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About

Meet Samantha

Welcome to SeeingSam.com

Here, along with my Instagram account, @seeing__sam is where I document my adventures from around the world. My goal is to share everything I experience, the good the bad, and the most frustrating to help inspire your next adventure and encourage you to stop waiting and start exploring!

I’ve been to 18 countries, 5 continents, and 32 states and just recently left a career in the corporate world to travel around the world solo.

Check back as I continue to update my site with stunning photography, comprehensive travel guides, stories from the road, and loads of FREE travel resources to help you plan your next bucket list trip!

What is on your bucket list? You can view mine here.

Click the subscribe button in the menu to sign up for my monthly newsletter and gain exclusive access to my resource library filled with printable PDF guides, packing checklists, and my latest freebie “The Best Travel Apps and Websites” straight to your inbox!

How it all started

Why did I create SeeingSam? Well, long story short, I always loved the idea of seeing the world, but it wasn’t until a trip to Iceland in 2017 that I started taking that desire seriously. Once back from Iceland I immediately started to prioritize saving money for travel and began planning adventures around my full-time job. Two years later I had been to 9 new countries and 4 new cities (more than the previous 10 years) and could not wait to get to more.

After a layoff in early 2020, I knew I had to take a chance and start living a life I always dreamed of. I decided to leave the comforts of home, fuel my wanderlust and SEE as much of the world as possible by embarking on my first long-term solo travel journey with a ton of bucket list experiences in mind.

When those travel plans took a back seat due to a worldwide pandemic, I found myself in new territory enjoying the simple life with family in Upstate New York. I’ve since been exploring “my own backyard” in New York and more recently back home in Florida. It is not the adventure I thought I’d be on this year but it is one I won’t easily forget.

I am currently working as a Virtual Assistant based in Miami with plans to lease my condo and head out west on a way overdue, highly anticipated car-camping road trip.

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know it is going to be exciting!

Free Travel Resources

Want the full story? Keep Reading

In 2007 I graduated college with dual bachelor degrees in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising. Always intrigued by the creative aspect behind fashion design, I set off to NYC immediately following graduation and set my sights on the fashion world. I envisioned myself running my own line (and still do). I worked 3-4 internships over the next couple of months (some paid, some not) while trying to find something that felt right…it didn’t happen. After some time in NYC, I moved to Chicago on a whim convinced I was going to get a job with a luxury retailer I had been interviewing for. Fast forward to me boarding the plane to Chicago, I get a call from HR telling me they are going with someone more experienced. I totally didn’t see that one coming, I laughed the whole way there and thought-guess I won’t be needing that “Is it Friday yet?” coffee mug.

Not wanting to move back in with my parents, I landed in Chicago and ended up finding another job pretty quickly. I actually thought this one was going to turn into my dream job (designing a clothing line, managing a brand, producing fashion shows). Fast forward a year later I realized that wasn’t going to happen, the owners didn’t share my same passions. I ultimately moved back in with my parents because I was broke and visionless but I never stopped working. At one point I was working 4+ jobs (magazine stocker, retail associate, sewing bathrobes, hemming pants, and attempting to start an event planning business) trying to save money and find my groove.

Eventually, I took a job as a visual merchandiser and then worked really hard to get the same position at a luxury retailer. When I saw I missed a call from the recruiter I called her back 6 times in a row, not realizing she had caller i.d. She finally called me back and said “so I saw you called a few times”. I was bursting with embarrassment but it had been three weeks and I wanted to know if I got the job. Thankfully I did!

  • Barcelona Spain view of the city
  • Arc de triomf Barcelona

I was excited to start my new position as a visual coordinator but I was only making $15 an hour with mediocre benefits. This was 5 years out of college, not what I had envisioned for myself.

I took another part-time position and worked these two jobs for about 6 months. I was then let go from my full-time job due to the store closing. I was recruited via LinkedIn only a few days after and wound up being offered another full-time position in the wholesale apparel industry. This time in Miami. New experiences are exciting for me. I’ve never shy away from change so I jumped at the chance to move to Miami not knowing what to expect. 

By May 2014 I had been in the same position for about a year and a half and while I felt I had finally found a “real” job with all the benefits I thought I needed, it started to become mundane. Boredom set in. I did feel a sense of security knowing I had a steady paycheck and loved my co workers which was a great, however I still wasn’t making enough to live solo in Miami which was disappointing.

Right after my 30th birthday I had no debt, sacrificed a lot of luxuries, and saved enough money for a down payment. I bought a condo overlooking the ocean (my mortgage is cheaper than rent), moved in, renovated a bit, and was offered a District Manager position at a new company. I thought this one would give me the satisfaction I was looking for, an elevated position at a hugely popular fashion house. Two years later I started to get burned out and a bit disappointed with life again….I mean seriously how many times is that supposed to happen in one lifetime? I had big dreams of growing with the new company I worked for but quickly realized a 9-5 corporate desk job wasn’t my cup of tea. I decided I no longer wanted to pursue a corporate career that would take me back to NYC and opted to say in the field as a Wholesale District Manager.

In 2017 I bought a go-pro and tagged along with my parents and a few of their friends on a highly anticipated trip to Iceland. I had not been out of the country since I studied abroad in 2005 and was slacking a bit on the savings since buying and renovating my condo. As soon as I landed I was like “what have I been missing”? Immediately the travel bug lit up inside me and I began plotting my next adventure.

  • Standing on the rocks overlooking Godafoss waterfall in Iceland
  • Girl floating in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland

Iceland was a phenomenal experience for me and really got me out of the little slump I was in. With a bit more soul searching and numerous thoughts about quitting my job, I realized quitting wasn’t an option financially (I now have a mortgage and all). I started focusing on how I could live a more fulfilling and inspirational life by traveling and experiencing things otherwise unknown. Saving money to travel quickly became my #1 priority. I tidied up my spending and became excited about the future again.

Curious to know how I save money to travel? Read this post where I reveal 17 QUIRKY ways I save money to travel that you can do too!

Since 2017 I’ve been to 10 more countries and even more states all while working a fulltime job. I am thankful to currently have a semi-flexible position with a manager who encourages me to see the world and a fresh vision of what that can do for me.

I had been toying with the travel blogging idea for a while but I always thought I didn’t travel enough and self-doubt always crept in for a number of reasons. After about a year or more of back and forth, with some friend’s encouragement, a more flexible boss, and well nothing to lose, I said what the heck why not try! I decided one weekend to start what is now Seeing Sam, a collection of my bucket list adventures and experiences from around the globe. It’s a lot of work but I know It will be worth it. While I’m just beginning my journey, I hope I will inspire you to start your own!

Thank you for reading my story. I hope you will (if you haven’t already) set out to pursue the life of your dreams!

Remember in 20 years from now; you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

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seeing__sam

Saying goodbye to winter and all the fun, snowy ad Saying goodbye to winter and all the fun, snowy adventures I had this year⛄️🎿🛷 
Spring has sprung and I am looking forward to everything the next three months has in store for me!  ⛽️Route 66
🏔National Parks
🛣Vintage Towns
🌵Southern California
🍷Wine country
🌸Spring Hiking
🤠Dude Ranch
🚙Road trips along the coast  Life has been such a rollercoaster 🎢 for me over the past year and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down (and I don’t hate it).....a few months ago I told myself I wanted to change my life so that is exactly what I am trying do, if not for anything else for the memories I’ll make while trying 😃  What is something you have always wanted to do? Have you started working towards it yet?
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#femalesolotraveller #soloadventurer #iamtb #solofemaletraveler  #travelbloggerlifestyle #under5k #femaletravelblogger #wanderingwomen #girlstoptravel #placestoseebeforeyoudie #wanderingfeet  #worldofwanderlust  #wanderlust_tribe #travelwithpurpose #minnesotawinter #ely #elymn #dogsledding
When you first realized that dream or promise in y When you first realized that dream or promise in your heart, you were excited; you told people what you were going to do. But now it’s been months, maybe years, and things haven’t turned out like you planned. Today, believe you are closer now to seeing it come to pass than you’ve ever been. You’re coming into a high time. High time is when things suddenly change in your favor, when blessings chase you down. High time is when your healing shows up, you break the addiction, you meet the right person. God makes things happen that you could never make happen.  If you’re going to see this high time, you have to wake up out of your sleep. That means to get your passion back. Start believing again, start expecting things to change, start talking like it’s going to happen. You can’t be complacent and step into the fullness of what God has in store. My question is, are you awake?  ******
Some days I need a little pick me up and today was the perfect day to wake up reading this message in my inbox 💗  Who else needed a little pick me up?
𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿?  I admit I didn’t even realize dogsledding was possible in the states (besides Alaska) 🤷‍♀️ but I am so glad it came up when googling ‘best socially distant vacations.” I was dying to try something new and wanted to stay domestic, plus *bonus* the dogsled trip was a photography workshop  There are plenty of ways to safely travel and there couldn’t be a better time to enjoy the great outdoors!  𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:  🚗 Road trip to a National or state Park for outdoor hiking, or scenic car tours. Head to NPS.gov for all up to date NP info  🏕 Go Camping or stay in an RV almost anywhere. Check out RVshare.com & Outdoorsy.com for the perfect rentals  🌴 Head to the Caribbean for “bubble activities” like sailing, golf or snorkeling. (Anguilla is rated Level 1 for lowest Covid risk)  🎿The mountains are calling if you like skiing, snowshoeing, sledding or snowmobiling. Try Colorado, Wyoming or Utah but book in advance as many capacity limitations are in place  Have you “socially distant“ traveled anywhere this year? 
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#solotravellers #femalesolotravel  #soloadventure #solofemaletravel #femalesolotraveler #under10k #cc5k #discoverunder100 #solofemaletraveler  #travelbloggerlifestyle #under5k  #shewhowanders #girlmeetsglobe 
#travelinsta #freshairandfreedom #globewanderer #sofetravel  #elymn #dogsledding #dogsled #mnwinter
When was the last time you did something for the f When was the last time you did something for the first time?  I love new experiences and promised myself this year at least once a month I’ll try something new.  This month it’s National Parks 😆 I’ve been in Utah for a week and I’m currently heading to Zion for the first time.  Two days to see it all and the weather is 👌  Have you been? What should I see first? 
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#femalesolotraveller #soloadventurer #iamtb  #soloadventure #under10k #Sofetravel #travelbloggersofig #cc5k #damestravel #Wanderlust_earth #wanderlustinitiative #letherinspireyou #ilovewanderlust #travellershouts #travellerclub #triplover #discovertheglobe  #discoverunder100 #beautifulplacestovisit #iamtraveler #girlpowertravel #travelwoman #elymn #winterinmn #birchtrees #wanderlust_tribe #travelwithpurpose
𝟱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 📸  •Don’t forget to get low. It’s all about the angle and cool things happen from a low vantage point  •Shutter speed should be 2x that of your zoom for a crisp photo  •1/10-1/7 shutter speed while moving does a lot of cool things highlighting movement  •ALWAYS shoot on hi burst mode, you have a better chance of capturing so much more...that’s how I captured the squirrel in tree, he was gone in a flash!  •Sometimes you gotta raise the iso. A lot of Instagram photographers say to keep iso low and post edit exposure, shadows and highlights but if you just take a good picture from the start you won’t have to edit so much!  𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 👉🏻  At first I wasn’t sure my skill level was appropriate for a workshop with professional photographers but learning from those who are “better” is what it’s all about!  𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲?  Thank you @layne_kennedy for leading the group that helped me gain more confidence in my photography! 
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#femalesolotraveller #minnesotawinter #photoworkshop #photoworkshops #visitminnesota #soloadventurer #iamtb #under10k #Sofetravel #travelbloggersofig #cc5k #Wanderlust_earth #wanderlustinitiative #letherinspireyou #ilovewanderlust #travellershouts #travellerclub #triplover #discovertheglobe  #discoverunder100 #beautifulplacestovisit #iamtraveler #girlpowertravel #travelwoman  #wanderlust_tribe #travelwithpurpose
𝗦𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗗𝗔𝗬 ❄️⛄️ Every 𝗦𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗗𝗔𝗬 ❄️⛄️  Every year I love a cold weather vacation or two but after a few weeks I’m usually ready to head back to Florida 🙃  But not before I get some winter wonderland fun in. Playing with snow always makes me smile 😀  What’s your favorite thing to do in the snow?  📸 @photos_by_craig_ 
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#elymn #minessota #winterfun❄️ #wintertimefun 
#femalesolotraveller #soloadventurer #iamtb #solofemaletraveler  #travelbloggerlifestyle #under5k #femaletravelblogger #wanderingwomen #girlstoptravel #placestoseebeforeyoudie #wanderingfeet  #worldofwanderlust  #wanderlust_tribe #travelwithpurpose
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