Hi, I’m Debbi!

Explore the world through my eyes as I empower YOU to travel alone on a budget while hiking, eating, and more.

10 Lessons from Living Abroad

September 8, 2020

In the past seven years, I’ve been fortunate enough to call four other countries my “home.”…

Continue Reading 10 Lessons from Living Abroad

Why it’s Important to Chase Your Wanderlust

Krystianna Pietzrak

September 1, 2020

Guest writer Krystianna from Volumes & Voyages details her travel story as well as 7 reasons…

Continue Reading Why it’s Important to Chase Your Wanderlust

29 Things That I Learned in My 20s: Love, Life, and Career

30 Things You Can’t Find in Australia as an American Expat

5 Lessons My First Solo Trip Taught Me: Guest Post by Alexis Cannella

Read More Posts

mydebstinations

✨ Expat, writer, lightsaber spinner in 🇦🇺
✨ Empowering you to chase your dreams
✨ 75 countries, 7 seas, 6 continents
⬇️ Using the Force to inspire ⬇️

The heat in Australia is ‘snow’ laughing matte

The heat in Australia is ‘snow’ laughing matter 🥺

❄️ It’s December 1st, the official start to Sydney’s summer... and oh, the weather outside is frightful, especially if you despise the heat 😂

❄️ I joked that I do everything I can to avoid hot weather. I’d gladly travel to another country in the winter just to escape the summers here, but since that’s not an option, I’ll get to experience my very first blistering Aussie summer 😱

❄️ I’m the type of human who doesn’t get cold easily - and in cold weather, like pictured here in New York, I THRIVE.

❄️ To create my own winter wonderland in Sydney, I’ve done the following:
✨ Bought 10 ice packs and put them all on me to cool off
✨ Refrigerated a water spritzer to spray myself every so often and sit in front of the fan
✨ Stuck my head in the freezer to escape reality for a bit
✨ Filled a bathtub with ice cubes and pretended I was in Antarctica
✨ Refrigerated nearly every item of food we have to eat things ice cold 😂

❄️ For my fellow winter-loving friends out there, I see you! Let me know if you have any other tips when YOU miss snowy winters 😅

“That’s how they win - by making you think you

“That’s how they win - by making you think you’re alone.”

💫 The last day of @boundandunbox’s Star Wars bounding challenge involves Zorii Bliss, who has the best colour palette of all - a stylish maroon jumpsuit and gold helmet.

💫 As quoted by Keri Russell (Zorii herself), “Zorii is the best version of every person I want to be. She can take care of herself. She’s a survivor. To be hidden to and to see everyone (but no one can see me) is my other dream, because I’m sort of an introvert. It’s my fantasy. You can’t see a single part of her. It’s so alluring.”

💫 While I don’t have a helmet (YET!), it’s always fun to mix and match colours (and also try to be more fashion-forward).

💫 For those who aren’t aware, @thedisneybound was started by the lovely @leslieakay back in the days of Tumblr.

💫 It’s thanks to her that the word “bounding” exists in regular vocabulary, which essentially shows your love and appreciation of any fandom through fashion.

💫 You can be as creative as you want with your looks, and it’s far cheaper than cosplay (I mean, you’re throwing things together using the basics of your closet).

💫 Here are some of my fave bounders:
@heymeylynn
@makingyourownmagic
@brianamatopoeia
@bella.shipley
@taymakesmagic
@magicbymuses
@lysaroma
@dislifeofaya
@abbycorkins
@jensohappy
@kirstengotstyle
@sophiekraymer

💫 And of course, my absolute fave place for finding new rad girls to connect with is through @starwars.style.

Real talk here: I’m not interested in being a bl

💥 “Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to.

💥 “Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to. That’s the only way to become what you are meant to be.”

💥 I’m fascinated with Kylo’s character in the sequels, and it’s part of the main reason why I also became obsessed with everything related to the dark side (the costumes are ALWAYS better as a baddie).

💥 MEGA thanks to my bombshell talent of a friend, @alyssahope_, for editing this photo so magnificently again.

💥 Swipe ➡️ to see the original photo - we didn’t use blades, since I accidentally forgot to charge Eden’s hilt 😂

💥 Also, taking pictures in front of landmarks can be so ordinary. Lightsabers and costumes instantly make EVERYTHING a thousand times better.

The prequels may be painful to rewatch, but Padmé

The prequels may be painful to rewatch, but Padmé Amidala is a true badass.

💛 @boundandunbox’s challenge is all about the prequels today, so this $2 AUD thrifted dress was perfect for channeling my inner Padmé.

💛 Here’s why Padmé serves as a beacon of female empowerment, as told by the @starwars blog:

✨ She refuses to back down
✨ She puts people ahead of her pride
✨ She’s fully independent and capable of saving herself (rather than being a damsel in distress)
✨ She’s a persistent politician
✨ She’s a champion for peace
✨ She chooses the light over the dark side, despite Anakin being corrupted

💛 Cheers to you, Padmé - your bravery and resilience will never be forgotten.

What NOT to do before you move abroad for the firs

What NOT to do before you move abroad for the first time 😂

🙄 All based on my personal mistakes, because I’m a goon 😣

➡️ DON’T overpack. You do NOT need shampoo bottles (like wtf, who let my mum stuff those in🤦🏻‍♀️)
➡️ DON’T pack your stuff a month in advance and leave the suitcases proudly stuffed in your room
➡️ DON’T pack 7+ jackets and 30+ tops
➡️ DON’T fold your clothes or lay them flat
➡️ DON’T pack an iPad, laptop, two iPods, and a million charging accessories
➡️ DON’T pack heavy books
➡️ DON’T use international roaming on your phone
➡️ DON’T just keep everything back home

✨ DO pack the lightest garments you have, and then just shop for necessities upon arrival
✨ DO lay out ALL of your things on a flat surface - and then take HALF OF WHAT YOU LAY OUT. SERIOUSLY.
✨ DO pack 3 jackets (one cardigan, one rain jacket, one winter coat)
✨ DO use packing cubes and just pack a tiny cube of clothing for your move
✨ DO roll your clothes (this conserves the most space)
✨ DO pack a laptop if you’re planning on working in the country you move to. Rather than also packing an iPad or Kindle, just use your phone (unless you’re a digital artist)
✨ DO download plenty of e-books on your phone for light reading
✨ DO pop a local SIM card into your phone and top it up monthly (much cheaper than a plan sometimes)
✨ DO sell all of your belongings you don’t need (Poshmark, eBay, Depop, FB Marketplace- get rid of it all)

❗️Save this if you’re thinking of moving abroad in the future - save yourself the headache and please don’t make the same mistakes as 2013 Debbi (or else you’ll look like this photo) 😅

‘Rey’ the Force be with you! ✨ 💙 I am so

‘Rey’ the Force be with you! ✨

💙 I am so lucky to have such talented, inspiring friends (all over the world). These AMAZING photo edits were by @alyssahope_, an absolute all-around multifaceted geek who is talented in everything creative and art-related.

💙 Check out her story highlights for more info on ordering photo edits. 😍 She’s my absolute FAVE!

💙 A kind reminder to always try and support your friends in their endeavours when you can!

💙 Whether you commission someone for an art piece, request a photo edit, buy from their shop, or attend one of their webinars, remember that you’re playing a small part in their success. EVERY bit helps!

💙 Also, SHOP SMALL BUSINESSES this year (more than ever). It’s a great way to give back to your community, and most likely, the packaging and personalisation of gifts will be so, SO much more thoughtful than anything bought in a store.

Do you need to plan rigorously before embarking on

Do you need to plan rigorously before embarking on a solo trip (anywhere)?

NAH.

✨ Everyone has their own style of travel. I used to keep Google spreadsheets of my finances, sights to visit, etc., but they ended up stressing me out more than helping… so I scrapped all of that.

✨ I found the most freedom and enjoyment when I literally just SHOWED UP to a place and started walking, exploring, getting lost, and being immersed in a country rather than constantly looking at my phone.

✨ I make it a point to put my phone on “Do Not Disturb” or even Airplane Mode when I’ve first arrived in a new region, since I truthfully hate the distractions of our phones.

✨ I probably shouldn’t advise YOU to follow in my footsteps (ha, no pun intended), because this wandering has also led me to being stranded in the dark with only my phone flashlight, caught in rain and snowstorms, etc. But don’t these make the best stories (in retrospect)?

✨ This 2018 vacation in particular was special - I crammed in Vancouver, Portland, Iceland, AND Switzerland within the span of a month, and literally didn’t plan a single thing for my itineraries.

✨ And guess what? EVERYTHING worked out (along with a few memorable stories and mishaps).

✨ The day this was taken, I never planned on walking 45k+ steps from Zermatt to the Matterhorn base (and back). I just started walking and walking and never stopped going.

✨ I guarantee you that this is why solo travellers wake up at 5am and sleep at midnight or later when on the road.

✨ My point: There is NEVER a right or wrong way to travel. You do what works for you, and the beauty of travelling by yourself is the ability to be your own boss, meet so many people, and problem solve in the nick of time when necessary.

Load More... Follow on Instagram