Unplanned & Unforgettable

After Yacht Week in Croatia (more about yacht week here), I had zero plans. The only thing on my calendar was a flight leaving France a month and a half later. That was it.

So, I just… wandered.

Sometimes I booked my next stop a week out, sometimes just a few days. It was risky, sure, but having no set plan left me open to surprises.

For example: I reached out to a friend while in Europe, and she casually mentioned she was heading to Albania. My first thought was, "Albania?? Really??" But I decided, fuck it, and joined her. And wow — what a surprise.

That random decision turned into one of the highlights of my trip. Albania was gorgeous — still developing in some areas, but the history, the people, the beaches? Unreal. One of the days we rented a car with folks from a hostel and hopped around different beaches close to Sarande (where we were staying). A spontaneous adventure with people I had just met.

I even ended up tagging along with a girl I met at a hostel as she traveled up the country. We explored towns I couldn't have even pointed to on a map beforehand. Definitely not something I'd have squeezed into a color-coded itinerary.

From there, I basically let cheap flights and my heart dictate my path. Honestly, it turned out to be one of the best trips of my life.

My second no-plan adventure was in South America.

The trip started with a bang: hiking Patagonia with friends (absolutely epic — but that's a whole story for another time). After that, I had about three weeks before I needed to be back in the U.S. for Thanksgiving. No plan. Just vibes.

First stop: Buenos Aires. I met up with some friends, ate all the steak, danced too much, and — in true spontaneous fashion — got a tattoo. Because apparently that's what happens when I have zero structure in my life.

Then, after some half-baked research, I found a cheap flight out of Ecuador back to the US. Which meant, naturally, I was going to Ecuador.

And that's how I ended up in Baños, on the most chaotic and incredible bike ride of my life (read about that here). But along the way, I discovered some of the most beautiful waterfalls, met amazing people, and had experiences I never could have scripted.

That whole trip was built on a chain of small, spontaneous choices that turned into unforgettable memories. Every choice a coin flip that somehow landed in my favor.

Traveling without a plan is not for the faint of heart. It's a little scary — especially solo — and it requires a lot of trust in the process. But it's also incredibly freeing.

Without rigid plans, you leave room for serendipity. You say yes to detours. You end up in places you never even thought to look. Some of my favorite memories were made this way: in the uncertainty, in the unexpected turns, in the journey itself.

I'm not saying you should throw away itineraries forever. But I do think everyone should travel without a plan at least once in their life. It's different, it's nerve-wracking, but it's also one of the most rewarding ways to experience the world.

The best parts of my travels weren't the things I meticulously researched. They were the surprises — the random countries, the strangers-turned-friends, the moments I never could have scheduled.

Sometimes the path less taken isn't in the guidebook. Sometimes it's the one you stumble onto when you throw the plan out the window.