Meet our Woman of the Week: Leslie Yeh – a Los Angeles based artist advertising by day and travel blogging by night. (Or something like that!) Leslie has one of the hands-down most graphically pleasing travel sites I’ve come across yet. Highly organized and full of cute, creative graphics, I’m sure everyone will find her blog Wanderlogueco a super helpful resource. Thanks, Leslie, for sharing your story with us this week!
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[*All photographs are taken from Leslie’s blog and Instagram.]
Tell us about yourself?
I am a creative wanderer based in LA. My day job is advertising, but I use my travel blog as a creative outlet while I’m home. I’m a fan of extended trips: staying in one place for long enough for the streets to feel familiar, to start developing a sense of routine, to feel connected. I’m also a fan of wandering in my own city. There’s always a surprise to discover in the quirky neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and I’m determined to find more reasons to love this difficult-to-love city.
Why do you travel?
I travel to learn, to escape, and to find inspiration. I truly believe that people who travel consciously are more open, more creative, and more connected to the world. I find that the more I travel, the more I learn about myself and my place in the world. I travel not to collect stamps on a postcard, souvenirs, or even memories; rather, I travel to evolve my perspective, and to inspire and be inspired to be better.
How do you balance work and travel?
I did the bulk of my traveling between college and when I started working. I took 6 months off to go on a series of random trips. I told myself that I would pursue whatever opportunities I have, while I still had a chance to be spontaneous. So I ended up (in that 6 month period) traveling to 2 states, 7 countries, 5 time zones, 12 airports, 21 flights, 11 Airbnbs, 4 hotels…you get the point. I used to travel internationally at least once a year during the summers. Now that I’m working full time, I am mostly doing shorter trips within the US, which is actually nice since I haven’t traveled domestically much before.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from your travels?
The most important thing I learned from traveling is how to be independent and how to appreciate the little things. I think I realized early on that when I’m traveling, I allow myself to be more single-minded and let go of the worries and pressures of regular life. It’s kind of weird, since a lot of people find traveling to be stressful. For me, traveling for me is like taking a breath. And with that breath, I’m able to take in the world, soak up the sun, take a detour, and never have to plan more than a moment ahead.
One of my favorite travel memories was from quite a few years ago when I had the opportunity to volunteer in Taiwan, teaching English in a local elementary school. Even though we (myself and the other volunteers) only spent 2 weeks with the kids in the classrooms, we got really close to the kids there. On our last day, we had a train to the city bright and early in the morning. When we got to the station that morning, we were surprised to see several students and their families waiting on the platform to see us off. They brought presents and food, and even after we boarded, the kids ran alongside the train waving and shouting and crying. It was so moving to see that we made even a little impact in their lives in such a short time.
Just go. Don’t doubt yourself. Don’t overthink. Don’t overplan. Allow yourself to be surprised. Allow yourself to get lost. Even if it’s just for a day, or half a day, wander unfamiliar streets by yourself at your own pace. You don’t need to do a solo backpacking trips through Southeast Asia to be an independent female traveler. Start small, and then slowly expand your comfort zone. You won’t regret it!
Thanks for reading! Want more travel tips from Leslie and women like her?
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