My name is Kate, a milleXial (torn between millennial Gen X) or as some would say, geriatric millennial, and a solo female flashpacker from the Philippines. I work as a writer and commercial model. In my free time, I volunteer as an advocate of mental health awareness (I’m a survivor of major depressive disorder) and animal welfare. I come home to five rescue dogs and five rescue cats (used to be nine dogs and nine cats, but they crossed the Rainbow Bridge).
I once had a glamorous job as an assistant fashion and beauty editor, but I realized I was happier to get a ticket to a remote island getaway than front-row seats to Philippine Fashion Week. I grew up in a traditional Filipino society that expected me to follow the straight path of college-job-marriage-children. But I felt something in my life was amiss. I could no longer stand being stuck in an office cubicle for 8-10 hours (no overtime pay!) a day. That path wasn’t for me.
I wanted to still write for magazines and newspapers, but with the freedom of pursuing other talents and incorporating travel into my lifestyle. I built enough connections to go freelance, quit my full-time job, and decided to travel alone for the first time. I went on a soul-searching trip to New York, back when Facebook was within the confines of Harvard and the social media kings were MySpace and Craigslist.
Without smartphones or apps, travelers used paper maps and street smarts to get around. It was the scariest and most exciting experience of my ’20s. After that New York adventure, I launched this blog. That same year, I landed multiple modeling projects and my first indie film—all while working as a freelance lifestyle journalist in the Philippines.
Many years, heartaches, and life experiences later, I continue to travel—not just as a vacation, but as part of my lifestyle. Around 70% of my travels are done solo; the rest are with friends or family. It’s not always easy. A Filipino passport isn’t exactly the golden ticket to international travel.
But I’m grateful. Traveling has helped me become a more culturally diverse person. My solo travels connect me with progressive people and kindred spirits—fellow creatives who don’t work in a 9-5 desk job, empowered single women defying societal expectations, and digital nomads who travel for a living.
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More than a place for me to dish out travel tips to fellow solo female travelers, this blog is dedicated to other single and thriving Filipinas living their truth. I empathize with the struggles of defying toxic behaviors and stereotypes. It’s okay if you don’t follow a straight path. Go ahead and travel solo; it’s not as scary as it seems.
Kate
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