Apr 20 – May 1, 2026
American Southwest Loop
Salt Lake City → Moab → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Monument Valley
- 12 days
- 2 destinations
- $3,400
Currently in Lisbon, Portugal·Next stop: Morocco
About · the traveler behind Voyager
Former middle-school teacher from Denver, three years into a slow trip around the world. I write the guides I wish I’d had: what it really costs, when to go, and which places are worth the long way around.
Maya Collins
My story
For eleven years I taught seventh-grade geography in Denver. I spent every summer break chasing the places on my classroom map with a carry-on and a spreadsheet, and every fall I came back with more stories than my students had patience for.
In the spring of 2023 I rented out my apartment, sold the car and bought a one-way ticket to Lisbon. The plan was one year. Three years and forty-seven countries later, I still travel the way I did on those summer breaks: slowly, on a real budget, with long stays in a few places instead of a checklist of many.
Voyager is where I keep it all: the itineraries that worked, the money I actually spent, the mistakes I made so you don’t have to, and the small moments that made a place stay with me. Everything here is paid for by me unless I clearly say otherwise.
“The best travel days are the ones you didn’t plan, inside a trip you planned well.”
— Maya, somewhere near Moab
Where I’ve been
Tap a pin to read the stories from that place.
The journey so far

Apr 20 – May 1, 2026
Salt Lake City → Moab → Capitol Reef → Bryce → Zion → Monument Valley

Nov 3 – Nov 14, 2025
Tokyo → Hakone → Kyoto → Nara → Osaka

Nov 12 – Nov 21, 2024
Puerto Natales → Torres del Paine (W Trek) → El Calafate

Jun 8 – Jun 24, 2024
Lisbon → Sintra → Marrakech → Athens → Santorini

Feb 2 – Mar 1, 2023
Lima → Cusco → Machu Picchu → Cape Town → Sydney
How I travel
They make the trips cheaper, the stories better and the places a little happier to see me.
01
One week in one town beats one day in seven. Slow trips cost less per day and leave room for the good surprises.
02
Every guide lists what I actually paid, in dollars, including the mistakes. No “budget” trips that need a trust fund.
03
Sunrise and shoulder season fix most crowd problems. I plan the famous spots for 7 a.m. and the rest for later.
04
Local guides, family-run stays, trains over short flights when I can, and no photos where people would rather not be in one.
Gear
One 40-liter backpack and a small daypack, in every season.
As featured in
The Wander Review
NORTHBOUND
Trail & Table
Coastline Weekly
atlas radio
Start here

Countries, cities, kilometers and days — the whole trip so far in one page.
7 min read

Trams, viewpoints, custard tarts and a day trip to Sintra: our favorite European capital in 72 hours.
7 min read

Chapman’s Peak, the penguins at Boulders Beach and the edge of the continent.
7 min read
Rent from my Denver apartment covers most of my costs, and I keep daily spending around $60–90 by staying longer in fewer places. The blog pays for the rest through clearly marked affiliate links and a few brand projects a year.
Mostly, yes. Friends join me for a week or two a few times a year, and you’ll see them in the stories when they do.
Almost never. When a hotel or tour was hosted, the story says so at the top, and my opinion is still my own.
A mirrorless body with one 24–105 mm zoom and my phone. Light gear means I actually carry it.
I don’t plan trips one-on-one, but every itinerary, budget and packing list on the site is free to copy.
Work with me
I work with a handful of tourism boards, small hotels and outdoor brands each year: long-form guides, photo essays and social stories, always labeled. Ask for the media kit with audience numbers and rates.
The Sunday Postcard
A new story, a place worth the detour and the tips I wish I had known. No spam.