When Hailey Hennessy graduated from Plymouth High School in 2010, she didn’t venture far from home to attend college at Indiana University South Bend. But once she delved into her studies to obtain a degree in General Studies by 2014, the opportunities for travel opened up a new world for her. Hennessy said, “This degree option gave me the ability to build my own degree and study the things I am most passionate about. Through this I was fortunate to receive several travel options during my time there whether it was study abroad, alternative spring break, or conferences.
Now it has become a way of life that her friends and family and blog followers can follow.
Although she had taken a flight alone at age 17, it wasn’t until she turned 20 that she experienced her first “solo” trip. “At 20 years old, I had hopes and ambitions of traveling, but had no one to come along with me. A friend and I made a handshake-promise that we would both travel together on the up-coming spring break.” she said, “I was very excited; but then two weeks before the start of break, my friend cancelled. My spirit was crushed.” “I had really been looking forward to finally going somewhere on my travel list and all of a sudden I was staying home.” she added.
Within days, she made the decision to go ahead with her travel plans alone. She said, “I got online and found a ticket to Boston, MA (on my list and somewhere I had never been before) and booked a ticket. I got the Web Only deal on Southwest Airlines and spent less than $200 round-trip on my flight.” Next she reached out to her Facebook friends to see if anyone knew of anyone with an available couch. When she learned that she actually had relatives there who just happened to need a house-sitter while they were away, the rest of her plan came together. She said, “It was there that I learned to be comfortable on my own. I ate alone at restaurants, I navigated the T (public transportation) on my own, and I made friends with people who were very different from me. And I loved it.”
Now after visiting throughout the states and 19 other countries, she is still seeking out available couches through a networking site called Couchsurfing. “It is a site where travelers meet-up with and/or stay with hosts to connect with different cultures and lifestyles. Not only is this a blast, but it is 100 percent free since hosts cannot charge and guest cannot offer payment.” she said.
Knowing that she would have to travel within a budget, she began reading blogs and talking with other travelers to learn about their money-saving tips and tricks. “After setting a budget and saving up, I started using websites like Skyscanner and Rome2Rio to find affordable flights. Then I alternated between Couchsurfing, hostels, Airbnb, and friends-of friends on Facebook for places to stay.” she said. Using her newly found resources, she was able to backpack throughout Europe the summer of 2014 for a little over two months for around $3000 total, transportation included.
Hennessy said, “I love meeting new people with a story to tell. Learning how locals live is so fascinating to me; I can’t get enough.” She added, “Because of this curiosity, I want to stay with strangers or acquaintances and always accept invitations for housing accommodation.”
Her adventures last winter led her New Zealand. “Growing up, my bedtime stories were full of Kiwi talks from my mom’s experience of being an exchange student during her senior year in high school. Over the years, I had met some of her Kiwi friends who traveled though the States.” Hennessy said. “Because I knew so many people through my mother in New Zealand, I almost always had a place to stay and endless stories to add to my collection.”
Now she is sharing her experiences along with travel tips on her blog www.helloatlas.com. She said, “I chose to write publicly about travel because I had learned tips from the Internet, but there was much more I had to figure out on my own without any prior knowledge.” “I want to inspire others to travel. I have even written posts on how to handle travel anxieties and the post-travel blues. Basically, I want to prepare others to just go and help alleviate the excuses that may hold them back.”
Hennessy said her parents, Tina and Rick Fitch and Mike Hennessy are getting more relaxed about her traveling alone. She said, “I think the most difficult part for them is that they cannot immediately come to my rescue; but they had encouraged me to become more independent early on. Independence and self-sufficiency are the qualities I lean on while I travel and I have them to thank for that.”
Hennessy said, “Today’s technologies have also helped ease their fears. It is easy to stay in touch and they are becoming more tech savvy to boot.”
Carol Anders Correspondent
