Hi, I’m Anne!

I am the explorer behind Anne Explores, sharing my love for the outdoors and the unforgettable moments life has to offer. I am so glad you’re here!

A little about me…

Traveling and exploring new places has been a passion of mine since a young age. I would see my dad travel around the world for his career and couldn’t wait to do the same. Since then, I have been fortunate to travel to many countries – Australia, Honduras, Mexico, England, Ireland, France, Spain, Aruba, and the list goes on. A few were for volunteer trips, a couple as part of my education, and others purely for recreation. After having visited so many unique countries, I knew I wanted to explore more of the United States. I just didn’t know when or how I was going to do it.

How it all started

Like many, 2020 was a pivotal year for me. It began with a grueling hip surgery, followed by calling off an eight-year relationship. After an impromptu multi-state solo road trip (from Florida to North Carolina to Ohio to Pennsylvania and back), I ended the year by moving into a new apartment in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida to start the next chapter in my life. The pandemic and ending an eight-year relationship, made me take a long hard look at the life I was living. I quickly came to the realization that I was simply not happy. Something needed to change. I wanted to feel alive.

So as 2021 began, my mission was to say “yes” to all things travel related and learn new hobbies. Most importantly, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I made new friends, bought a paddle board, dove head first into the dating pool, met an adventure-loving man, and began traveling to different parts of the country in my free time. As the year was coming to a close and I was given the option to renew my lease, I thought “Why not travel full time?” so I can really see the country.

Fortunately, I had been working remotely since 2017 so the remote work life was nothing new to me. All I needed was the nod of approval from my boss and I threw all of my belongings into storage. As 2021 came to a close, I set off on the road in a 28′ toy hauler to explore the country with my new boyfriend, Curt, and his beautiful dog, Riley. I had no idea when I would officially return to my Florida life. And I still haven’t…

Since then I’ve traveled to almost all 50 states, fallen in love with snowboarding again, hiked some of the most amazing trails (including my first 14er), paddle boarded in incredibly beautiful bodies of water, and learned how to dirt bike so I could explore on two wheels. About four years into travel trailer life, it felt like time to buy a home base and that’s exactly what I did. I purchased a quaint home in southern Utah, where we can dirt bike right from the front door. And, of course, we still have the ability to travel with our travel trailer whenever we want.

So why start a blog?

Not only do I want to be able to look back and vividly remember all of the cool experiences I have had, but I also want to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone and truly live. Whatever that may mean for you. It is easy to be consumed by the monotony of day-to-day life. Believe me. I was there. Staring at a never-ending bucket list. Wondering when I would ever find the right time to start checking things off of it. Then I realized it is never going to be the right time so why wait any longer? This is the youngest you’ll ever be.

So follow along on this wild journey of mine where I share tips, itineraries, gear recommendations, and stories of chasing new experiences.

Let’s get to exploring!