Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Cross.
Kimberly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started when I was a student at Texas A&M University– it was a life-changing experience for me. I grew up in the Houston area, and it was a huge shock to my brain to move locations. It was like everything I knew and my comfort came tumbling down and it was only a two-hour distance. But changing cities grew my hunger to know more about this big world around me.
During my Sophomore year, I became interested in different cultures. So when the opportunity to visit a friend in Norway, a mission trip and a study abroad trip presented itself– I JUMPED on it. Side note: if you are in college, look at scholarships, I got my whole study abroad paid for! This summer was the most pivotal period to this day.
I was a Political Science major, and to be frank, I knew to make something of that major I was going to have to get another degree. I decided going to Law School would be the right thing, but a part of me felt unsettled. Strangely, the same company that hosted my study abroad had an internship program in my senior year. I felt this urge that I had to do it or else I would have the worst FOMO. So I applied, got it, but that still was not enough.
One night late in my bed, I thought, “what if I take a month to travel around Europe alone?”. Next thing I knew, I was booking a one-way flight to Barcelona. I went to six different countries and met people that changed my life forever. Including my boyfriend!
I am going, to be honest, I hated my internship. It was a desk job and incredibly boring. I would come to work at 9 AM and leave at 5 PM. To put the cherry on top, it was dark and cold in Germany. I knew that when I got back to the USA, the reality was going to hit me. I was going to have to take the LSAT and graduate. But I was not ready to face that. After tons of hours of research, I learned about what a “digital nomad” was, and how these people work from the computer and travel. I WANTED THAT!
So here we are. I have multiple jobs; I do freelance work, teach English online, and have a YouTube channel. I am hoping that by the end of this year, my channel will have enough revenue so I can solely focus on my content. It has been an incredible experience. Last year I went to 14 countries (YES, I am that crazy!). But I would not change it for the world!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a bumpy road filled with doubts and uncertainties. Sometimes, I want to throw the towel in and go to corporate America. But when I think about that, I get really sad and I know it is not the best option for me. In college, my professors and classmates validated me how awesome I was. As a self-employed traveler, it is just me patting myself on the back at the end of the day. You learn how to trust yourself, and to block out society’s expectations.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kim Crosses Borders story.
My social media journey has been a lengthy one, but one that I am so proud of! With my brand, Kim Crosses Borders, my aim to challenge people to leave their comfort zone but physically and mentally. Since Germany has become my second home, I make a lot of content on my YouTube channel about my experience in Germany as an American (or even Texan). I also share a lot of practical tips on how to make money online/ how to budget travel. So if you are unsure about where to get started, you can look at my content and get an idea on how to take that leap! I also spend a lot of time in my DMs responding to people’s comments because it is just that important to me!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In ten years, I would love to have my hostel. It is a super big dream of mine that came about this past year. There is a serious lack of good hostels in the USA, so I would love to fill that demand. I also would love for my YouTube channel to make a substantial full-time income! We will see what will happen—traveling has taught me how to go with the flow for sure!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kimcrossesborders.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kimcrossesborders
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimcrossesborders/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/kimcrossesborders
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