My name is Diana J. Lee, born and raised in Seattle, USA. Most of my childhood was spent sitting around in Chinatown doodling on pads of papers and playing in the alley by myself, which is what probably caused me to have such an active imagination. I’m one of those people who are never bored. I thought the coolest person in the world was my dad (still do) and I wanted to grow up to be as cool as him – so now I am a tough and masculine dude.
My love of art and video games is what led me to the video game industry, which was a childhood dream! With my first paycheck, I bought my first DSLR and became a self-taught photographer – mostly shooting fashion shows and models, which was another dream of mine. Since I’m kind of crazy and like to dream big, I threw away my comfortable life behind in 2011 to do freelance work and travel around the world by myself. Thanks to having over $35,000 in student loans, I learned how to be frugal and save money (and yes, I miraculously paid off all my debt), so my thrifty ways have helped make traveling affordable.
The day I was laid off my job, was also the same day I heard about a Lonely Planet contest. I took it as a sign to go a different path even though I had job offers to stay in my current industry. I created a video and submitted it to the contest and was selected as the visual category winner in the Lonely Planet YouTube Share Your Adventure Contest. I was also selected to kick-off a travel crowdfunding site called Trevolta, which launched publicly with a project I proposed. As part of Pantene’s Labels Against Women #ShineStrong campaign, I was sent a year’s supply of hair products that I’m STILL using (it’s been 2 years!) just for being me and refusing to give in to society’s definition of a woman. These have all led me to believe that choosing the big risk in throwing away my career to focus on travel and creating my own art was the right path… Now join me on my new journey as I launch my travel blog and share my art to the world in June 2016. I hope to teach what I have learned and inspire others with my own story.
A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. Big things come from humble beginnings, so dream big!
If you would like to help support this blog, you can visit my shop where I make travel inspired products. If you are booking accommodations through Booking, Hotel.com, Expedia, Agoda, or Priceline, you can contact me here. I have access to their hidden rates and earn commission when you book through me, with no extra charge to you. Just provide your destination, dates, and preferred budget and I can do the research for you.
Thank you for your support!
-Diana ^_^
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To view my art & photography portfolio, head over to my other website on the link above!
You can also follow my posts on wordoftravel.com
Hi Diana,
I recently came across your blog, and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy watching you travel across the world in style and flair. You are living the dream many have only dreamt about, and I believe many others would also draw inspiration from your trendy lifestyle. Thank you so much for sharing part of your life for us. By the way, I will definitely try Thai rolled ice cream on my next trip to Seattle – it looks absolutely AMAZING. Thanks for the tip!
I’m Suji, and I work for a new travel platform called Tiplr with other international travelers. We are a community of explorers who yearned for a travel tool that did not exist on the market. We needed a place where we could connect with other smart travelers, who also wanted to explore our world in an authentic way, finding destinations off the beaten path and discovering unique tips to help improve our travels.
Last year we started Tiplr in New York City, with a group of international explorers and a website. Now, with our iOS app, we are expanding the community. We think your voice and experiences will inspire others throughout the Tiplr community.
Lets face it, social media and the blogosphere are absolutely saturated with information. In this type of climate, how do readers find content that is authentic and trustworthy, and most importantly, how do they find YOUR content? When using Tiplr, users can search for information by location, category and tag. Your tips and guides can be discovered effortlessly by an audience hungry for special content that can’t be found in a traditional guidebook or travel site. Users can save your information to their suitcase and use it to create collections for upcoming trips.
We want Tiplr to be the megaphone you use to share your experiences and be known. You can easily copy and paste content from your blog into the app to create tips quickly. Unlike other apps, you can easily add links to promote your personal blog or website.
Tiplr is a project made by travelers, for travelers. We want to create a product which evolves along with the needs and desires of smart travelers everywhere. We want the community to not only be online, but tangible and real, with explorers meeting one another and traveling together. You would be an incredible addition to the community and I hope you join us.
If you have any questions or want to discuss the project in more detail, I am always available, and any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated!
Visit Tiplr’s website (tiplr.com), or download Tiplr today and see what we’re all about.
Happy & safe travels!
Cordially,
Suji Ahn