Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Haas.
Hi Lauren, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In 2013, I sold everything I owned and started traveling the world with everything I owned in a backpack, working as a writer to support myself. At the time, I had never heard the phrase “digital nomad,” and I had no idea other people did this! I have wanted to travel and see the world since I was a little girl. But at 40, I was supporting two kids on a poverty-level income. I had no passport, and I’d never been anywhere. I was living in my hometown in the St. Louis suburbs, a block away from the house I grew up in. But somehow, turning 40 made me feel like an expiration date was stamped on my butt. I started saving money and teaching myself how to travel on a budget. I traveled to Italy a year later and was hooked on budget travel! I kept honing my skills and could take two trips a year. The year my son was 14, I took him to Peru, and we trekked to Machu Picchu. After the trek, we stayed in a private room in a hostel in Cusco. In those days, that cost $10 a night. One morning, I sat alone in the common hostel area after breakfast, happily sipping coffee and gazing out over Cusco’s tiled rooftops. It struck me that I could live in this hostel cheaper than at home. $10 a night for lodging, utilities, wifi, and breakfast — it came to $300 a month. Insane! Suddenly the whole picture came to me. I could live in each city for weeks or months and slowly travel worldwide! I had four years to plan before my son left for college, so I started planning. I had to build a portable income, so I spent those years building a writing business and paying off debt.
As the date I planned to depart got closer, I got scared. Selling everything I owned was emotionally and physically demanding, but I wanted to avoid paying for a storage unit or having responsibilities back home. Removing my wardrobe, furniture, dance costumes, and personal possessions was incredibly freeing. Plus, after losing my parents and going through a divorce, I was ready for an ‘identity reset.”
There were a lot of tough decisions to make. I had to leave behind friendships, social networks, and a promising romantic relationship. In those days, people hadn’t discovered Zoom yet! I was terrified when I got on the plane. But I told myself that I would solve problems one at a time as they arose, and if they were awful, I would go home with my tail between my legs and rebuild my life. But it was alright! It was fabulous. I did have to solve some problems. I arrived in Cartagena carrying too much luggage and needed help finding my lodging. A taxi driver drove me all over town until we gave up (the address I’d been given had a typo in it), and in the end, he wanted all my cash. I had to walk the city in 100˚ heat carrying two giant backpacks. I was sure I’d made a terrible mistake.
Traveling alone allows you to make deep connections that don’t happen when traveling with a partner. I found a restaurant in an outdoor plaza with wifi, got a beer and a sandwich with the last of my money, and messaged my Airbnb host to get the correct address — which turned out to be a block away from the plaza! After that, things got way better. I spent the next seven years traveling the world. I lived in a treehouse in Turkey, a cave in southern Spain, and a condo in Marrakech. I became the board chair of a children’s home in Peru and got so close to the kids that they all spent Christmas night at my house one year! I raised money for other grassroots charities along the way and often formed deep friendships with my Airbnb hosts.
After about five years of travel, I started leading Women’s Adventure Tours to the places I loved best. My tours are unique in that we engage with the local culture instead of looking through bus windows. We walk the streets, learn to cook local dishes, and take local dance classes. My clients loved it — most women who traveled with me returned two or three times, and some took every trip I offered! The pandemic killed my lifestyle and, for a while, my business. I returned to St. Louis and bought a house here. But I’m still in a deep love affair with the world. I’ve started offering Women’s Adventure Tours again, and I’m teaching classes on budget travel and becoming a digital nomad. In the future, I aim to balance my home life in St. Louis and long-term travel.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle was always loneliness. Before the pandemic, people didn’t know how to video chat, and it was harder to maintain my long-term friendships than I imagined it would be. Because I often didn’t speak the language where I was, I sometimes went weeks without conversing with another human. Over the years, I learned how to make connections through volunteering, short hostel stays, organized trips, and cooking classes. But they were also short-term connections. I was dependent on social media to keep my spirit alive at times. Dating on the road was impossible. I always hoped I’d meet another nomad and fall in love, but that never happened, although a surprising number of men I’ve dated in the past are now living as nomads!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Indie Travel Guru, LLC?
Since the pandemic began, I have had a collection of side hustles and no main job. I teach yoga online, board dogs in my home, do social media, content marketing, and fundraising for clients, and still do some freelance writing. But Indie Travel Guru is still my baby. I offer my Women’s Adventure Tours through that company — unique tours that help women connect deeply with local places and engage with locals in ways that feel ethical and sustainable.
I also offer two online classes regularly:
• How to Travel the World on a Shoestring Budget
• A Life of Travel: How to Become a Digital Nomad
I love sharing what I’ve learned and empower others to make their dreams come true! My site also has a travel budget tool that I love and lots of free info and advice for independent travelers.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
So many people have supported my crazy dreams; it would be impossible to list them all!
Pricing:
- How to Travel the World on a Shoestring Budget online class: $30
- A Life of Travel: How to Become a Digital Nomad online class: $30
Contact Info:
- Website: indietravel.guru.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indietravel.guru/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indietravelguru
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenzhaas/
