Welcome to Destination You!
Allow me to (re)introduce myself
If you’re new here, nice to meet you! I’m Kim, and I’m on a mission to help you all go places in every way possible. I went from not being able to get a job because I had “no experience” to learning how to sell myself so that employers were tracking me down instead of me chasing them. Then, I went from working an unfulfilling 9-5 job in tech marketing to leaving it and traveling for 1.5 years. I taught English abroad, traveled Europe and Asia and even went on a one-month co-living retreat in Morocco.
Now…
I run a community called My Creative Break - we help people connect with like-minded people and take breaks through fun workshops, events and retreats.
I help people craft their resumes and cover letters so they can find a job that’s more than just a paycheck. I also help people figure out their travel goals and help them craft meaningful itineraries. Book me for a free 15-minute session here.
I also blog about my adventures on Go Places Now.
I give travel advice and tell stories about my misadventures and cool things I’ve seen/heard of in this Substack.
Story time / shoutout to my affiliate partner
You’ll see that I often mention SafetyWing in my content. That’s because I’m so grateful for them! SafetyWing is travel health insurance made for travelers by nomads. It takes the hassle out of signing up for travel insurance once you’re out of your home country - I learned that after I once tried to renew my Canadian travel insurance while away.
During the pandemic, despite the fact that Canada kept going into lockdown, I decided to travel. I had hit another low and needed to be in an uplifting environment, with warm weather, sun, nature and positive people. So, I headed to Costa Rica. It was one of the few countries that was open to travelers.
I originally planned to stay for three weeks. But of course, I didn’t want to leave! In Canada, it felt like there was a pandemic; we were locked down, most places were closed and we could barely take a walk down our own streets.
But in Costa Rica, there was a lot of outdoor space that it was easy to keep a distance from others. For the first time in many months, I was able to eat at restaurants (the majority of them were outdoors) and even watch live music performances. So, near the end of the three weeks, I wanted to extend my trip.
I extended my flight, then tried to extend my Canadian travel health insurance. I called them, and after being put on hold for almost an hour, they told me that I had to call back the next day because there was a problem with their system, and it would cost about $150 to extend it for a week.
That evening, one of my nomad friends asked why I hadn’t checked SafetyWing. That was true! I knew about it, but it didn’t cross my mind. I simply went to their website, read about what they covered (they did offer COVID-19 coverage) and used the live chat on their website to ask their customer service team some questions. It took me 15 minutes to decide on and purchase a policy that cost me $20.
SafetyWing covers you in case of medical and travel emergencies in more than 185 countries, and if you’re the adventurous type like me, you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be covered if something happens while you’re doing an adventurous activity. So next time you travel check them out with this link, and they’ll know I sent you. You just need to be outside of your home country to buy it.
Stay tuned for…
My new website, coming out soon!
My new community Facebook group
In-person meetups for travelers & go-getters
Check out my two latest blog posts:
NYC Guide: 2-3 Days in the Big Apple for Budget Travelers (cause NYC is damnnnn expensive!)
What to do if Your Passport, Phone or Credit Card Gets Stolen Abroad - I learned the hard way when these three items were stolen from me at the same time.
Community Member Spotlight
Excited for community members Benjamin and Beth - they will be hosting The Ikigai Retreat in Japan this November. This retreat is designed for individuals who are seeking to choose a new path, define their passion, and experience Japan's unique culture. Check them out and let me know if you join!
Inspire me
I have a plane ticket that I need to use in the next week or so. Where should I go?
Also, tell me about yourself, where you’re reading from and how you’re trying to “go places” these days!