Welcome to my little space on the web! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻
Hey there! I’m Aliese (pronounced A – LEASE) – a budget backpacker / ‘working holidayer’ with a love of vegetarian food, the outdoors and slow travel.
To fund my travels, I have:
- Interned at a travel tour company in Lisbon
- Taught Photography at a summer camp in Ohio.
- Worked at a campsite bar and restaurant in the Scottish Highlands
I am living proof that you don’t have to have tens of thousands saved in the bank to start travelling – you just have to know where to look for opportunities!
What you will find on my blog
Here you will find real, honest (and hopefully entertaining!) stories, budget travel tips and guides to working as you travel.
I hope my blog can help inspire, inform and motivate you. Whether it’s finding a vegetarian restaurant, discovering a new hiking trail or taking the plunge and exploring this crazy world with me full time!
How I travel
After 8 years travelling, I am still a budget backpacker. I love a bargain! And I would rather stay and eat amongst the locals.
I do love hostels but I also enjoy having my own space – especially when I’m working! The good news? Hostels have private rooms – so you can have the best of both worlds!
In this time, I have noticed how travel can have a negative impact. I make a conscious effort to travel responsibly. For example, you’ll never see me bathing elephants in Thailand or engaging in activities that openly exploit animals or human beings.
Lastly, I prefer to focus on slow travel. I want to get to know the locals and dig deeper – a couple of days just doesn’t cut it!
MY TRAVEL STORY
Where it began
It all began in 2015. My first ‘big’ adventure: interrailing through Europe with my mum! We stayed in cheap hostels, slept on overnight trains and ate cheaply. And I LOVED it. I was hooked.
In between studying at University, I spent a summer teaching Photography at a camp in America, a backpacking trip through Portugal (twice!), a sunny week in Thessaloniki, and a long distance hike through Devon and Cornwall.
But I wanted more…
At a crossroads
To travel or to build a career? Until I finished University – my journey had consisted of working to travel, spending all my money travelling – then repeat!
I wanted to travel further and for longer. But, I always thought that I needed LOTS of money saved up in the bank before I could could travel.
My solution? I was going to do BOTH – work AND travel.
Working Abroad & Seasonal Jobs
This came in the form of a funded internship working in Lisbon for three months (read my guide here) and a seasonal job at a bar in the Scottish Highlands afterwards.
I packed everything into a storage unit and off I went! For the last three years, I have lived, worked and travelled to Scotland, Portugal, Malta and Thailand.
With NO permanent home. Every place I call home now is a new adventure. And whilst it’s not always been easy – I have no regrets!
So what's next?
It’s been over eight years since I set off on my first backpacking adventure. And there’s no plan of stopping anytime soon!
The focus? This blog! Everything I’ve learnt, all the mistakes I’ve made and where you can find your next killer working holiday. But packing 8 years in is going to take some time!!
Currently I am slowly travelling through South East Asia, I am so excited to explore more of this side of the world. Including my next working holiday adventure in February – Australia.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT ME!
- I’ve been a Vegetarian MOST of my life – bar my Grandma feeding me McDonalds Chicken Nuggets on the sly as a kid.
- I’ll take street food markets over restaurants ANY DAY.
- I’m obsessed with Portugal, I have backpacked through the country twice and lived in Lisbon for three months. I would have lived there for longer but thanks Brexit…
- I am an extroverted introvert – I think it’s the perfect combination as a solo backpacker. I love to meet new people but I’m perfectly happy within my own company.
- I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I was 25 – better late than never right?!
- I am OBSESSED with Brunch – find anyone that gets more excited about an Eggs Benedict (no bacon) than me, I challenge you!
- I LOVE making lists and spreadsheets – travel planning is my idea of a good time.
- I often travel with my mum – basically a big kid and a best friend rolled into one!
- I am a self-professed foodie. Proof? Most of these facts are about food.
MY TRAVEL TIMELINE
2015 – I set off on my FIRST backpacking adventure around Europe. We stayed in cheap hostels, slept on overnight trains and ate cheaply. And I LOVED it. I was hooked.
2016 – My FIRST solo adventure: America! I spent the summer teaching photography at a camp in Ohio. There were campouts, I went to County Fairs and ate my bodyweight in funnel cake.
2016 – After camp, I backpacked around America. I fell in love with Chicago, snorkelling in the Key West and became an honorary sorority member whilst kipping on my American friend’s college dorm couch!
2017 / 2018 – I graduated, got my first ‘grown up’ graduate job and hated it. So I moved home, made a career change and went back to University to study a Masters in Marketing.
2019 – I got a student job, saved up and backpacked through Portugal. Instantly falling in love with the country.
2020 – I got a job in a bar to save up to travel again. Two weeks later, we went into lockdown. A year of hibernation, banana bread making and crafting commenced.
2021 – One of my biggest and most rewarding challenges yet! I hiked 300+ miles along the South West Coast Path through Devon and Cornwall. Living in a tent for seven weeks!
2022 – I got an exciting internship in Lisbon. I spent three months creating content for Segways and walking tours. The rest of time? Visiting beautiful beaches and brunching it up across this colourful city.
2022 – I started my FIRST seasonal working holiday in the Scottish Highlands: working at a bar and restaurant at the foot of Ben Nevis! Spending my days off hiking and island hopping!
2022 – I spent an incredible seven weeks backpacking through Thailand. From charming Chiang Mai in the North, all the way down to carefree Koh Lanta! Eating my bodyweight in pad thai, massaman curry and khao soi noodles. Yum!
2023 – I was invited to do another exciting internship – this time in Malta. Three months were spent marketing for a healthy food subscription company and exploring beautifully architectural cities such as Valletta and Rabat.
2023 – I returned for my second season working in the Highlands banking enough cash to backpack through Thailand again, as well as Vietnam and Indonesia!
