About

I’m Brianne Miers, and I’m a Boston-based travel blogger and content creator who is working to see the world by balancing my full-time job with a life of travel.

Meet Brianne of A Traveling Life

Read on to learn more about me including:

• When I Started Traveling
• How I’ve Traveled So Much
• Where I’ve Traveled
• My Interests & Specialties Are
• My Blogging Philosophy

When did my “traveling life” begin?

I was a lucky 11-year-old girl from New Jersey when I accompanied my parents, my younger brother and my dad’s high school social studies class on a three-week trip to China. That was all it took for travel to consume my every daydream – and every spare dollar and hour of vacation time – for the next 20+ years.

However, since my parents were teachers, and we lived in a small town, most of our vacations were to destinations within driving distance – various battlefields, museums and historical sites (and yes, the Jersey Shore too!). In addition to China, my only other international trips during elementary school and high school were visiting a pen pal in Canada, and spending a whirlwind week in Europe – visiting London, Brussels and Amsterdam – during my freshman year.

How have I traveled so much?

I knew from the moment I entered Syracuse University that I was going to study abroad. SU has an extensive study abroad program, so I was able to spend spring semester of my junior year in the lovely Alsacien city of Strasbourg, France. Thanks to the program’s focus on “European Identity,” we traveled nearly every weekend to other cities like Amsterdam and Paris, and on a week-long class throughout Eastern Europe.

After college, I moved across the country to Boulder, Colorado, and spent nearly three years at an intense job with a low salary and few vacation days, so most of travel was back to New Jersey to visit family. When I returned to the east coast for graduate school at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., I knew I wanted to make the most of having a summer off, so I volunteered for two months teaching English in Pokhara, Nepal.

In D.C., I worked for two international non-profit organizations before relocating to Boston, Massachusetts, for work in early 2008. As my career progressed, I became very creative with budgeting and vacation days. Eventually, though, I wanted more flexibility to travel, so in summer 2013, I founded my own communications consulting agency, Kind Communications. I work primarily with non-profit organizations in the Boston area, helping them with their messaging, communications plans, content strategy, and more. I also do some freelance content writing on the side. Being self-employed has its challenges, but I can take more time away from the office than the typical American.

Where have I been?

To date, I’ve been to more than 50 countries – my favorites include Thailand, Colombia and Croatia – on six continents (just missing Antarctica!). Occasionally I’m able to arrange my work schedule to take longer trips. After leaving a full-time job in Fall 2014, I spent two months backpacking in Southeast Asia, followed by two months in India working for the adventure travel company The Travel Scientists. More recently, in Spring 2018, I spent two weeks at sea on the Nomad Cruise, with some time in Colombia before and Portugal and Spain after.

What are my interests and specialties?

I started this blog in summer 2015 with the goal of encouraging professionals to take time away from their busy lives to travel. I wanted to share stories of those of us who have responsibilities like jobs, homes, pets, as well as spouses and children, yet still make travel a priority to inspire others to do so too. I also enjoy providing travel advice and tips based on what I’ve learned over the years in order to make travel easier and more accessible.

I’m also very committed to traveling as sustainably as possible. For me that means supporting responsible companies by doing my research, leaving a light environmental footprint wherever I go, and ensuring my tourist dollars stay within local communities by avoiding chain hotels and restaurants. I’m not perfect, of course, but I try and do my part. To spread the word about sustainable travel, I am active with several organizations in this space, Impact Travel Alliance in particular.

My other areas of expertise include solo female travel, budget travel, long-term travel, and adventure travel.

What is my blogging philosophy?

I have never accepted advertising on my blog, and I have never accepted a sponsored post (paid content). However, I have received complimentary travel experiences, including hotel stays and tours, in exchange for promotion on my blog and social media channels. I will only partner with brands that I have already used or would use during the normal course of my life and travels – not just because they’re offering me a “freebie.” My reviews are completely honest and not influenced by these companies in any way. (Read more about my policies.)

Want to learn more about A Traveling Life?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or opportunities to collaborate. Thanks for reading and happy traveling!