Meet Alexandra! Two years ago, she decided to leave her career as a lawyer in Washington, D.C., sold her belongings and moved to Bali to become a full time content creator and travel blogger. She enjoys exploring the many off-beat sights around the world and enjoying her new life in Bali.
Name: Alexandra Saper
Instagram: @thewayfaress
Website: thewayfaress.com
Age: 28
Title: Travel Blogger and Digital Content Creator
City you live in: Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Most recent city visited… Singapore and East Java (Indonesia)
A typical day in my life includes… I start everyday with a workout and then journaling gratitude and long-term goals. If I’m at home, I’ll spend the day answering emails and writing, grabbing lunch at a cafe, editing photos, catching sunset at the beach and enjoying a home-cooked dinner. If I’m traveling, I’ll still try to sneak in a workout and always do my same journaling practice, but then will monitor emails as I explore unique destinations, take lots of photos, seek out good restaurants and edit photos well into the night.
I was born… in Phoenix, Arizona.
When I was younger, I wanted to be… an international journalist or fashion designer! In fact, my first international solo trip was a summer study at the Sorbonne in Paris where I took classes in fashion, global issues and French. I’ve actually come pretty close to meeting these interests together today!
My first job was… a children’s gymnastics coach — I was a cheerleader in high school and decided this would be a good summer job!
My favorite thing about traveling is… seeing how diverse and stunning nature can be and trying new foods, of course!
I’m currently listening to… Rise podcast and How I Built This Podcast. I’ll sometimes throw on a chill Spotify playlist when working, but typically I’m listening to motivational or business podcasts!
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be… my mom and dad — my trip to visit them was canceled because of the Coronavirus, and I miss them everyday!
One thing I cannot travel without… my camera and a good book! I’m still so resistant to e-readers — on a recent multi-month trip, I packed 5 physical books in my suitcase (don’t judge).
I’m inspired by… women with grit who do not let peoples’ opinions of them, or failure, hold them back from making their dreams happen (Sara Blakely and Jennifer Hyman are two great examples!) and people with unfailing kindness and humility in the face of adversity.
The one person who motivates me is… my parents! They’re my biggest fans and believe in me even when I doubt myself and push me to work harder and reach for the stars. I’m the luckiest to have them!
If I could change anything in the world, it would be… greater compassion for and kindness towards others, especially those who are different or less fortunate than us. Everyone is fighting their own secret battle and at the end of the day, all we can really “control” is how we respond to the world around us.
The perfect day would be… a workout, a healthy breakfast and an almond milk latte, exploring a new city and taking beautiful photos, eating amazing food and an epic sunset view — having a loved one with me would be great, but I can have amazing days on my own as well.
My favorite place I’ve visited… too many to pick just one! But, some of my favorite memories are from a girls road trip through Ireland, summer in Cinque Terre (Italy) and exploring all around Sri Lanka.
My top 3 bucket list destinations… Bhutan, Namibia and Galapagos Islands (for the diving!).
My life… is the product of a lot of hard work, perseverance and risk-taking. It’s far from perfect, but it’s beautiful and I’m grateful everyday. I hope my life can inspire others to dream big and get working on turning those dreams into reality!
I’m currently working on… writing a non-fiction book!
Always… take responsibility for your actions and responses, even under high stress and always practice empathy and compassion — you have no idea what the people around you are struggling with.
Never… be quick to judge, attack or demonize others.
Favorite quote… “What if life isn’t happening to you? What if life is happening for you? What if the hard stuff, the amazing stuff, the love, the joy, the hope, the fear, the weird stuff, the funny stuff, the stuff that takes you so low you’re lying on the floor crying and thinking, How did I get here? … What if none of it is happening to you? What if all of it is happening for you?” — Rachel Hollis, from Girl, Wash Your Face
Biggest dream… to use my words and my stories to motivate women around the world to live to their fullest potential, stop making excuses and turn their dreams into reality.
My pet peeve(s)… not using headphones in public places when listening to music, watching videos etc. and loud motorcycles.
My 3 favorite travel influencers to follow… @worldwanderlust, @saltyluxe, @chelseakauai.