Hey there! I am Isabella, the founder, editor, and main writer of this site. I am Italian by birth, Caribbean in my heart, and a nomad by nature.
I had a late wake-up call on that, but I have still managed to travel to many beautiful places, as I was ‘’lucky’’ enough to make the right decision at the right time, and consequently set serendipity into action.
(Ps, I don’t really believe in luck, but in opportunities, life presents to us and our ability to catch them and work hard to reach our goals…but that’s for another post 😉)
Since when I decided to leave my home country, I have been living in different countries: Mexico, Egypt, Jamaica, Seychelles, Antigua, Greece, and Antigua (again) while working as a tourist assistant and hotel manager, and then Mexico again.
Cancun, to be precise, has been my sweet home for more than 7 years where I have been happily working in a travel company.
I had an amazing job that gave me the opportunity to switch between office work from 8 to 7 and travel around the Caribbean Islands. How dope is that? I couldn’t believe it myself. And I didn’t even look for this job. It just appeared thanks to a very kind friend.
In my leisure time, I am reading, writing, editing my pictures, and working on my blog, exploring the surrounding area, full of incredible secret spots which I want to bring to you.
Also, I love hiking, and although my body suffers when I do it, there is something about it that makes me keep going, a fact you will see in my blog posts.
The same works for running with which I have a love-and-hate relationship but I have now replaced it with a body workout which is much more rewarding and less aggressive.
A couple of my favorite writers say that we have to live in the moment, the here and now, and I believe it is true, in fact when I wasn’t happy I made a change. Everybody should be happy with their lives or… change it, we are not trees, are we!?
That’s the most important value I live by. In fact, I started not to be happy with my work and to miss freedom.
Therefore, after pondering over it for some time I decided to leave my awesome job and after saving some money to support my travels I set off for an adventure.
If you want to know more you can read this post and check out my Linkedin profile.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, and leading to the most amazing view… where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder thank your deepest dreams waits for you.”
Edward Abbey
What is Boundless Roads about
This blog is the result of a long-lasting evolution and revolution that hasn’t ended yet and I believe it never will.
I started writing it in 2016 before leaving my corporate job (in 2017) and setting off on my travel adventure. It was supposed to last 2 years and fast forward 6 years I am still on the road and I have no intention to settle anywhere.
When I started this adventure I had a totally different mindset, the one of a 16-year-old ready to conquer the world. Too bad I was already 45 and now, after 5 years on the road I realize how little I knew about myself.
I was ready to sleep in a tent or, even worse, in a dorm room with other 10 people around me. Or to do volunteer work and give my time in exchange for a meal and a bed. I absolutely can’t do that! I love comfort and privacy, and when I can, luxury.
I wanted to climb all the mountains of South America and I just realize how hard it is for me to walk in the altitude so much that I cannot keep up with the group, so I have to take a private guide and other similar situations that you will find along with the stories in this blog.
So, now that I have made up my mind and have a clear picture of who I am and where I want to be, I can tell you what my blog is and will be about and to whom it is addressed.
I realized that backpacking is not my style but if you are looking for adventure, this is definitely your place.
I am writing about travel, of course, but from the perspective of a clumsy, and yet well-traveled 40-something years old, who is still finding her way home but never gives up on becoming who she is.
The majority of my posts come in the form of guides because I really want to help you craft your own itineraries. However, you will find a lot of personal notes and comments which are meant to keep you entertained.
I love to rent cars and drive around and discover beautiful hidden places and that’s why I always promote
And if I can be a kind of inspiration, well that means that I reach my ultimate goal. So if you let me know I will be grateful forever.
Enjoy the reading and enjoy your own journey!
Until you cross the bridge of your insecurities, you can’t begin to explore your possibilities.
Tim Fargo
I have also added a section on the Digital nomad life, because I am living one and I want you to help other aspiring digital nomad ladies to find their own place on the road. If I made it, anybody can and I want to show you how.
ON AUTHENTICITY
I write but I am not a ‘writer’, I take pictures but I am not a photographer.
I am not sure who or what determines when you have crossed the line between somebody who scribbles to a professional writer or the same for photography.
Sure is I will never declare myself as such until somebody else with authority does it. Probably it will never happen but this is not my main concern.
I believe it suffices to know that I pour my heart and soul into what I do and, most important, whatever you read and see, comes straight from my hand and when I hire collaborators, their names will appear as the authors.
When we write on a topic based on research versus personal experience we disclose that.
The content of this blog will reflect who I am and what I do, a woman in her 40s that decided to live her life the way she wanted, embracing her ups and downs, her struggle and her joy, her fear of death, and love for life.
My aim is to give information about hotels, destinations, things to do, and what to see, with a focus on responsible travel, adventure, and culture.
What you won’t see here is an invitation to experience man-made-money-making attractions that are exploiting nature and people just for the sake of money ( like swimming with the dolphin experiences for example. Please don’t do that!).
I will also provide you with insights as to what I believe to be the best luxury boutique hotels, or if not luxury, very special, always based on my experience and taste.
As you will see I am particularly fond of luxury hotels and resorts, I appreciate the architecture, the attention to detail, the exclusive attentive service, and the fabulous, unforgettable experience they provide. And you will see a lot of that if you stick around.
But I will also talk about affordable and cozy accommodations and I will provide links where you can directly book your stay with just a click. Or you could ask for a personalized tailored itinerary. I will be happy to send you a quote.
When I want to talk about something that I haven’t been to yet, I will call out for help and bring in some other travel writers that are experts in the area.
The Authors of Boundless Roads
Talking about authenticity, I decided new different authors on board, destination experts who can better share local tips about their favorite places.
About the Author
I’m Camila, an Oceanographer from Brazil which is where my journey began. My studies have taken me to unique places around the world since I was a teenager. I found in my academic career the chance to come across different cultures and languages while working as a scientist. By having lived in several countries I have been able to share my experiences as a travel content writer for the last 4 years and I still have plenty more to tell. I have a great passion for the outdoors and animals, especially dogs and seals (which, let’s be honest, are basically sea dogs!).
About the Author: Lydia Michael
Lydia Michael is a freelance travel writer from Cyprus whose love for traveling started from an early age. At the age of 18, she moved to England, and since then, she has lived in the UK, Czechia, Spain, Portugal, and Greece among others. But her greatest love has been Asia. So, she is awaiting her big trip to Southeast Asia this summer. Apart from traveling, she loves reading books, especially fantasy books, and she adores cats.
About the Author: Dani Ramos
Dani is a travel writer and blogger from Mexico City who traveled all over the world for 5 years before returning to Mexico. After visiting and living in so many different countries, she realized how lucky she is to call Mexico her home.
About the Author: Val McArthur
Val McArthur is a communications specialist living on the island of Maui, Hawaii since 2018. She grew up in Guatemala where she developed a taste for high-quality coffee, the outdoors, and multicultural experiences. She’s always on the lookout for new countries to go to and coffee to drink!
About the Author: Alicia Briggs
A full-time traveler since 2018, Alicia is a writer and blogger, specializing in travel, social issues, and sustainability. She’s lived in over 70 cities and 25 countries, with expertise in California, Oregon, Mexico, Vietnam, and South Africa. Alicia is a self-described extroverted introvert, trying to balance her love of a great happy hour with her love of an isolated mountaintop. You can follow her journey on her slow travel blog, Learning the Local Way
About the author
K.C. Dermody has traveled the world, visiting some 40 countries and nearly all 50 U.S. states. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and taking part in outdoor adventures. When she’s not writing, you might find her swimming with sea lions in the Sea of Cortez, watching whales in Alaska, paddling among icebergs in Newfoundland, or enjoying a pint with the locals in an Irish pub.
About the author: Alyssa
Alyssa is a freelance writer with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies degree. Alyssa is passionate about travel and has been to over 20 countries – and counting! Living in Vancouver, Canada, she loves to take advantage of the mountains and ocean by getting outdoors as much as possible. When she’s not writing, Alyssa is probably walking by the river, caring for her many houseplants, or grabbing a coffee with a friend. You can keep up with her on her personal blog.
Language
I am not a native English speaker, and yet I chose to write in English instead of my original language for many reasons.
First of all, I absolutely love the language and the figures of speech available; secondly, the majority of my friends and my potential audience are English-speaking, and the rest can at least understand some of it; and finally, I will be excused more easily if I make any mistakes.:)
The posts are not proofread by an English native speaker for the sake of authenticity and budget, honestly.
However, I will do my best to make it simple and smooth with little to no spelling and grammar errors.
Random notes
What you will read here is only my point of view, I don’t expect to dictate and impose my perception of things, but simply to show you my vision.
In the itineraries, what to see and what to do sections, I will only make suggestions according to my personal criteria and preferences, but I am sure that after a couple of articles you will be able to tell if you can relate to that or not.
If there is any specific information related to a destination (covered in the blog) that you feel I have omitted, please do not hesitate to ask; even if I don’t know, I might be able to find out for you or steer you to the correct source, and it will be a pleasure for me to help.
On the other hand, if I have been imprecise on any information please let me know. I can make mistakes and I will be happy to stand corrected.
When I write a review about a place, hotel or tour company, it is not because I get sponsored to do so. It is just because I truly love the place or the organization, and if there is anything I don’t particularly like, I rather not talk about it.
I strive to be trustworthy, and therefore wish the overwhelming themes of this blog to be: objectiveness, authenticity, and clarity.
The hotels are linked to Booking.com page (or probably other affiliation sites) for your comfort so that you are directly connected to the reservation page and I will receive a small commission, which is not added to your cost but deducted from the hotel price.
In this way, I can make this page sustainable and I will be able to support my investigations on hotels and places of interest and bring to you more and more information.
If you are not comfortable with an online reservation you can contact me and I will be able to assist you personally with your reservation, for a small fee.
Also, the books and audiobooks I suggest are linked to the Amazon page through affiliation and I will get a very small fee when you purchase through my link but your cost stays the same. I really appreciate if you use it; it won’t cost you a penny and it will be beneficial to me and this page.
The pictures are most of all mine and when it is not the case, I would mention the source.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all
Proverb
How do I make money from this blog?
Many people ask me how I make money with the blog. It’s very simple. Through the ads that you are looking at while reading an article (I hope they are not too annoying) and through affiliation links.
How do affiliation links work? every time you buy a product I talk about and link to on this site, or you book a service, I get a small commission from the seller at zero cost for you.
This way allows me to keep all this massive content free for the reader while I can support this blog maintenance and all the resources I need to keep it active.
If you want to know more about Blogging you can read my posts on my blogging resources and on the blogging mistakes that you should avoid.
