Our Contributors

Our Contributors make Go Girl what it is. Read about them below:

Beth, aka Maximum Beth, aka Timestopper, aka B-Sizzle: Beth is like a shark: If she’s not moving, she’s dead. That’s probably why you’ll find her chomping at the bit for new experiences just about every minute of every day. Beth really caught the travel bug after living for a year in Coimbra, Portugal. Since then, she has had an unruly obsession with documenting her travels in writing and images. Well, that and espresso, of course. Beth also loves ice cream of every flavor, street art and live music. When she’s in one place for long enough, she coaches a high school crew team.
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A.J: A.J.’s been traveling since before he can remember. With frequent trips to India as he grew up, he took a particular interest in the developing world.  After college, he spent two years with the Peace Corps in South Africa, teaching kids and herding goats before returning to the U.S. where he is currently pursuing a PhD in Applied Physics.  He’s been to over 15 countries and hopes to get to many more. The Peace Corps gave him a new appreciation for diversity and cultural differences that he hopes to continue to explore in other countries and his work. His Peace Corps days are chronicled at ajinsa.blogspot.com.

Anna: Born in Thailand to a hitchhiking, hippie father and a mother who traveled to places she read about, Anna has the traveling gene in her blood.  By the time she was three, she had been to Egypt and Saudi Arabia before moving to Southern California.  She has trekked across the US, Europe, and been to various cities in Mexico, Canada, China, and of course Thailand.  With an interest and degrees in Environmental Science, Anna hopes to experience all the beauty and wonder our world has to offer while understanding that there is a delicate balance it also sits on.  She used to reside in the San Francisco Bay Area until she decided to follow her gut and just go!  Her travels to Australia begin early February.  Watch for her biweekly postings at Go Girl starting February 2010 or catch up with her at http://annafrankel.wordpress.com.

Emily: Emily has straddled two home states for five years now: Utah and New Hampshire. Socially and politically, these states are about as different as two states in the Union can get, which makes for nonstop adventures in culture shock. She travels more for necessity than pleasure, but years of flying across the US have taught her the ins and outs of booking cheap airfare, surviving dreadful plane rides, and transitioning between two cultures. Four years ago she spent a semester in Paris, and she's been dying to get back to Europe ever since. She has one year left of her MFA in creative writing and can't wait to graduate and embark on more pleasurable travel adventures. You can follow more of her antics at notanotherwave.blogspot.com.



Erica: Erica first set foot on a plane when she was ten months old. 23 years, 18 countries, and four continents later, the travel bug’s still strong in her veins. After living in Montreal while doing her bachelor’s degree, Erica’s taste for living abroad has turned into a craving, and she and her partner are preparing to move to Germany for a few years, followed by Okinawa for a few more. Currently, Erica’s hanging out in Philadelphia, working on her Master’s degrees, knitting, and trying to teach herself as many languages as possible before she gets to Europe.


Karissa: Certainly a woman on the run, Karissa has lived in four countries and six states in the US.  She has traveled to over twenty countries and forty-three of America’s beautiful fifty.  And here’s to still counting.  Currently, home base is a tiny fishing village in the wilds of northern Japan where she teaches English to Junior High and Elementary students, explores the world of Japanese cuisine, reads and writes and gets outside as much as possible.  Follow Karissa’s explorations of Japan through the outdoor lens – worlds away from the Tokyo life that most people imagine.  More thoughts, adventures and photos can be found on her blog: http://sailforth.wordpress.com.
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Karla did not step on an airplane until the age of 18 and has yet to fully land. Her travels opened up a wide berth of experiences and reflections for her. Travel has been hugely tied to personal growth, discovery of self and discovery of her own history. Each of the 12 countries she’s visited have given her gifts that have had a lasting impact in her world. She became a dreamer as a little girl and only realized, just how big dreams could be as an adult. In her day to day life, Karla works to give low-income students around the country the same opportunities she’s experienced by trying to make college access attainable for all high school students. Karla manages a national volunteer program which connects good people to these very same deserving kids. She’s a big fan of teenagers and appreciates their candor, loves her community, culture, family, and life more than words could ever describe. Every once in awhile, you may even catch her rocking a karaoke mic.


Lakia lives, breathes, and sleeps learning of other languages, cultures, and nationalities; she has lived and studied abroad at La Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico. Although, right now, she only travels within the United States (she is working on her Doctorate degree) she still has vivid memories and experiences about her travels abroad.   From how to apply for a visa to what not to wear, she gives her readers advice, tips, and suggestions on how to have fun and safe travels. You can also check out more of her writings at: http://lakiagordon.com.




Lillie: After six fabulous and crazy years teaching high school English in Boston Public Schools (and bopping down to Latin America each summer), Lillie is taking off this year to travel around the world!  Follow her travels at: www.aroundtheworldl.com.
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Lisa: Whether she’s watching the sunrise over the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, enjoying crepes on the Left Bank, or herding cattle on a ranch in Montana, Lisa’s travel philosophy is to embrace spontaneity, experience everything, and regret nothing.  Known in her circle as the trip mom, she’s always the one prepared for any eventuality, opening the door to countless possibilities at every turn.  After spending six weeks driving around the U.S. by herself, Lisa realized that solo travel — charting her own course and making her own adventures — is thrilling and fulfilling, and she now seeks out solo travel opportunities to new and exciting places as often as her day job will allow.  Lisa writes about solo camping and hiking over at her own blog, Her Side of the Mountain, http://hermountain.wordpress.com.

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Megan suffers from a severe case of ‘wanderlust’ brought on by family vacations and a year spent living as a student/nanny in Barcelona, Spain.  Currently, she has set down roots in lovely Chicago where she spends her time singing in the Apollo Choir, riding her bicycle, and learning how to bake bread.  Future travel plans include India, Argentina, and yet to be discovered destinations.
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Marianne was born in London where she lived until age 11 clocking in some early travel experiences around Europe. After that, she was off to the USA with her parents, living in New York and Maryland. Post graduation, staying in one place didn’t sound appealing, so after a summer of work back in London, she headed to Thailand to become an English teacher at secondary school in the northern Nan Province. When she finished teaching she travelled through Laos and Cambodia where she discovered her love for travel writing. In November, 2009, after getting a one way ticket for £10 through STA Travel’s Anniversary celebrations, Marianne has headed to Australia where she hopes to travel as much as she can for the next few months as she continues to write about her journey. See more of her musings at http://fillingthepages.com.

Sarah: Ohio by birth, Arizona by choice, Sarah spent her youth in the backseat of a big red van while her parents toted her on cross-country road trips all over the US (If you ever want to know anything about Civil War Memorials or National Monuments, she’s your girl!). She recently graduated from college and (surprise) balked at the idea of getting a “desk job”. Instead, she opted to travel around for a bit and see what else is out there. With a journalism degree and camera in hand, Sarah plans to tackle bigger adventures in Central America. She will be living and working in rural Honduras for the next two years, teaching HIV/AIDS prevention. You can follow her personal blog at http://sarahlagringa.wordpress.com/

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Steph caught the travel bug early in life, traveling to various cities in Colombia every summer growing up.  In college, she took on adventures traveling to to England, Costa Rica, Argentina, and the Virgin Islands. Her four years in the Army allowed her to travel around the world and granted her the privilege to live and explore the Korean peninsula, the Hawaiian Islands, and of course, a fortuitous excursion through sandy Iraq. Currently, she’s enjoying the civilian life back in her hometown, Woodbridge, Virginia. She loves dancing, the outdoors, and re-exploring sights of the nation’s capital; this time, through the eyes of a more grown-up version of herself.

Wendy: Admittedly a bit green when it comes to travel, Wendy is ready to change that in a big way. Only dabbling in exploration in her life so far, visiting Italy, Mexico, St. Lucia, and everywhere up and down the East Coast, she and her husband are planning the ultimate American Road Trip. Starting in early 2010, they will camp and drive cross-country to the West Coast, working their way from New Mexico to Washington State and everywhere in between. Join them on this year-long journey as they make mistakes, work on organic farms, meet different people, experience things for the first time, and learn about themselves. All with 2 dogs in tow! Wendy's posts are coming soon!


Want to contribute stories, photography, advice or anything else? Email us at team@travelgogirl.com.