Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Vondran.
Hi Courtney, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I quit my job to travel in 2014. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the beginning of an 8-year anti-sabbatical. I would travel, then fly home to work and save a bit of money then go travel again and repeat. I started my travel blog along the way to share travel updates, stories, and tips/resources for solo travelers that I couldn’t find anyone else talking about on the internet. I didn’t set out to be a full-time travel blogger. It happened sort of as an organic progression. I fell in love with travel, then writing, then making travel videos. When I started to receive messages like “you inspired me to take my first solo trip,” it gave me the inspiration to keep going. Two+ years ago, during the height of the pandemic, I came out as a lesbian. Feeling like I didn’t have a community or anyone to talk to about this major life discovery, I turned to my community and the internet. I started posting my coming out journey on YouTube and received hundreds of comments and messages of “me too”s. I shifted my platform to cover LGBTQ+ travel. In my personal life, I was seeking queer spaces, gayborhoods, and LGBTQ+-friendly towns, so I started to cover it on my social media, and that’s when things really took off. Three months ago, I quit (yet another) job to pursue content creation full-time. It’s truly a dream come true to talk every day about the two things I love most: travel and being gay.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I received a lot of concern and disappointment at first from my family for not using my college education. While friends my age were nestling into their well-paying jobs and getting married, I was serving and bartending and staying on friend’s couches. Then, I would disappear for 6 months to a year in countries that the media deemed “dangerous.” I would have these incredible adventures and meet the most kind, interesting people. I would come home and there was no one to talk to about it. I felt like an alien in my own country, among my own family and closest friends. I am incredibly privileged to have the experiences that I’ve had. Some of my family members still don’t totally understand or get it, but they are super supportive now. It’s important to seek out community and connections with people of shared values and experiences, especially as a queer person.
I think the most challenging times were when I tried to conform to what I thought my parents would be proud of. Nothing good ever comes out of being someone you’re not.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write and create content for LGBTQ+ travel lovers. I focus mostly on Chicago, gayborhoods around the world, and *extra* LGBTQ+-friendly travel destinations; places with gay bars, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, thriving LGBTQ+ culture and art scene, and safe spaces. Recently, I traveled to Saugatuck, Michigan, known as “The Provincetown of the Midwest.” I like to explore and highlight places that LGBTQ+ travelers might never of heard of as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: courtneytheexplorer.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/courtneytheexplorer
- Youtube: youtube.com/courtneytheexplorer
