Hi there! I’m Riley and you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me around here. I’m a Denver-based travel blogger, former corporate marketing girlie, and the kind of person who thinks building the perfect Google Map for a trip is… a hobby. If we met in real life, I’d probably ask you where you’re travelling next within the first five minutes, and then start sketching out a rough itinerary on a napkin.
So, consider this post my “hi, hello, I brought snacks” moment as I join the womens.travel crew.
How I Went From PowerPoint Decks to Plane Tickets
For a long time, I did the very normal, very responsible thing: business degree, full-time job in digital marketing, two weeks of vacation a year. I had a desk plant and a favourite coffee mug and a calendar packed with meetings that could’ve been emails.
Travel was the thing I squeezed in around the edges. Long weekends to New York, a rushed girls’ trip to Mexico, a once-a-year “big” vacation that I spent months overplanning and then blinked through in ten days.
Then one day, after a spectacularly long week and yet another “we’ll need you to move your vacation dates” conversation, something in me just snapped a little. I booked a three-month ticket to Europe, opened a blank blog, and told myself, “Worst case, you come home with a lot of stories and a maxed-out credit card.”
The blog started as a way to update friends and family. Somewhere between a missed train in Italy and my first solo dinner in Lisbon, other women started finding my posts. Women asking the exact questions I always had:
- Where should I actually stay?
- Is this neighbourhood safe at night?
- Do I really need hiking boots or will sneakers be fine?
- What would you do if you only had three days?
I realised I loved answering those questions just as much as I loved the trips themselves.
Fast forward a few years: I turned that scrappy little blog into my full-time job, swapped my office badge for a slightly battered suitcase, and learned how to build trips that feel exciting and doable — not like a military operation with jet lag.
What You Can Expect From Me Here
If you like travel content that’s equal parts pretty and practical, we’re going to get along great.
Here’s what you’ll mostly see from me on womens.travel:
- Plug-and-play itineraries
Think “3 Days in Copenhagen”, “One Perfect Week in Portugal”, “Long Weekend in New York for First-Timers”. I’ll walk you through where to stay, what to prioritise, and what you can skip without FOMO. - Area and hotel breakdowns that make sense
Not just “this neighbourhood is cool” but “stay here if you like quiet streets and cafés; avoid if nightlife is your thing.” I’ll always be honest about price, vibe and convenience. - Packing lists that actually work in real life
I’m big on carry-on when possible and clothes you can walk in all day and still feel cute in at dinner. Expect realistic suggestions, not 47 “must-have” items you’ll never wear. - Calm, clear safety talk
I’m not here to scare anyone away from travel, but I won’t pretend every destination is a magical bubble either. I’ll share what I genuinely do as a solo-travelling woman, from choosing accommodation to getting home at night. - Soft adventure & city breaks
I’m happiest on a scenic hike I can do in sneakers, a kayak trip with a solid lunch afterwards, or a city wander that ends at a great wine bar. So if you like that balance of active and comfortable, you’re in my zone.
A lot of my perspective is shaped by being American — juggling PTO, long-haul flights, and the joy that is a red-eye economy seat — but everything I share is meant to be useful no matter where you’re flying in from.
Who I’m Writing For (That’s You)
If any of these sound like you, I’ve basically been writing in your direction for years:
- You’re planning your first solo trip and want someone to walk you through it like a friend.
- You’ve got a girls’ trip on the horizon and you’d love for someone else to test-drive the itinerary first.
- You want nice hotels and cute cafés, but you still care about your bank account.
- You enjoy a good rooftop bar, but you’re equally excited about a quiet morning walk and a bakery run.
- You’re tired of 3,000-word guides that never actually say, “Stay here, on this side of the river, for your first time.”
If you’re nodding along, we are absolutely on the same page.
Let’s Travel Together (Digitally, for Now)
Over the next few months you’ll see my name pop up on all sorts of posts: city guides, weekend itineraries, packing lists and little deep-dives into things like “how I choose a safe place to stay” and “mistakes I made on my first solo trip that you don’t have to repeat”.
If you’ve got a destination you’re nervous about or a trip you’re stuck planning, tell me the team through the contact form — they keep a running list of “real reader problems” and build future guides around them.
In the meantime, feel free to treat me like that friend who has already gone, taken notes, and is now sending you the “here’s what actually worked” version.
Save this post so you remember who this random Riley person is when you see my face all over your next trip-planning rabbit hole.
Talk soon — we’ve got a lot of places to go together. ✈️💬
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!