About Me

The Short Version

I am:

  • Introverted. You won’t see any posts about me getting drunk in Cancun and making 30 new BFFs.
  • Rebellious. I have a general dislike of authority and of people telling me what I can and can’t do. I live the way I want and do what I like.
  • Spiritual. While not always successful, I try to live by spiritual principles and reflect on my thoughts and actions. I’m obsessed with evolution.
  • Funny. Though normally in a dry, sarcastic, sometimes over the top way.
  • Curious. From indigenous tour guides to musicians to inspired people from all over the globe, I’m into it.
  • Honest. Travel is not all puppies and rainbows and lollipops. Sometimes it’s hard, and when it is, I’ll tell you. I keep it real.
  • A Die-Hard Vegetarian. Eating meat contributes to the demise of the planet. Sorry, someone has to tell you.
  • Complex. Come on, what other hilarious, honest, curious, introverted, spiritual, rebellious, vegetarian nomads do you know?

I write:

  • Things to inspire you. My life is the opposite of conventional, and if you want to get out there and do things your way, we’ll get along just fine.
  • Service pieces. You want to go where I go? Cool. When I take good notes, I’ll tell you how to get there, where to eat vegetarian, and how much it costs.
  • Reflections. I am constantly analyzing my life, and when I’ve had an especially insightful moment, I’ll share it with you. Maybe you’ll be able to relate.
  • Narratives. I want to transport you to where I’ve been.

The Longer Version

hugging a rock in New Zealand

Jasmine is a hard concept to sum up in a few paragraphs (though this quote describes me pretty accurately). I’m 25 years old. I’m from Florida. I graduated from university in 2007 and felt like I needed a big change in my life, so I moved across the country to Arizona. While in Arizona, I studied Reiki and worked in a corporate law office.

I distinctly remember going to Wal-mart in Mesa, AZ and observing the people around me. Kids were climbing out of carts whining while stressed out parents were picking out paint for their bathroom. It was then that I realized that I don’t want my life to look like that. I don’t want to live a life that was designed by someone else, a life that my society tells me epitomizes success.

I decided that my education wasn’t over, and that there was a lot more for me to learn and see. I sold and gave away all my worldly possessions and booked a flight to New Zealand. And I haven’t looked back since.

Since then, my reasons for traveling continue to change and evolve. My experiences effect me more now than ever. I have seen shocking injustice in this world. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night. I have since come to the realization that if I’m not part of the solution, I’m part of the problem. I refuse to forget what I’ve seen and felt, and I know it’s important for me to continue to learn from people across the globe.

If you want to find out how I have afforded years of travel, check out my work and travel page. My travel map shows the places I’ve been, and my travel gear page talks about what I carry in my backpack.

About the Blog: This is a continuation of a blog called jasminethenomad.com. I kept it up for over a year, from when I left the States to go to New Zealand until I landed in Australia. Sadly, the domain was expiring just as I was stranded in Sydney with $20 to my name.

Before I left for Latin America, I was at home for six months, which is when I began to develop this blog (late 2009). I uploaded photos and brief descriptions from Asia, Australia, Italy, and New Zealand, but the real blogging begins in Trinidad in February 2010.

Contact me at jasminewanders @ gmail.com