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About Susan Moore

Hi! My name is Susan Moore and my love of solo travel inspired me to start Solo Trips and Tips blog and shift to working remotely in 2015.          

I share my solo travel experiences in order to empower and inspire others to enjoy traveling alone.

I live in Texas now but I was born in Canada and grew up in Calgary Alberta. My first travel adventures were family summer road trips to Vancouver Island to visit my grandparents and aunts and uncles. In my late-teens I started camping and hiking in Banff and Lake Louise. In my twenties I went backpacking in Europe a couple of times.

I didn’t travel alone until I was almost thirty years old when I traveled solo in Southeast Asia for 7-months. But after that I was hooked on solo travel and traveled to a bunch of countries by myself and more recently I spent seven  years roadtripping around the United States and Canada by myself. I was working remotely and stayed in short-term rentals for a month or so at each location. This allowed me to drive all around the United States and across Canada (twice) to explore the beautiful landscapes and cities and small towns.

To celebrate a milestone birthday in 2023 I traveled solo to Italy for a month visiting Bologna, Cinque Terre, Florence, Milan, Rome, and Venice.

 

Susan Moore standing at the wheel of the Blue Nose II ship in Lunenburg Nova Scotia.

Susan Moore aboard the Blue Nose II in Lunenburg Nova Scotia

 

My first solo trip

Solo travel is amazing and for me it’s the best way to travel. I don’t have to wait for other people to make up their mind about what they want to do and wait for them to get their stuff together or listen to them complain. I love traveling alone!

My first solo travel experience began in January 1993 when I left Calgary Canada for 7 months travel alone in Southeast Asia.

No internet back then and I didn’t know anyone in the countries I planned to visit, or anywhere else in Asia!

After watching a National Geographic special about Ubud Bali I knew I had to visit Indonesia and spend some time in Bali. After talking about my travel plan with friends they convinced me I should quit my job and travel.

Southeast Asia is a great choice for solo travelers, for one thing because there are so many other travelers in Asia.

One big reason there are so many people traveling to Southeast Asia is because it’s cheaper than traveling to the United States or Europe.

Find out more about some of the best places to travel alone in SE Asia.

I traveled solo to the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Just me and my Lonely Planet South-east Asia on a Shoestring travel guide. Sometimes I miss those good old days before the internet….but then I try to visualize life without Google Maps and I shudder.

Since I had only lived in Canada at that point in my life I was in awe during my travels in Asia.  All my senses were treated to new and exciting experiences.

Sitting at my desk I easily visualize images from my travels and smile. Playing back the memory of snorkeling for the first time on the island of Gili Air in Indonesia will always bring me joy. Tasting nasi goreng and tofu for the first time.

Conversations with locals and other travelers helped to mold my beliefs and stir my curiosity. Engaging in enlightening and educational conversations is a common thread among travelers.

 

Susan Moore in front of a pyramid at the archaeological site Teotihuacan in Mexico.

Susan Moore on Mexico City day trip to pyramids at Teotihuacan

 

Solo travel builds confidence

I lived in Austin Texas from May 1999 to September 2015, but I am originally from Calgary Alberta. I have also worked in Siberia and Nigeria, two places that not many people have the chance to visit.

Applying for a job working in Russia was something I would never have done had I not already traveled all by myself for several months in Southeast Asia.

You see, travel builds confidence – the idea of working in Russia sounded exciting, although I had no idea that I would be working in Siberia rather than someplace just a little more cosmopolitan. Say, St Petersburg or Moscow? Those were the cities I had envisioned when I saw the ad in the newspaper and sent in my resume.

In Austin, I daytraded for a living for six years. Afterwards, I started my bookkeeping & QuickBooks training business. Being an entrepreneur offered me a lot of flexibility and I made a conscious decision to travel solo more often.

This is one of my favorite quotes about solo travel:

“Solo travel not only pushes you out of your comfort zone, it also pushes you out of the zone of others’ expectations.” – Suzy Strutner

 

Susan Moore kayaking at Knights Pond in Northport Maine in autumn.

Susan Moore kayaking at Knights Pond in Northport Maine in the fall

 

Solo Trips and Tips Nomadic Life

Planning this nomad lifestyle experiment was a process for me and it took several years from inception to completion. Really the first spark to light up my wannabe a nomad moment occurred after returning home from my first solo trip.

Thanks to all the technological advances in communication and computing I am now able to keep in touch with my clients and work while traveling all around the globe.

On September 30th, 2015 I packed up Yar-Yar (my 2009 Toyota Yaris) and began a new chapter in my life. After exploring the possibility of living a nomadic life I decided to take a chance and become location independent. I am calling this my nomad lifestyle experiment.

When I started dreaming about being a nomad I thought I would leave the USA to travel around South America but I changed my mind. I decided to keep my car and take a long-term road trip around the USA and Canada for at least a year.

Maybe two years.

Perhaps ten years…. or not!

In September 2022 I celebrated 7 years of roadtripping around the United States and Canada! And after 7 years and 2 months of roadtripping I decided to return to Texas in November 2022. I’m living in New Braunfels for now!

I’m looking forward to future adventures around the globe and sharing the photos and stories with you!

 

Susan Moore beside a waterfall in Sabino Canyon Tucson.

Susan Moore at Seven Falls hike in Sabino Canyon Tucson Arizona

Where Have I Traveled

I have traveled to 26 countries so far. I have lived in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Louisiana, Texas, and Port Harcourt Nigeria. I also worked in Raduzhny Russia in Siberia.

Countries Visited

  • Argentina
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • China
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • France
  • Germany
  • Jordan
  • Indonesia
  • Italy
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Nigeria
  • Panama
  • Russia
  • Singapore
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Türkiye
  • United Kingdom

 

Solo female traveler Susan Moore in Rio de Janeiro at Corcovado.

Susan Moore in Rio de Janeiro Brazil

 

Provinces Visited in Canada

States Visited in United States

While I have set foot in 43 states I’m only including on this list the ones that I actually spent some time visiting, so 34 so far.

 

Susan Moore looks out to the panoramic mountain view at Big Bend National Park Lost Mine Trail.

Susan Moore checks out the view at Lost Mine Trail in Big Bend National Park Texas

 

Giving Back

I believe in sharing my good fortune with others. Every year I donate to causes that make a difference in peoples lives. Some of my favorite charitable organizations are:

SmileTrain – Transforming lives by offering cleft surgeries around the world. Several years ago I had minor surgery performed in Austin TX and my doctor gave me a brochure about SmileTrain and I started making monthly donations.

Doctors Without Borders – An international, independent medical humanitarian organization. They provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or excluded from healthcare.

Kiva – I recently started a Solo Travelers team on Kiva (please join the team!) so we can group our efforts to make a bigger impact. Kiva makes micro-loans to entrepreneurs around the world.

Please consider donating to these charities (or another one of your choosing) and help other people around the world.

Wishing everyone safe and happy solo travel adventures! If you have any questions you can reach me at my contact page or drop a comment below.

 

John Hill

Saturday 12th of March 2022

So incredible! I am greatly inspired by your journey! Not sure if I'll go overseas, but definitely leaning towards the "location independent" lifestyle! Safe travels!!! 👍👍👍

Susan Moore

Saturday 12th of March 2022

John Hill, thank you! It may be daunting at first but it's so worth it. Enjoy your journey towards location independent travel. The planning and anticipation are a great part of travel too, so I hope you enjoy the process of figuring out your travel plan. Cheers, Susan