ABOUT ME

I didn’t start traveling until I was in my thirties…. I wasn’t adventurous when I was younger! Traveling seemed too uncomfortable, and scary, and I liked staying where life felt simple, safe and secure.

All that changed when I had a stroke at 30. I realized that none of us have time to be afraid.

All of the struggles I had dealing with a traumatic brain injury made me realize I was stronger than I knew, and my stroke forced me out of my comfort zone in a dramatic way that made the discomfort of traveling… not such a big deal. As soon as I was healthy enough again, I made it my priority to see the world.

Nope, I don’t have a 9-5 sit-behind-a-desk job. Very few people in the world are full time showgirls, though, so most of us work in a variety of mediums.

In addition to performing, I teach burlesque and confidences classes, consult on choreography with other dancers, host shows, sing, teach bachelorette parties and occasionally write for cash.

I did have a boring office job for a long time, however, and I was able to save some money that helped me feel secure in my decision to live as an artist and travel the world. In burlesque, we are our own managers, bookers, and promoters. so it’s definitely a job (and one with more paperwork than you’d expect!), but now I can create the flexibility to travel as it suits me.

The short answer is that I’m pretty good at finding cheap fares, and I’ll buy a ticket ANYWHERE if it’s cheap enough. I am also often a budget traveler, so I often go places where I can stay with friends, or where there are cheap, safe hostels and I can walk around and explore without paying tourist prices for tours.

The long answer is that after I decided traveling was a priority for me, I asked my day job for an unusual type of “raise”: more vacation time instead of more money. I kept my travel cheap by picking a week to travel well in advance, and went wherever destination was cheapest.

Now that I am a full-time performing artist, I have more flexibility about when I can travel, but less money. This has led me to prioritize trips where I can also teach classes and perform to offset my costs, and now I do more “burlesque traveling” than I did when I worked 9-5.

Everyone’s circumstances are different, and if you can think through where you have flexibility and where you don’t, you’ll find the traveling solution that’s best for you. I wrote an article about it that you can check out here.

It did when I started out! I was afraid people in other cultures would be cruel to me, or that the physical activities would be too challenging, or the plane seat would be too small.

What experience has taught me is that most activities and adventures are possible for plus-size travelers. Plus-size travelers often need to do a little more research than smaller people to make sure that our planned activities are inclusive and that our destinations will be welcoming to people of size.

But most journeys are possible and wonderful for plus-size people, and I’ll be honest about my experiences around the world when I post about my travels. I really want to encourage anyone who is feeling anxious about plus size travel to do gather up your courage, and go out and see the world! I created a list of Plus Size Travel Resources that can help you get started. <3

Well, step one is to become a showpony! I recommend taking classes at your local burlesque or circus school, developing some unique acts, polishing them to a level of professionalism and getting video of you performing them (since you need an act before you can get booked!)

If you are already a showpony, hello! Booking traveling gigs is mostly a matter of persistence, supreme organization, and thick skin. I’ll be writing some articles about booking tours or getting gigs in other cities soon, and I hope they’ll be helpful to you!