Hey there, I’m Addie! At the ripe old age of 20, I can’t really say that I’m much of an authority on any subject. For the most part, I’m just like every other twenty something out there. I spend a lot of time binging Netflix shows or surfing social media. When I’m not doing that I’m attempting to study so that I can get a degree and (hopefully) a job.

Originally, I hail from small town Illinois, but at the moment I’m living in Scotland and attending university. I’m working towards a degree in German and Social Anthropology – a combination that no one (including myself) seems to understand. In my free time, I live in the student blackbox theatre, either directing or acting in shows, and spend too much money on chocolate and travel guidebooks.

My Travel Story

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a life filled with travel. Only six months after I took my first breaths, I was on an airplane and on my way to visit family in Switzerland. Apparently, I was an excellent baby to travel with – I hardly ever cried, and (if I may say so myself) I was pretty darn cute.

Throughout my childhood, my dad would tote me along on business trips whenever he got the chance. I made my first trip to New York City when I was eight years old. Later, I somehow found my way to Japan and China not once, but twice.

Travelling with my father allowed me to see parts of the world which many people don’t even dream of being able to see in their lifetimes before I even hit puberty – and for that I am forever grateful. It wasn’t until I was somewhat older that the travel bug really hit me, though. In high school, I was lucky enough to take part in a language class trip to Germany and Austria. We spent three weeks exploring two beautiful countries, and I fell in love with the continent of Europe.

All of our Sound of Music dreams came true when we saw the Sixteen Going on Seventeen gazebo.

The Big Move

At the end of my high school career, I started to dream of a life outside of the small town that I knew and loved, and ended up applying to university in London. Less than a year later, I had moved across an ocean to another country. I was more than a little bit out of my comfort zone, but was in love with my new life all the same.

Unfortunately, February of that academic year hit me with a sudden and debilitating bout of depression. I was forced to leave university and return back home, where I spent the spring and summer recovering. During this time, I was planning my return across the pond to a different university and a different course of study. I was hopeful that I would be much happier there.

Travel played a huge part in my recovery process, and I spent several weeks finding my way around the North American continent. I gazed out at the city of New York, was blown away by the Grand Canyon, and spent some time with the incredibly friendly people of Canada. I even started Addie Abroad so that I could document my travels!

By the time I was preparing to move back across the pond, I had been reminded of what was truly important to me – travel. Travel is what had allowed me to find myself, and is what will continue to allow me to do so as I stumble my way through life.

Now, I have found my home in small town Scotland, and have absolutely fallen in love. I have taken the opportunity of being so close to mainland Europe to make several excursions so far, including to Freiburg, Germany and Barcelona. Over the upcoming years, I hope to do much more of just that, as well as taking any chance I get to explore even more of this beautiful world that we live on – and I can’t wait.