About Me

Who Am I?

"I hope that when people talk to me they feel hope." -Favorite quote from my dad

A People-Lover

I just love people. I was born this way. I am very extroverted in the way that I get a lot of energy from being around others and it is very easy for me to love people very fast! I tend to like almost everyone I meet.

People are a big part of traveling for me and I love nothing more than making life-long friends on my trips, or even friends I may never see again.

A Laugher

I LOVE laughing. I think the ability to laugh during hard times is really important. I like to make fun of myself, others and situations. I love when people can make me laugh and I think it’s important not to take life too seriously!

When I travel I record all of the funny things that happen on every trip from hilarious locals I meet to things that are not as funny (at the time) like missing two flights on the same trip.

I love all of the people in my life but I have a special place in my heart for people who love to laugh!

A Dreamer

I have big plans for life. One of my favorite songs is by One Republic titled I Lived. I am determined to get to the end of each stage of my life, or my life in general, and feel like a TRULY LIVED.

While it’s impossible to live without regrets, I am determined to live life to the fullest.

I want to do it all, meet everyone, see it all, feel it all. For me traveling is a way of life. It keeps me learning, keeps me curious, and keeps me humble. I think God has given us some pretty incredible blessings on this earth and I truly want to take advantage of every moment here.

Real

The older I get, the more I get tired of the world’s demand for a picture perfect life.

It doesn’t exist.

I’m grateful for people that let me be real, that are real with me, and that help me to laugh at just how hard life is sometimes.

I love travel and I love photography. Sometimes I catch myself portraying my life in a way that seems to always be fun and exciting from the outside.

But I try with all of my might to be real.

And I think if you talk to me, you will feel like you can be real with me too.

Jessica Porter

I INTEND TO LIVE LIFE, NOT JUST EXIST
-George Takei

My favorite things include people, trying new food, laughing and making others laugh, learning, Spanish, playing sports, new experiences, being outdoors, taking pictures and exploring.

I am a pretty split combination of laid back and extreme haha. I’m pretty low maintenance and it takes quite a bit to make me upset. At the same time, I am a pretty intense person. I want to see and experience EVERYTHING! I have such a passion for life and I’m grateful I married someone who is willing to try to keep up, even if it means sometimes he is being dragged by a truck down a 300 mph dirt road hahaha.

Something I struggle with on a daily basis is keeping perspective. While there is too much to say about that topic on this page, read more about my thoughts here.

I loved my childhood. I grew up in a community where I was different from people around me and they were different from me and I loved it.

I was raised in a family that drove old cars, shopped at yard sales, and used such outdated technology that one of my friends even asked if we were Amish haha. As a teenager I was bothered by our family’s “lack of coolness” but I’m so grateful now because those experiences led me to where I am today. My parents chose to spend money on experiences, rather than “things” and I think the way I live now is a huge part because of how they chose to raise me.

I was 14 when I left the US for the first time by myself. I went to visit a childhood friend in Santiago, Chile and the moment the wheels touched the ground (I literally had tears streaming down my face haha) was when I realized my lifelong passion for traveling. I remember that exact moment as if it was yesterday. I even remember the song I was listening to on my Ipod mini hahaha.

Fast forward many years. Since that time, I have been to over 30 countries. I have my own family and we are creating a life together. I’m trying every day to find my place in the world and help the people in my circle find theirs.

I hope the experiences we give Beckham and hopefully our future children will allow them to be grateful, aware, brave, accepting and adventurous and that they will live a life that they love and are proud of. I hope this blog will be a space that makes you laugh, inspires you to live life to the fullest and get out of your comfort zone, and encourages you to feel with every fiber of your being that PEOPLE ARE GOOD!

I never thought I would start a blog, but here we are!