Hey guys, happy you're here! I wanted to write a sort-of introductory post, a bit about me, my story, how I ended up where I am today, and why I am getting back into #blogging. This post touches a little bit on how I traveled on a budget, but there will be a more specific post on that later. Stay tuned!
I am a freelance digital marketer and designer, which I sort of fell into, and I guess you could say a bit of a nomad. I’m not your average #instagrammer or #blogger that travels the world and lives this "fabulous"& luxurious life, but, I’m pretty damn happy & grateful with how things have turned out.
How it began
When I graduated (finally) from my undergrad in 2016, I had been working as an intern at a desk/office job. I decided a few weeks before graduation that there was no way I was going to go straight from the classroom to the office, that I needed to spread my wings. It just so happened that my best friend had just moved to Germany for work. It started out that I was just going to go visit her for a few weeks, and as the time grew nearer (about a week before) I made the decision (somewhat subconsciously) that I was not going to be coming back to Dallas, Texas. Ironically, her and I both sort of new this, without saying a word.
From Texas to Europe on my college savings
Luckily, I had a savings from working (nannying and a paid internship) all through college, so with my savings and my three abnormally large suitcases [you can look for blogs later for how to pack for pretty much anywhere], I left for Germany. I spent the next 3 months living the absolute dream, traveling all over Europe with my best friend. It was amazing....
While I was abroad, I met a boy (go figure), which is a pretty crazy story in itself. This boy (Christiaan) was a South African who was also traveling Europe with his best friend. When we met, we had a really special connection, and although it seemed outlandish, for some reason after two weeks of knowing him, I knew it wouldn’t end there. If anyone is interested, I may do a post on our story later [let me know if this would be a topic of interest via email or comments!], it's a pretty crazy one! Anyways, a couple weeks later and after traveling 4 countries together, he left for Cape Town. I had two more months in Europe before my Schengen visa was up, however we kept very much in touch.
When my Schengen visa was up
I knew I wasn’t ready to go home to Dallas, but I had a decision to make. My options were... a. I could go to some other country by myself for 3 months and then return to Europe, b. I could take up one of the random job offers I had in the EU and pursue a work visa, or... c. I could go to visit this guy in South Africa. With little thought, I followed my heart (so cliché) and went to SA. Three weeks turned to 3 months and deep down I knew I was going to stay there longer. Without many visa options, and with a desire to further my education, I decided to attend a university in Cape Town to receive my postgrad degree in marketing. Crazily enough, every single course was closed for registering, except the marketing one. Let me just tell you now, from the day I met Ian (the boy) forward, weird, ridiculous, “coincidental” things kept happening that were deciding my future for me. Funny how things just work out sometimes.
What I did when I ran out of money
At this point my savings was pretty much depleted, and I had to make a decision, and that was to sell my dream car that I had just purchased less than a year before. Without really putting much thought into it (to be honest) I sold the car and I moved to Cape Town, South Africa. It just felt right. I knew that although I now had the money from my car to live off of while studying, I still needed to find a way to make money (legally while on a study visa in SA).
Again, my path was decided for me, and a job sort of just fell into my lap. I had been actively looking, (I highly recommend GlassDoor and LinkedIn Jobs) and had signed up on UpWork (freelancing platform) for a while and it all started with a message in my inbox. I have to say that as a part of my beliefs, I ultimately find faith the be the defining factor in how things have happened for me. That was when I really started my first official position as a SEO content writer and graphic designer.
Where I am now
Eventually, I decided to start HMJ Digital, and I typically find my best clients via word-of-mouth. If you are interested in my services you can head over to "What I do" in my menu tab up top and check out my services or send me an email! I’ve now been living in Cape, Town for the last [almost] 3 years, and it is just so amazing. You can see more of Cape Town on my Instagram account @Hanmeow. While my boyfriend, Ian’s, parents have immigrated to England, I spend my time throughout the year in South Africa (now home), the United States (home-home), as well as the UK (boyfriend’s parent’s home) and EU (friend’s homes). Although it was initially a huge struggle getting started and supporting myself as a freelancer, keeping on through the tougher times (when it didn’t look promising) was the best decision I ever made.
What you can expect to find in my blog posts
Now that I have given you a bit of background as to how I ended up where I am, I want to welcome you to subscribe and keep coming back to check out my blog. While I have been traveling all over (on a budget) for the last 3 years, I have learned a lot of tips and tricks for travels and living on a budget. I decided to not niche my blog to just travel, because I have A LOT more to talk about, such as health and fitness, style (from country to country), etc.
As for the health and fitness, my influence comes from this - If you know me well, you know that for about 13 years, I really struggled with eating problems and a self-image problem. I learned a ton from those 13 years of my life and I am happy to say I have finally gotten to a place of balance and healthiness. Through all those crazy diets (often starving myself) and exercise routines, I figured out a lot, and it will be another subject I’ll be discussing throughout my blog posts.
Thanks for reading!
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