
Where Have I been?
Ever since I was 14 and went to London with babysitting money I’d been saving up in a shoe-box called “TRAVEL”, I’ve known I want to see more of this great big world.
My studies in the Spanish language have allowed me many long term immersion adventures, & I am a huge advocate of backpacking & budget travel.
Get in touch! Send me your questions at michelle@greatwidetravel.com
For business or promotional inquires, see my “WORK WITH ME” page
