Today, we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Wood.
Hi Natalie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’d dreamed of traveling the world my entire life but always had excuses for why I couldn’t. Some were real: I had kids young, and money was tight for many years. But as I got older and money wasn’t so tight, I kept making excuses that weren’t real: I don’t have anyone to go with, I don’t have time.
That all changed when my ex-husband died suddenly from complications related to diabetes. Having to plan a funeral for him and help my kids grieve the loss of their father forced me to confront my mortality. I had a sudden knowing, in my bones, that life was short and the time to live my dreams was now. That was in September 2016. I took my first solo trip to Paris in May of 2017. I had been so afraid to travel alone, afraid I wouldn’t make any friends and wouldn’t have any fun. I learned quickly how wrong I’d been. I made several friends immediately and spent a wonderful week getting to know them.
They showed me their city, the side of Paris tourists rarely see. I fell in love with Paris and with traveling. I’ve now traveled to over twenty countries, from Canada to Thailand. I’ve met many wonderful people and learned many things about the world and myself. My goal with Globetrotting with Natalie is to share this learning with my followers and inspire them to pursue their travel dreams.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always obstacles. Every trip has challenges: lost or delayed baggage, delayed flights, and missed connections. I don’t always meet people right away on a trip or click with the people I do meet. I’ve had some trips that felt more lonely than others. Language barriers can always cause problems.
The vast majority of people around the world are happy to do their best to communicate with you across language barriers. Still, sometimes you run into someone who simply doesn’t care that you don’t speak their language and aren’t interested in trying, or they aren’t interested in cluing you into cultural norms that might be different, like how to pay at a restaurant. Those are hard moments, but they are few and far between.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
I’m proud of the brand I’m building.
I work really hard to offer genuine value to new or inexperienced travelers. I share the best restaurants, apps, neighborhoods, and activities for all the places I’ve visited so other people can have authentic, affordable, trips that immerse them in another culture.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is when my grandparents took me to Disney for my birthday. There was a mime, and my grandma laughed so hard. I’d never seen her laugh like that before. I think that is the transformative power of travel. I’ll never forget it.
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