Welcome back to our Meet and Greet Monday! Today, Girls Who Travel gets to chat with GWT Education manager Alexis Blydenburgh, aka Lexi.
Soundbites
GWT: Tell us about the thing you do that you’re most proud of.
Lexi: I accepted my dream job this past school year to move to Valencia and teach special education.
GWT: Why are you proud of it? What about it is inspiring to you?
Lexi: I love to work with people from all over the world, and I get to teach students from everywhere!
GWT: What is your favorite travel tip, piece of advice, hack?
Lexi: Rent a room with Airbnb! It’s more affordable and allows for opportunities to make loads of new friends!
LET’S GET INTO THE DETAILS
GWT: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from travel that you’d like to pass on?
Lexi: The biggest lesson I’ve learned from travel is that we are all so much more alike than we are different. You can put a room full of people together, each person from a different place in the world, and everyone will be able to find things in common. We are able to learn so much from each other through the common understandings we share as human beings. Whether it’s music, sports, art… the connections we are able to make with one another are far stronger than any differences that we are not able to understand.
GWT: What is your travel style? How would you describe it?
Lexi: My travel style is a healthy mix of structured activities and free time. I like to buy tickets for excursions I don’t want to miss, but make sure to always leave a day to get lost exploring a new place without a destination. Also, I love to travel both with others, but I’m never offended if my travel buddies want to branch off and do their own thing… I like to feel like I can do the same! I believe that people should travel for their own souls first and foremost and that traveling with a friend, family member etc. should enhance the travel experience, not limit it!
GWT: What do you credit most to your success?
Lexi: I credit most of my success to my mom and grandparents, who are the most important people in my life. The three of them worked together to raise me and help me become the teacher and traveler I am today. They sacrificed so much for me to help me achieve things I never believed I could do, and still do to this day. They taught me the importance of family, education and travel, and they will always be the driving force for all of the personal and professional goals I have! One lesson that they have taught me is that I should never be afraid to make my dreams a reality!
Jenny grew up in Germany. All she ever wanted out of life was to leave and have adventures. Jenny always traveled as much as the budget would allow, and when she met her husband traveling became a full-time thing. You can follow Jenny on her blog and Facebook.
