About

Hello! I’m glad you’re here.

My name is Kristina, and I like all things travel and vegan. I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. Hopefully you won’t get too bored!

I started off going vegetarian in 2010. My dad said it couldn’t be done, and in true teenage rebellion, I decided to quit meat cold turkey (pun intended?). Too proud to admit that I really missed bacon, I kept on living a meatless life. Then I really started to believe how awful the factory farming industry is for the animals and our environment, so I stuck with it. Fast forward four years, and I met my roommate in college. She was vegan, and made it sound way too fun to pass up. I know, how could someone be so convincing about vegan baked goods?! I wanted to be part of the vegan club, so dropped all animal products suddenly as well. Now, here I am, 8 years and counting with no meat what-so-ever. It’s become a huge part of my life!

Travel has also become a huge part of my life. I went on vacations plenty as a kid, but never really thought of myself as a traveler. I never even really remembered where we went. I was just along for the ride.

Then, the summer after my junior year in college, I decided to get an internship in Bangalore, India. I never went on any trips solo, let alone left the country. My parents told me to go to Europe, but in my stubborn fashion, I said fuck it and went to India.

Those were the most transformative three months of my life. I had never lived alone before, and there I was, alone, in a small apartment in Bangalore. I didn’t have any friends, didn’t know the language, and had no idea how to get around. It was the most stressful experience, but it made me so much more confidant. I made friends with coworkers, met up with other people from my college who were in the city, and did tons of weekend trips. I went all around south India, and then spent two weeks with some friends I made up north.

After I got back to the US, I immediately started planning my next trip. I got back in August, finished the fall semester of school, and then went to Jordan to teach engineering to Syrian refugees for all of January. I did smaller trips to Petra, Wadi Rum, etc, but was mainly based in Amman. The value of trip wasn’t seeing the sights, but meeting and really interacting with the kids.

I thought I’d be done travelling after having done two major trips recently, but I wasn’t. I finished off the spring semester, graduated, and then went backpacking through Southeast Asia for 6 weeks with my friends. We went to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It was definitely a different experience. I didn’t get the depth I took advantage of during my time teaching and having my internship. However, it was a ton of fun, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Now I’ve moved to Detroit to work in the automotive industry. I’m not done travelling. I spend all my vacation days super wisely, and drive long distances on the weekends just to get a day of hiking in. I’ve also loved exploring one of the most underrated cities in the US.

I’m so excited to share my new home, my travels, and my recipes with you!

-nina