Hi, I'm Sophie Chen

I'm Sophie Chen, and I started solo traveling Southeast Asia at 32 after spending my entire 20s "being responsible."

I was a high school teacher in Chicago for 8 years. Great job, good salary, but
something was missing. In 2021, I took a sabbatical to visit Thailand for 3 weeks. By day 10, I knew I wasn't going back.

I returned to the U.S., quit my job, sold my car, and moved to Chiang Mai with two suitcases and a lot of uncertainty. Three years later, I've traveled through 8 Southeast Asian countries on a teacher's savings budget ($30-40/day).

This blog is my way of sharing everything I learned: How to travel solo as a woman in your 30s, how to make your money last, where to stay, how to stay safe, and most importantly—that it's never too late to completely change your life.

You don't need to be 22 with no responsibilities. You just need to want it enough to make it happen.