About Me - My Debstinations

Hi! I’m Debbi, an avid hiker, animal lover, food monster, pun aficionado (all of my Instagram captions begin with a related pun), Star Wars geek, and professional bargain hunter. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to over 75 countries and 6 continents thus far.

I’m originally from California but currently based in beautiful Sydney, Australia.

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Thanks, Sydney Harbour Bridge. You and your country have been so supportive ❤️ (pun intended ☺️) . We got out for a blissful walk across the bridge, around the Sydney Opera House, and lunched at a fabulous pho restaurant (Australia now allows 10 patrons max at eateries). #supportsmallbusiness . Australia is one of the most beautiful countries in the entire world, and I’m so fortunate to be quarantined here. 🐨

A post shared by Debbi | Solo Travel | Sydney 🐨 (@mydebstinations) on May 19, 2020 at 3:45pm PDT

There are thousands of travel blogs accessible worldwide. How am I different?

I primarily focus on writing about (and encouraging) solo female travel coupled with outdoor adventure. I classify my “style” as budget backpacking, since I’ve stayed in hundreds of hostels around the world.

I’m not someone you’ll ever see parading around the Eiffel Tower in a flowy dress and long hair just for the ‘Gram. I’m the exact opposite of that, in fact. I rarely wear makeup and you’ll always see me in my GORETEX hiking boots, leggings, and a tank, my hair usually in a messy bun.

Hiking Swiss Mountains — Hiking just outside Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

I mix in destination and foodie guides with personal anecdotes of my travel highlights and misadventures, in hopes that I inspire you to explore more of our beautiful, limitless world.

I left my first job out of university, one that many would deem a “dream job,” at the Disneyland Resort in 2013. While my love for Disney remains strong, I’ve never once regretted that decision to leave my comfort zone.

I’ve climbed glaciers in Iceland and New Zealand; worked on the largest cruise ship that sailed through Antarctic glaciers; bungy jumped in four countries; backpacked through Europe and the UK; ate my way through Japan; been to the “end of the world” (Ushuaia, Argentina); snorkeled with sea lions in Chile; paintballed in Uruguay; saw the Northern Lights as part of “work;” threw axes in Alaska; risked my life to see puffins in Iceland; spontaneously ran into Andy Serkis outside my Zermatt hostel; hiked real-life Middle-earth; and even hiked to the base of the Matterhorn… and documented all of it along the way.

Sailing to Antarctica in a penguin onesie: 2019

As a mental health advocate, I’m also here to inspire anyone struggling or trying to find their way in life. Having dealt with issues like depression, an eating disorder, and anxiety throughout periods of my life, I understand first-hand how tough life can be. I want to be a source of hope to prove that anyone can accomplish their dreams, regardless of any factors.

Explore the world with me, one ‘Deb’stination at a time!