Learn a Little Something About
This Solo Female Travel Blogger
About Me
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Solo Female Travel Blogger Inspired by History, Film & Fiction
Travel HerStory was named for my love of history and my personal travel stories as a woman.
I built this blog to be the travel resource I wish I’d had when I started planning trips at 16.
Whether you’re planning your first solo trip or your thirtieth, I write with the detail-obsessed, budget-conscious mindset of someone who’s done the research so you don’t have to.
Meet Michelle
Hey! I’m Michelle, and I’m the founder of Travel HerStory!
Over the past 13 years, my aim with this blog has been to share my adventures to inspire and guide you on your own!
Back in 2013, I started blogging out of boredom. I was working a desk job at a film and TV studio in Los Angeles, CA. I didn’t have much to do there unless something went wrong (not that I hoped it would). On a friend’s recommendation, I started a blog.
It initially focused on travel, as I had just returned from my college graduation trip to Europe.
I have a bit of what I call travel OCD, as I plan EVERYTHING! I’m not terrible to travel with. I just don’t like wasting time ‘winging it’ when I could be enjoying the beautiful places I’ve flown several hours to see.
I soon ran out of content because I was stuck at my desk instead of traveling the world. The blog became a collage of things before evolving into the Nerd Out app in 2015.
I ran that pop culture event calendar for three years across 75 locations while still working in TV, before I had to close it down.
While nerdom holds a special place in my heart (see Film & TV Inspiration), I longed to travel blog; thus, Travel HerStory was born!
In 2022, I stepped away from the entertainment industry.
In the downtime between lurking on LinkedIn for roles, I got back into Lunchclub, which I had used a ton during the pandemic to keep networking while at home.
There, someone encouraged me to run ads on this very blog. It had been stagnant since 2020, but he said, “At least get back what you’re spending on it” (hosting fees, etc.).
The following week, another member of that platform discouraged me, saying, “What will you make? Just a thousand dollars a month?”
The latter truly ticked me off. Like many, I haven’t found the job market to be kind. So yeah, $1,000 a month sounded lovely!
Flash forward a mere 5 months into my blogging (re)adventure, and I made over $1,000 in a month.
In 6 months, 80+ posts I’d audited began attracting 32k visitors per month, a 1354% increase.
I’ve since maintained an average monthly income of $2,000 from this blog, which has allowed me to:
- Not panic-buy a job and instead build something I love
- Teach others how to earn income from travel blogging
- Get featured in several prominent publications (e.g., HuffPost UK, Travel + Leisure, USA TODAY 10Best, and The Washington Post) and on podcasts
- …And it netted me a role at AAA writing travel guides!
I’m now working toward my dream of traveling while working remotely and funding it all through this travel blog. Thus far, my longest journey has been 4.5 months as a digital nomad!
I also have a side quest—I’m currently querying an action-adventure novel inspired, in part, by my travels (more on it below).
Why Trust Travel HerStory?
13+ Years of Travel Blogging — I’ve been covering destinations since 2013, long before “content creator” was a job title.
38 Countries, 26 Solo — From solo nights in Rome, Italy, to navigating the crowds at Park Güell in Barcelona alone, I write from real, firsthand experience.
Published Travel Writer — My work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Washington Post, USA TODAY 10Best, HuffPost UK, and others. I also spent time as an SEO Content Writer for AAA, writing travel guides for one of America’s most trusted travel brands.
Solo Female Travel Specialist — I specifically cover safety, logistics, and the honest realities of traveling as a woman alone, including the mistakes I have personally made.
14-Year TV Veteran — Having worked on TV and film sets, recorded on numerous sound stages, and sat in edit bays (just to name a few of the jobs I’ve had), I’m extremely knowledgeable about the entertainment industry and approach travel destinations with a trained eye. I’ve chased the real places behind the stories—the film locations, the author’s hometowns, the settings that made a book or movie stick with me.
What Got My Travel OCD Going?
16th birthdays are a BIG deal in New York, where I grew up.
Being the penny-pincher that I am, I did the math on what a party would cost. I could spend a few grand on a couple of hours of fun or… spend it on a trip!
So, before going to England years ago, I sought advice at the local library (it was 2006).
Everything I found was either too expensive, family-oriented, or the cheapest place for beer.
None of those options were things I was interested in or would help me, so I had to help myself 💪.
After tons of research, I had a very successful trip!
Years later, when I decided to start a blog, I wrote down all my knowledge, hoping it would be useful to YOU!
Why Budget Travel?
Aside from sharing my favorite travel destinations, I try to save you some dough 💰 with budget-friendly travel tips!
As someone who grew up with only one parent in a single-income household, I’m well aware of how important every cent is.
I bring that same mindset to every trip—hunting down savings on accommodations, tourist cards, and anything else that keeps travel accessible without sacrificing the experience.
Why Solo Travel?
As an only child, I got used to doing things on my own.
Most of my trips have been solo. Not because no one was invited, but because waiting for others means missing out. I’ve learned to love it, and I write honestly about what it’s actually like to travel alone as a woman.
We all have one life to live! And I’m dead set on living it to the fullest!
Where Have I Traveled to?
Working in Music & TV
Before I moved from New York to California to work in TV (see Riverdale left), I interned for the Jonas Brothers Street Team, where I designed graphics for their website and MySpace page. I then spent 14 years in TV/film, which is why many of my posts reference TV shows and movies.
My Author Journey
As part of stepping away from this blog in 2020 (since no one was going anywhere), I channeled some of that extra stay-at-home energy into writing an action-adventure novel.
While secretly reclaiming a priceless treasure, Alex stumbles upon a rare find: a 2,000-year-old Maya codex. However, she soon discovers that others want it for sinister purposes.
Kidnapped and tased in the altercation, Alex’s pacemaker becomes damaged. With her heart failing, she must escape, assemble a rag-tag team, and unlock the codex’s supernatural powers before her captor—else she risks losing more than just her life.
“Deferring Death” is currently being pitched to literary agents. To stay updated on its release, sign up for my newsletter below.
In addition to being inspired by Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, and others, my own travels inspired me, so much so that I’ve visited some of the locations I mention in this novel (posts incoming!).
Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.
David McCullough
If there’s one quote that best captures my blog, it’s the David McCullough quote above.
I believe travel is about learning—about places, people, cultures, and more. So, I’m here to help you do that.
Contact Me
I hope you enjoyed reading about me, a solo female travel blogger, and my adventures! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! I’d love to hear from you.
Travel HerStory is written and edited by me, Michelle L. Jensen. I am currently in Southern California and blog about travel while querying an action-adventure novel.