I’m Lauren DeFazio.

Solo traveler, writer, artist, ArcticTumbleweed.

My life’s mission is to see as many places as I possibly can and to encourage you to explore more. More of what makes you tick, more of what you had no idea was out there, more of the roads less traveled and sights less seen. I'm on a personal and professional quest to prove that states like Kansas, Arkansas, and Nebraska, for example, are so much more than you thought. And I'd be willing to bet my career that I can show you more than you ever imagined existed within all of our beautiful states. I plan to slowly but surely put an end to that knee-jerk, "Why would anyone want to go to Idaho?" reaction. And I'm going to do it one powerfully, sometimes poetically written travel post at a time.

Where did this passion come from? Well, my travel bug initially became a part of me while watching my Mom travel the world for work, and sometimes getting to tag along on her trips. But the bug was irreversibly ignited during my first major road trip just a few days after my college graduation. Some buddies and I packed ourselves and our favorite snacks into an orange Dodge and headed south for the Alabama Gulf Coast from New York. Determined to make it there in one straight shot, we took turns driving and napping. But I couldn’t nap. I was too mesmerized by everything new around me. Every curve in the road, every billboard, every new fast-food chain I'd never heard of, every stitch of landscape I'd never seen before. I was enthralled. For 25.5 hours I was in a complete spongelike state, soaking up every second, every sound, every sight I could see. I was 21 and it was the first time I'd realized just how awe-inspiring and impactful it truly is to travel.

From that trip on, I began traveling more and more, and often on my own. I took my first solo trip because I didn't want to wait for a companion to be on-board and ready to have the kind of adventures I wanted to have. I quickly became obsessed with traveling alone. I find it to be a therapeutic, almost meditative experience. It's the single most enriching gift I could ever give myself. Plus, I can put on whatever embarrassing music I feel like listening to, stop and chat with whomever I want for as long as I want, eat gas station food for breakfast, sleep ‘til noon, or wake up to take a sunrise picture on a whim. It's freeing, enlightening, challenging, enchanting, introspective, sometimes frustrating, and definitely not for everyone, but well worth trying for anyone even remotely intrigued. At best, you'll want to do it every chance you get, and at worst, you'll be so proud that you did it, but you'll only travel in good company next time. If you really enjoy your "me time" this will very likely be your new thing.