We met Lexi during our 4 weeks in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. We hit it off instantly – although we aren’t sure if there is anyone who wouldn’t. Lexi is kind, insightful, and fun-loving. She is genuinely funny and has a laugh that is contagious. It was clear, from the beginning, that she is the type of person who makes the most out of wherever she goes, always finding the positive in every situation. Over the course of our stay, Lexi told us numerous stories of her travels. We were excited to hear them, not only because she is a great storyteller, but because many of them took place in the countries that we are planning to visit over the next year. We are so happy that we met her, and hope that one day we will get to meet again somewhere along the road. After reading her interview we are sure that you will like her as much as we do! Everyone, meet Lexi!

Where are you from?
Sydney, Australia

How long have you been travelling?
This time round I am 7 weeks in.

Tell us about your current/most recent trip?
My most recent big trip was for 8 months in 2015-2016 with first stop LA to catch up with some mates for a week, then off to Central America, Ecuador and Colombia. This was my second time back to Latin America and I knew that I wanted to explore every inch of it, or what my budget allowed for. I went diving for the first time ever in Belize and felt the pure beauty of this new underwater world where fish and plants sway all in unison and then there’s me, pretending I was the little mermaid. Next stop Guatemala, where I experienced how fun it was to be a kid again, be one with nature and be overwhelmed with excitement to hear dinosaur sounding howler monkeys in Tikal. After a few weeks in the Guat, I was off to Nicaragua boarding down a volcano at a pretty impressive speed of 42km per hour ( just shy of the 92km record). It was then off to El Salvador to learn how to surf, or shall I say “attempt” to surf. It was up until this point that I thought I was a natural at almost anything thrown my way; I was sadly mistaken. After a quick pit stop in Honduras, Costa Rica was stamped on the passport. It was here that I held the largest currency coin in the world and was in awe of these stunning people. Much adventure here too- Tarzan swinging, zip lining in the cloud forest, climbing the inside Ficus trees that have natural staircases and white water rafting in the south. Next was my favourite country of all Colombia, then Ecuador with the delightful Galápagos Islands then back up to Mexico where I now call home.

What inspired you to start travelling?
I have this child-like curiosity and some may say a short attention span hence seeing, smelling, touching, hearing and feeling new things always excites me. That energy of not knowing what’s next on a trip really whets my appetite.

What does a typical day of travel look like for you?
Doing a little bit of research and admin, meeting new people at hostels/hotels and in villages as well as exploring what the town has to offer.

What is your favourite and least favourite part of travelling?
Ohhh this is a toughie! Ok, my favourite parts (several) of travelling are connecting with locals and other travellers as well as braving the local cuisine and being a dare devil where possible. My least favourite part of travelling is constantly packing my bag and sometimes being worried about the security of my valuables (passport etc).

How do you make it work financially? (ie. did you save for the trip, are you working? living on a budget,etc?)
Every time I have travelled, I have had to save some dough beforehand. Although travelling can be inexpensive, I tend to under budget. Knowing this, I always add an extra 25% on my original budget and give myself a wage every month whilst travelling to cover costs. Working remotely a few hours a day getting a “western wage” would be phenomenal. Just like anything great, sacrificing a little at the start always pays off as grand rewards await your efforts.

What is your favourite place you have travelled to and why?
Without a doubt, Colombia! The music, the people, the hospitality, the smiles, the fact that every city and town has its own little identity and culture! Each city is soo very different from the last and the nature in this country is stunning! There is something quite magical about Colombia and definitely magnetic for me. Cartagena, Medellin, Salento, Cali and the list goes on.

Aside from the basics (money, passport, backpack), what are 3 items you can’t live without?
a) my phone which is my music, bank, diary, translator, tour guide etc, b) comfortable shoes and c) an elastic for my hair mop (currently sporting the Diana Ross look)

What is your least favourite place you have travelled to and why?
Hands down Omotepe, Nicaragua. Although it makes for a good story, it my worst nightmare. I am an Entomophobe which is someone who has a phobia of bugs. Once arrived to the “party hostel” I knew I was toast. Along with 3 other friends I had made along the way, our faces were screwed up like cats bums all saying “we’re going to catch a disease” without saying a word. The dogs were having sex at the dining table, the pig was licking the communal water faucet, our treehouse where we attempted to sleep was riddled with scorpions, mosquitos, hairy spiders and moths and mosquito nets had ridiculously large holes in them-almost inviting the bugs to come on in for a fiesta and not to mention the bed sheets all had blood splatters. It was horrendous! Our attempt to escape failed the first night but we succeeded from night 2.

What makes a trip successful to you?
Getting out of my comfort zone, deeply connecting with interesting people, being adventurous and trying things I’ve never done before.

Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so, how?
Definitely Peru. I had gone to Peru to do some volunteer work and some travelling and was really surprised at how much they’d held onto their local traditions in quite big cities. From their attire to their food, fiestas and ceremonies. During my volunteering stint, I met bucketloads of people and through one of those locals, was able to meet a Shaman who’d been practising for 17 years. I’m not one for believing in confidences, by rather signs trying to tell me something. This led me down the path of trying out Ayahuasca. I’d heard stories about Ayahuasca and was slightly apprehensive but more so intrigued and excited to see what Pachamama (Mother Earth) had in store for me. This experience completely changed my life overnight and allowed me to let go of some pretty deep wounds that I’d been holding onto for over 12 years at that stage. It made me realise with every cell in my body that anything really is possible and the only barrier to achieving anything, is ourselves, if we allow it. I see how this can be perceived as a little woo-woo or cheesy, but amongst other profound things, this is one of the learnings I took away with me.

What do you think the biggest misconception is about travelling?
That you need to go on a tour to experience interesting things. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s nice for someone else to do the organising however, it’s soooo much cheaper and generally more interesting meeting people and experiencing new things without a guide or on tour.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to travel, what would it be?
Bite the bullet! It is soo much easier than people think. You will be surrounded by like-minded people, have the biggest belly laughs and it just might change your life! I truly believe that you end up becoming a better version of yourself as a result. Travelling has completely changed my life and not long ago, I decided to give up a great job and apartment in Sydney, Australia and now live in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, about to make my long term dream of opening up a health and exercise retreat.

If you want to follow along on Lexi’s future travels, you can find her on social media here:
@lexie_lens

She is also the co-creator of Puerto Health Retreats – coming January 2018! Be sure to give them a follow to find out about their upcoming retreats.
@puertohealthretreats