Wild Compass

Find your wild. A solo female travel and outdoor adventure blog.

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Travel

How to eat vegetarian while traveling

Published by Gretchen

My first foray into eating a vegetarian diet was in college. My vegetarianism lasted about a semester and ended with a bacon feast. Given the limited vegetarian options available...

January 13, 2018
Comments 0
Tips, Hacks & Inspiration, Travel

What to pack for backpacking around the world

Published by Gretchen

You've mapped out your dream destinations and started researching what to do when you arrive. Now, what do you pack?

June 18, 2017
Comments 0
Before You Go, Travel

Travel journal

Published by Gretchen

Napkin scribbles, songs, poems and random musings from a trip around the world…

June 17, 2017
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Travel
Photo credit: Fabian Von Holzen

How to stay fit and healthy while you travel the world

Published by Gretchen

After four months of backpacking around Europe and Southeast Asia, the truth was staring at me in the mirror. Were those dimples on my thighs? Yikes. Thanks to a...

June 6, 2017
Comments 0
Tips, Hacks & Inspiration, Travel

Destinations

March 16, 2017

That time I ate rat, or 2 weeks of motorbikes, mountains and mayhem in Vietnam

When my best friend showed up in Vietnam, I knew it was going to be a wild ride. We...

by Gretchen
Comment 1
January 11, 2017

Pinch me, I’m dreaming…twelve days exploring magical Myanmar

As 2016 came to an end, I hopped from Vietnam to Myanmar (formerly Burma) to explore this incredible country...

by Gretchen
Comment 1
December 11, 2016

Ancient temples, island escapes and mountaintop monasteries: 7 days in Greece

One of the biggest challenges I had while planning my trip to Europe was how to spend seven days...

by Gretchen
Comment 1
November 7, 2016

Epic hike: the monasteries of Meteora, Greece

If you ever get the chance to visit the stunning rock formations and monasteries of Meteora, Greece, don’t miss...

by Gretchen
Comments 11

Outdoor

Road Trip: San Francisco to Vancouver

Published by Gretchen

Renegade camping, forest trails and secret swimming holes After spending nine months circumnavigating the globe, it only took a few weeks at home before the open road started whispering...

January 9, 2018
Comments 0
Adventures, Outdoor

Weekend Getaway: Ojai, California

Published by Gretchen

For those of us living within the smoggy confines of Los Angeles or Orange County, the need to break away for a weekend of fresh air is a common...

August 12, 2016
Comments 0
Outdoor, Weekend Getaways

Got #CampVibes? How to camp in style

Published by Gretchen

What's your camping style? Whether you are camping out at a music festival, high in the mountains or in your backyard, a few extras are all you need to take your campsite from...

March 16, 2016
Comment 1
How To, Outdoor

Roadtrip: Zion National Park to the Grand Canyon

Published by Gretchen

I knew it was going to be an adventure the moment we left the all-night party. Our three backpacks were stuffed into the back of my Ford Escape, with...

March 8, 2016
Comments 0
Adventures, Outdoor

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My Story

Gretchen

Gretchen

Hello and welcome! I’m Gretchen, a twenty-something solo female traveler with a passion for adventure and telling stories that inspire. In 2016, I quit my job in the surf industry and set out to travel around the world. After nearly a year of wandering Europe, Asia and Australia, I drifted ashore in Santa Cruz, California. This blog is a collection of my words and photographs created along the journey. It’s meant to inspire you to travel the world or even just take a weekend to try something new in a place you’ve never been before. Follow my adventures on Instagram: @wildcompass

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Inspiration

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go out into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself."

Alan Alda

Instagram

We are only as strong, smart, brave, adventurous and happy as the stories we tell about ourselves 🌻 What’s your story? // A few more views from my solo wanders around #Dubrovnik and #Hvar, Croatia
All I’ve ever wanted is a lifetime of adventures 🐚
Into the wild blue yonder 💙
Sunshine in Hvar
Dubrovnik by sea
Split to Hvar, before the rain 🌧
Port-hopping in the Mediterranean sometimes means sleepless ferry rides to Italy ... wine, pasta and pizza be mine 🍷 🍝 🍕 ❤️
It’s all about the sunset secret spot // Dubrovnik, Croatia 🇭🇷
Dubrovnik, Croatia 💕
A year ago, I was preparing to quit my job, leave everything behind and travel the world by myself. It felt like I was jumping off the edge of a cliff, or stepping off the map 🗺 If I could tell myself at that time anything, it would be this (from AA Milne)... "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think." And, the year you are about to have will be one of the most adventurous, wonderful and magical of all the years of your life ✨ • 📷 @wizardslivers • • • #travel #aroundtheworldtrip #backpacking #wanderlust #solofemaletravel #wearetravelgirls
Somewhere over the rainbow 🌈
View from the top // Smith Rock, Oregon

Solo Female Travel

Solo Female Travel, Tips, Hacks & Inspiration, Travel

8 important lessons I learned from traveling the world

As I contemplate the last four months of world travel, I realize I've learned a lot from the experience of backpacking across Europe and Southeast Asia. I've discovered places...

February 5, 2017
Comments 0
Solo Female Travel, Travel

Why travel solo? 10 reasons to take on the world by yourself

I'll admit it —when I first decided I was going to travel alone through Europe and Southeast Asia, I was terrified. The thought of spending four months by myself,...

November 12, 2016
Comments 7
Solo Female Travel, Travel

A delayed bon voyage

After an unexpected plot twist set my departure back a day, I was eager to start my journey through Europe and Southeast Asia. My first destination? Paris. I hadn’t...

October 2, 2016
Comment 1

Vibes

"I just wanna go on more adventures. Be around good energy. Connect with people. Learn new things. Grow."

TheKhoolHaus

Quote of the Month

"Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry."

Jack Kerouac

Categories

  • Destinations
    • Austria
    • Czech Republic
    • France
    • Greece
    • Myanmar
    • Vietnam
  • Inspiration
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    • Adventures
    • Field Notes
    • How To
    • Weekend Getaways
  • Travel
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Find your wild. A solo female travel and outdoor adventure blog.

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