Adventurer OF The Month:

-Jasmine Alley-

Instagram // Website

1) Tell us a little about yourself. We want to get to know you!

I’m a Maryland native who married her college sweetheart and moved to Dallas, TX to be with him. I love exploring new places, so that naturally led to us going on weekend adventures that I now blog about. Some fun facts about me are: both of my parents are deaf (we communicate with American Sign Language), I graduated from USC with a Neuroscience degree (which I am subsequently not using!), and I am half Singaporean and half Polish.

2) We love seeing photos of your adventures. How did it all start for you?

Thanks!! It all started when I moved to Dallas and married Harrison. He is a native Dallasite, and to him, Dallas was nothing special and there wasn’t a whole lot to do except go to restaurants. When I started researching things to do and dragging him along with me, he was able to see a whole new side of Dallas and was able to visit places he’d never been before. It really changed his outlook on Dallas completely. I hope that I can inspire people to explore their hometown and see it in a whole new light!

3) What is your most memorable trip? What made it so special?

My most memorable trip was to Rwanda this past summer. It is a truly gorgeous country, known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills” because of its hilly terrain. You have incredible mountain gorilla trekking up north, a safari on the east, and gorgeous lake on the west. But the reason it was particularly memorable for me is that we were able to meet the eight-year-old girl that we sponsor through an organization called Best Family Rwanda. Her name is Sonia, and she is so special to us! After writing letters back and forth, it was truly incredible to spend time with her in person!

4) You capture the world so beautifully. Do you have any tips on taking and editing photos?

Thank you! I edit my photos first in Snapseed, then in Adobe Lightroom where I apply a preset to my photos to keep colors consistent on my feed. Other than these apps, my number one photography tip is to keep lines as straight as possible. By that, I mean that you want to keep your camera parallel to the lines on the floor, or building lines, so that your pictures stay as clean and crisp as possible. Most cameras have a grid setting that you can use to line up your shots 🙂

5) What essential can you not travel without?

I definitely can’t travel without my camera (and my photographer aka my husband!). I didn’t get into photography until after college, and looking back on all of the countries I traveled to in and before college, I regret not taking photos to capture the memories. Take pictures even when you don’t think they’ll matter- because one day you’ll look back and remember the incredible places you’ve been. You’ll want to remember every detail, how you felt, and what it was like. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is true!

6) What have you learned along the way, as you’ve explored different places?

I’ve learned that each place is uniquely beautiful. From the people and the architecture to the customs and traditions, there is always so much to learn. It changes you, as you see how people live across the world. Even within cities, you can see a whole new side of a city that you’ve never experienced before. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and realize how inherently beautiful each place is, for its own unique reasons.

7) Do you collect any souvenirs from the places you visit?

My souvenirs change depending on the place, but yes, I love collecting something to remember a place by. I love local, handmade goods. For example, from Rwanda I have a handwoven purse that I use almost everyday, and from Russia I have a little clock pendant that I turned into a necklace (and still wear even though it has stopped ticking!). That translates to here in the States as well- I love going to Farmers Markets and collecting handmade jewelry or candles to bring home with me 🙂

8) What makes your heart beat? What do you really believe in, stand for, and want to tell others about?

First and foremost, my faith is very important to me, and fuels my passions and my life. But secondly, I believe that adventure is there for you to find. Regardless of money or whether you’re working a full time job with limited vacation days, you are able to explore if you put in the effort. I love to share more than just my own adventures with people- I want others to feel like they can go on local adventures and explore the world around them. All you need is a free weekend and the desire to experience something new- there’s adventure if you look hard enough for it!