2009: a high school teacher told me I’d never graduate college. 2013: Graduated college (with honors) from University of Iowa. 😗 2014: After witnessing a friend pass away young and studying abroad, I decided I would live out my retirement in my 20s (because f*ck it, I could die tomorrow)🌴🍹. So, I quit my 9-5 and flew to South America for my first solo backpacking trip. 2015: Flew home (with -$5 in my bank account). Worked 3 serving/bartending jobs. Lived with 3 different family members. Was told I was wasting my college education. 2016: Took a one-way flight to Guatemala. Did my first work exchange. Hiked my first volcano. Hitch hiked 1000km+ in Mexico. Got Zumba certified 💃. Started a travel blog called courtneygoestoguatemala.com. 2017: came home broke as hell💅🏻...again. Lived on a friend’s couch. Felt lost. Experienced reverse culture shock, felt like an alien in my own country. 2018: Took a one-flight to Ecuador with the love of my life (or so I thought). Taught English in Colombia. Worked on an organic farm. Went to an Ayahausca retreat in the jungle. 2018/2019: Changed my brand and website to Courtney The Explorer🎒. Started working with brands and making affiliate income off my blog. Got my first paid writing job. Started a YouTube channel. Went to my first travel blogging conference. Got TEFL-certified and flew to Busan, South Korea to teach English. 2020: My relationship ended. Quit my (horrible 😩) job and flew home. Hit rock bottom and finally came to terms with my sexuality. Came out as lesbian at 29 years old. 🏳️‍🌈🤘🏻 2021: Took a (much-needed) 3-month gaycation to Egypt, Spain and Portugal. Hiked the Camino, ate everything in Spain, and fell in love with Egypt, a country I never thought I’d get to travel to. 2022: Moved back to Chicago and decided to create a home-base there (after 7 years on the road). Met an amazing woman on Tinder who also loves to travel 🥲❤️🌈. Found an apartment and adopted a curious cat named @gilberttheexplorer. 🐱🎒 Anddd the rest of the story is still loading. Happy you’re here. ❤️ Love you, Court 💖 #lgbttravel #lgbttravelers #lesbiantravel #gaytravel