I have always loved to write. As a kid, nothing would make me happier than to go down to the local card store on a beautiful summer day, and pick out a box of pretty writing paper. I would sit on our porch, basking in the sunshine, writing letter after letter to friends away on vacation, to family friends living overseas, to friends of my older brother and sister who were away working for the summer….because what teenager doesn’t want a letter from their friend’s kid sister?

Years later, I travelled around Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and China for several months. I will admit that I am one of those people who needs to travel with purpose after about three weeks. I was starting to go stir-crazy. This is when my writing bug re-surfaced. Every day, I would sit on long train and bus journeys, crafting what I was seeing and experiencing around me into a sequence of stories and humorous accounts that I emailed to friends and family back home. You can read about this journey here! Travelling can be a very creative experience, providing a unique and infinite platform for storytelling – especially if you are honest, and a wordsmith.

The FLY Travel Blog is a place where you will find my insights into trips, experiences, memories, gear, books, clothing, dreams, bucket list adventures, life … just about anything. Remember, FLY has no boundaries.

Testimonial

“I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed by Melissa for FLY. It was such a great experience to come in contact with someone who’s so well traveled and wise. She took the time to chat with me before the interview to calm my nerves but she also imparted wisdom through her travels and her ideas of a life well-lived. Going into the interview with that mindset, it was a breeze — a fun, insightful session where time flew. Melissa is so skilled at conversation, that speaking to her created such an effortless and organic talk. I really appreciated being led very gently to my truth, which is the mark of not only a great interviewer but also a great story-teller. She was very welcoming and she emphasized working together with me, so I felt very much like I was in a collaborative creative process, in which I was a valued member/contributor.”

Melissa Alvia, ESL TEACHER