Traveller of the Month: LiAnn from LiAnn and Theo Travel
Welcome to Traveller of the Month! Each month I’m featuring a world traveller to help build connections within the travel world and share some wisdom from a fellow travel blogger.
Without further ado, meet July’s Traveller of the Month: LiAnn of LiAnn and Theo Travel!
And if you missed last month’s, check it out here!
Who are you, where are you from and where are you now?
Hi! I’m LiAnn (that’s short for Lisa Ann). I am originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. I’ve lived all around the U.S. in awesome places like Denver, San Diego, Miami and currently in Washington, D.C., where I’ve been for the last 7.5 years.
What’s your travel story? How did you get into travel and what kind of travel are you doing now (or were you doing pre-pandemic)?
I’ve pretty much been fascinated by different cultures and far-off lands since I was about age 2 or 3. I was absolutely obsessed with the mailman (my feminism also made its debut at this time when I asked my mom why we didn’t have a mailwoman). Anyway, I was amazed by the idea of a mail carrier arriving nearly every day with letters from all corners of the world. At that age, I thought our mailman personally traveled the world to collect the mail and bring it to us, so I would run out to the mailbox and ask him questions about travel and thank him for the letters—even though my parents assured me they were mostly bills.
In high school, I performed well in an annual marketing competition and got to compete nationally in California and Florida. Those were my first two flights and I was terrified! But my excitement to explore new places was stronger than my claustrophobia. In college, I convinced my dad to send me on a winter trip to Paris and London to work on a project for class credit and the rest was history. I caught the travel bug and devoted most of my free time to figuring out how to see as much of the world as often as possible.
My travels have ranged from organized school trips to backpacking with friend to solo trips to G Adventure tours to glob treks with my husband. Now I enjoy spending most of my free time researching destinations around the world, reading travel blogs and watching YouTube travel vloggers.
When did you start your blog and what sort of stories do you share there?
Writing is so central to who I am, and I’ve always kept a journal. In 2012, I set out on a two-month journey to China and Southeast Asia, and my brother set up a blog for me so I could share my journal with my family as I traveled. At first, my blog was very much an online diary of my experiences, but it has since evolved into a place where my husband and I share our travel tips and experiences—so it serves as both a guide and a great collection of memories.
What do you do when you’re not travelling or writing about travel?
I’m a lawyer by education and a journalist by trade. So I write about employment law developments here in Washington, D.C., in Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court, etc. I also love hiking and cycling the many trails around the district.
What is your most unique travel moment?
As much as I’m craving to plan some long, overland travel adventures, my husband and I do a lot of really short trips because that’s what fits our schedules between work and caring for our big dog and three cats. One of our most magical adventures involved 36 hours in Kulusuk, Greenland. This was an absolute bucket list item for each of us and it was even better than we expected.
We chose Kulusuk because we could get there on a direct flight from Reykjavik, Iceland, and most other places required arranging a helicopter pickup from there. The island town felt both small and vast at the same time. When we arrived at the little airport, we easily found our way on foot to our hotel—the only hotel on the island. We brought sandwiches with us from the Reykjavik downtown airport and were also able to get some food and beers at the hotel, but nothing else was available.
After we checked into our small and comfortable room with two twin beds, we spent our first day wandering into the town while the weather change from windy to calm to rainy to sunny, and watching a few fishing boats along the shore and taking photos. The next day, we walked in the opposite direction over lichen-covered hills to sit on a rocky beach and watch the icebergs change shape in the frigid waters. Perhaps the best part was taking off from the little airport back to Reykjavik and staring out the window at mountain after gorgeous snow-capped mountain. Amazing!
What is the best piece of travel advice you’ve ever heard?
Pack less than half of what you think you’ll need. On my first trip to Europe, I packed a giant suitcase AND a duffle bag full of shoes. What a mistake! My shoulders and back hurt so bad while I lugged those bags through train stations and airports. Now, I usually travel with only a personal item and a small handbag—which is so liberating. I learned to pack smart, simple outfits and a few accessories. If it doesn’t fit in my daypack, it stays home.
How does your disability impact the way you travel?
I was in a horrific car accident 12 years ago and wasn’t expected to survive. You can read about my experience in intensive care here, if you’d like. Miraculously, I recovered quite well. The severe limitations all improved, but I do have lasting physical issues and neuropathy. I’ve learned that arnica gel and yoga work wonders. I’ve also learned that people are generally happy to help you out if you let them know you are having trouble. In a lot of ways, my brush with death amplified my wanderlust.
I would really like fellow travelers to be aware that some people have invisible disabilities. Be patient and give people the benefit of the doubt. Understand that disability accommodations are seriously lacking around the world and even where they are offered, the accommodations are frequently inadequate.
On my first flight after the accident, I was moving my cat, my guitar and my whole life to my parents’ house across the country. I was doing the best I could to get through security with help from my mother, airport staff, a wheelchair and a cane, but it took time. The woman behind me in the security line threw a fit because I was taking too long, and it really made me so sad. My whole world had been turned upside down, and I just needed a few extra minutes and a little extra help getting through the airport.
What is the longest trip you’ve ever been on? Shortest?
In addition to the 36-hours in Greenland, hubby and I do a lot of three-night trips to places like El Salvador, Paris, London and Lisbon. For the Europe trips, we add an extra night for the overnight flight, but we’ve discovered that we really enjoy these short trips, especially if they are to a beach or a great walking city. Three nights is all you need sometimes for a meaningful escape, and we don’t mind the long plane rides. Sometimes we fly Aer Lingus and it’s cheaper to fly with an overnight layover in Dublin on the way back to Washington—which is a bonus for us! We rang in the New Year that way for 2020.
I long for some extended travels, though! I was super fortunate to take three 8-10 week trips abroad while I was in law school and trying to make sense of my life post-accident. I was 30 years old when I started law school, so I never really thought I would get those big blocks of time on break to travel, and I took full advantage of it. First, I did a summer-abroad road trip through Europe, which was incredibly fun. I started in Athens and ended in Oslo. The second trip was to China and Southeast Asia after I graduated from law school and took the bar exam. It was my first trip to Asia, and I absolutely fell in love. My heart aches to return.
Within a year of graduating law school, my life kind of fell apart with a serious physical setback. I had to do a lot of soul searching and physical therapy. Traveling is incredible for the healing process, so when I was strong enough, I took off into the world again. This time I went to India, Southeast Asia and Australia. I came back with a renewed spirit and a new relationship—with the man who would become my husband a year later.
What advice do you have for newbie travellers?
Don’t be afraid. I don’t run into many Americans while traveling through Central and South America or Southeast Asia, and I’m often asked if I think such places are dangerous or if I feel safe. You always have to take precautions, no matter where you go, and it pays to do a bit of research about the neighborhoods you are visiting and the type of crime in the area. But that’s no different than if you are traveling domestically. I have felt very safe in my travels.
I would love to encourage people in the U.S. to branch out and, especially, to give Central America a try. A four-hour flight from Washington, D.C., or a two-hour flight from Miami or Dallas, will take you anywhere in Central America. We once scored $215 USD direct flights to Panama from D.C. and that sparked an amazing adventure. Also, if you’re splitting accommodations with a travel companion, $30-40 USD a night will get you a really nice bungalow or boutique hotel room with an included breakfast of eggs, rice, beans, fresh fruit, juice and coffee. Stash $40 a week and you can have one or two adventures a year to Central America.
Central America is full of gorgeous colonial cities, pristine jungles, ancient ruins and fantastic beaches—many of them displaying a raw beauty that I prefer to the overly manicured beaches at all-inclusive destinations. The food is out-of-this-world: pupusas, baleadas, gallo pinto, arroz con pollo. Now I’m hungry! Most importantly, we’ve met so many kind, beautiful people in our travels. That’s what makes it so special.
What is your favourite blog post that you’ve written and why?
Along the lines of what I mentioned in the last response, I really like to encourage people to travel as much as possible and stretch their comfort zone. Even if you stay close to home, there’s so much to explore culturally if you open your eyes and your heart to the experience. The U.S. is so divided right now, and I think that if we get out into the world a bit more—whether we’re traveling domestically or internationally—we can better understand each other and see that we all really want the same things in life. We’re all in this big crazy life experience together. During the social-justice protests last summer, I wrote about some of the resistance I felt from others when I told them where I was traveling and also how travel can remove those barriers and prejudices. Here’s the blog post.
How do you keep your wanderlust up when you’re stuck at home?
I “fake plan” travel constantly! From the logistics, such as exploring airlines, flight paths, ground transport and cost, to the sightseeing and the neighborhoods to explore and the food to eat—I’m always planning. I’ve probably planned 30+ trips that I’ve yet to take. It’s fun for me! I watch a ton of YouTube travel channels. Right now, I am really enjoying the Budgeteers, a trio who hitchhike and couch surf on a budget of $1,000. That’s definitely not my travel style, but it’s a super fun adventure to watch!
If you could live abroad, where would you live?
Central America (are you surprised?). I dream of being a digital nomad and living somewhere either on a beach or in the jungle by a river. I love to swim and kayak and snorkel. Panama is at the top of the list because it’s fairly easy for Americans to ex-patriate and perform U.S.-based work. Roatan—which is part of the Bay Islands of Honduras—is another prime spot. As much as we love to explore new places, we always find ourselves back on Roatan and loving every minute of it.
If you could go on a worldwide trip, visiting just one city on each continent, which cities would you pick and why?
I love this question! I was trying to decide if I wanted to pick cities I haven’t explored yet, but I’m going to go with my favorite city from each continent—which is always changing, of course.
North America: New Orleans—such a unique city with rich and diverse culture and absolutely delicious food. I really love cities that are easy to wander around on foot, and this is definitely one of them.
South America: Lima—it’s always all about the food. I first tried anticuchos de corazón (Peruvian beef heart) in Lima. I’m not a big meat eater, and I was surprised to find that apparently heart and tongue are my favorites. You never know unless you try! Also, the Miraflores district of Lima is so beautiful to wander around—restaurants, ocean, cliffs, pisco sours. Several top-ranked restaurants are in Lima, and while they are not cheap, they are more affordable than in many other cities around the world. Don’t skip this city on your way to the many amazing sites of Peru.
Europe: Lisbon—street cars, local wine, canned fish, abundant seafood, gorgeous (slightly dilapidated) architecture. This city is magical.
Australia/Oceania: Melbourne—I found Melbourne to be down-to-earth, a bit bohemian and artistic, and super fun to explore. I didn’t have much time there, but I will definitely make it a priority to go back the next time I’m on that side of the world.
Asia: Bangkok—the first time I visited Bangkok was during Songkran (the Thai new year festival, complete with super-soaker fights in the streets). I’m so fascinated by the fun, playful and also spiritual nature of this city—and the cuisine is like no place else on earth.
Africa: Marrakesh—I’ve only been to North Africa, but the Marrakesh Medina is something everyone should experience once in their lives.
P.S. I’ve always said that Antarctica is only a continent if you’re a penguin.
What is your favourite travel-related book, movie, TV show or podcast?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho has been my favorite book for 20 years. I’ve read it every 5 years or so and always learn something new based on my perspective at the time. I love a tale about wandering to far-off lands in order to find yourself. As for TV, it’s got to be anything hosted by Anthony Bourdain.
What food instantly transports you back to a favourite travel memory or place?
I have the greatest memory of sitting outside a restaurant in El Salvador and watching a woman make pupusas for her guests. The pupusas cost 50 cents each and were so fresh and delicious—especially when accompanied by curtido (a Salvadoran slaw) and washed down with a Pilsener. So much of travel is about food, music, dance and drink. The great unifiers!
Lastly, where can we find you online?
- Blog: LiAnnandTheo.com
- Instagram: @LiAnn_and_Theo
- Twitter: @LiAnnTravels
- Facebook: LiAnn and Theo Travel
Thank you for joining my Traveller of the Month series, LiAnn! Head on over to LiAnn and Theo’s blog to learn more about their amazing adventures, both long and short, and to inspire your next trip to Central America (I know I’m inspired!). Plus, stay tuned for August’s Traveller of the Month!
