What to Expect on Packing Up the Pieces

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I love to share all my personal recommendations. So, if you’re looking for authentic travel experiences from someone who has actually done the activities they write about, you’re in the right place! I also love to find budget experiences that pack a big punch or an awe factor! I prefer to slow travel, so most of my guides are from places that I spent months in.

This website is my love project; it’s filled with intimate stories, and everything is my own. You won’t find any AI writing, only my personal thoughts from hours behind my keyboard.

➤ Itineraries & Guides: My personal travel guides and itineraries from multi-day road trips to weekend breaks in places I adore.

➤ Hikes & Adventures: Discover my favorite hiking trails that I have completed, from day hikes to multi-day treks. These include my favorite hut-to-hut treks and overnight camping adventures. You’ll also find some bike routes, but to be honest, I much prefer a saunter.

➤ Camino de Santiago: Find tips, routes, and planning logistics for one of Europe’s grandest pilgrimage routes. I’ve personally walked 12 routes and live steps away from the Way. I also love Camino detours and roads less taken. I’m always planning for my next Camino.

➤ Foodie Guides: Food and Wine are some of the best ways to learn about a destination. Here, I share some of my favorite foodie guides and an in-depth guide to unique wine regions.

➤ Hot Springs: Nothing better than soaking in a natural hot spring, especially after a long hike!

➤ Galicia: My current home and a place so diverse that I never run out of things to see or do. From hikes to itineraries, these are places I visit time and time again and never get tired of.

➤ Personal Writings: Raw writings of personal struggles and heartfelt moments while on the road.

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My Why for Packing up the Pieces

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Are you scared or nervous to travel independently?  I hope that I can help alleviate that fear. Tackling my first trip was nerve wracking, but now travel is a major part of my identity. I often write with the mindset that “Anyone Can Travel,” and IT’S TRUE!

Not only do I want to encourage travel, but ultimately I hope I can inspire others to get outside their comfort zone by traveling abroad. I wish to support a conscious shift in how we travel as a collective unit and maybe even open our minds and perceptions about the world, other cultures, and even ourselves.

I want to restore the idea of sustainable travel with the emphasis that the money goes directly to the city, town, and region.

We can start to make a social change by shifting our wallets away from big-name hotels and chain restaurants and avoiding all-inclusive resorts or massive cruise ships when we travel. It’s also why you won’t see any Amazon links on this website or find me praising or using AI. As someone who has seen the beauty of this world, I can’t imagine destroying it to help simplify my workload.  

I travel by sleeping at family-run guest houses and hostels, and look for locally owned establishments.  Find me shopping at local markets, supporting neighborhood restaurants, and even getting lost…I mean using public transportation.

So, if you crave an authentic travel experience, then you’ve come to the right place! I write all my own content and only share my own personal experiences. I always try to travel “off the beaten path” and as local as possible. By doing this, all my travel and destination guides are budget-conscious

And let’s be real, after years on the road, I’ve really learned how to make my money stretch.

The world is such a beautiful canvas, and I want to help fill yours with experiences, memories, and splashes of things outside your comfort zone. I hope you find my site authentic and useful, as it is my intention to encourage everyone and anyone to travel responsibly!

An Overview of My Travel History

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2003 – I took my first international trip to Australia. This trip didn’t go as planned, and while I am grateful for the opportunity, this trip changed how I wanted to travel in the future. All my values and ethics of travel were shaped by this trip, which made me concious on really getting to experience a place through local customs, culture, and experiences, not just passing by.

2005 – I took my first study abroad opportunity at university via the Wisconsin in Scotland Program. I got to live in a palace in Dalkeith, just outside of Edinburgh, with 90 students from 5 different Wisconsin Universities. We only had classes three days a week, which meant we got to take advantage of long weekends exploring Europe on a college budget. (Scotland, England, Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain)

2007 – I had the opportunity to take another study abroad experience in Vietnam. This time we went for 3 weeks in a traveling classroom style from North to South Vietnam

2009 – A trip with my sister changed my life. We spent three weeks backpacking through Europe, and I finally had the courage to turn in my 2 week notice at my full-time job. After that, with only $3,000 in my bank account, I moved to Portland, Oregon, a city that I had never even visited. I knew no one here and had no job, but I ended up spending a few years living here and exploring the West Coast. This is also where I found out about working on River Boats, which would change my life.

2011 – I got my first position at sea on a Cruise ship that went between the islands of Hawaii. From there, I transitioned into the yacht world. I worked for almost 10 years on luxury mega-yachts, traveling and working my way across the globe. I worked on private and charter yachts from Alaska to the Mediterranean, between the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean. When I was between contracts, I was traveling the world on a backpack budget, seeking real experiences to replenish my soul. Working on the yachts was an amazing opportunity, and it also showed me what really matters in life. I also completely understand the phrase: money doesn’t buy happiness.

2018 – This was the year my life changed completely. I flew down to Ecuador and worked with plant medicines, and the idea for this website was planted in my mind. I also knew that my time in the yacht world would be ending, and it was time to go on an extended journey. I would end up traveling for almost 6 years.

2019 – At the time, I had no idea what to do next besides start building my site. My mom and traveled to Finland, and from there we visited our ancestral home in Germany. We were meant to walk the Camino de Santiago after that, but due to an injury, my mom had to fly home. I ended up housesitting and spending time in Europe, making it all the way east to Ukraine and onto Georgia. I spent a lot of my time in nature alone, hiking and reflecting on what’s next. I received a call for a long-term house sit in Ecuador, so I flew back to South America

2020 – The year of COVID came, and I was in Peru. I ended up getting locked in Peru for almost one year. This time, I was near Cusco in the Sacred Valley. With one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, I decided to stay and not pay the enormous fee to be repatriated. I spent a lot of my time in the nearby mountains and Cusco. When the borders finally opened in November of 2020, I flew home for a bit and knew that I wanted to continue traveling slowly and look into moving abroad.

2021 – I felt a calling to spend time in Oaxaca, Mexico, so after a winter in Wisconsin, I packed up all my things and searched for a long-term rental. I ended up spending six months in Oaxaca, where I found a sick and almost dead puppy in the Sierra Sur Mountains. I decided she would leave with me, and so began the adventures of Donaji.

2022 – Before rescuing Donaji, I had agreed to a long-term house sit in Ecuador, so I left her in Wisconsin while I stayed in Ecuador. This was a really challenging time for me, away from my pup and unsure what to do next. I stayed in Ecuador for four months and returned home.

2022 – After Ecuador, I had wanted to return to Mexico with Donaji, but life happens, and I had one of the hardest times in my life. I could not get out of bed and felt frozen. One day I was in town grabbing a book and saw a shell on a sweatshirt in a store window. I knew this was the Camino calling me to walk. I walked the Camino Francés in September 2022 and continued on to walk to the “End of the World.” The journey changed my life, and I knew that Spain was where my heart belonged.

2023 – I took more trips to Europe, including the Azores, and walked more Caminos. I took my mom to some of my favorite regions in Spain, the Basque Country, La Rioja, and beyond. I also spent time in Wisconsin, spending time with family and preparing for my move abroad.

2024 – 2026 – I was accepted into the NALCAP Language Exchange in Spain. By luck, I was placed in Galicia, a small village in the Pontevedra province. I taught English at two schools; one was a primary school and the other a secondary school. I learned so much about myself. After a few months, Donaji flew over so we could begin our new journey together.

These Days – I live in Galicia with Donaji, where we spend a lot of time walking the Montes and hosting my family. We mostly travel on road trips through Portugal and Spain. I am working on expanding my business to give back to the places that have given me so much healing and comfort.

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These are a Few of my Favorite Things…

The Beginings of Packing up the Pieces Blog

One defining moment that changed my life was dabbling with the sacred plant medicines of Ayahuasca and San Pedro. Yes, Packing up the Pieces was “planted” into my mind during a ceremony, including the name. The ceremonies gave me one final push of confidence to start this blog. A seed was planted that I could take all of the knowledge, education and experiences from my travels and share them with others.

Mindful Travel

I am always trying to travel with intention and purpose. I sleep at family-run guest houses, hostels, and try to find local long-term accommodations.  Find me shopping at local markets, supporting neighborhood restaurants, and even getting lost…I mean using public transportation.

I want to encourage sustainable travel with the emphasis that the money goes directly to the city, town, and region. We can start to make a social change by shifting our wallets away from big name hotels, chain restaurants, and avoiding all inclusive resorts or massive cruise ships when we travel.  I focus on spending money in small communities and moving away from the large corporations. This is one of the biggest ways we can help impact and improve local economies and spark a paradigm change.

Social change can happen, and travel may be one key to understanding that. It helps us open our eyes to different ways of living.

We are all humans on the journey of life. Even though we speak different languages, practice different customs, and may seem different on the surface, we are collectively all humans. Look closely and see that we are more alike than we are different. I see acts of kindness and have many heartfelt moments on the road.

Travel has made me rich beyond my wildest dreams.

So follow along as I begin Packing up the Pieces….

Contact Me

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Questions, partnership requests, stories, feedback, or inquiries? Shoot me an email at:

megan (at) packing-up-the-pieces (dot) com

Thanks for being here! Out of all the travel blogs in the digital world, you landed on mine, and I truly appreciate it. Your support allows me to continue writing and sharing authentic travelogues and unique places to see.