“It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and, if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien
Hello and welcome! I'm so glad that you're here.
“Here” is A Dangerous Business, a travel blog that aims to inspire people to fit more travel and adventure into the lifestyle they already have. You'll find detailed travel itineraries and weekend trip guides, as well as tips, packing lists, and travel observations from more than a decade of personal travel experience, all written by a professional travel blogger.
I don't believe in the traveler vs. tourist debate, only write about places that I've personally been, and travel in a way that (I hope) feels realistic for the average person.
My goal is to make getting “swept off” in your next travel adventure as easy and stress-free as possible.
Who is Amanda Williams?
I'm Amanda! That's me!
I grew up on a Christmas tree farm in northeast Ohio, and was a fan of horses, boy bands, the Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller, and the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. At the age of about 15, I vowed that I would save my money so that I could go to New Zealand (where LOTR was filmed) after I graduated high school – and I got my first passport stamp from there in 2005.
Since that first big adventure abroad in 2005, I have been to more than 60 countries on 6 continents, and my bucket list only grows instead of getting shorter.
I'm a full-time travel blogger, but I'm NOT a full-time traveler or “digital nomad.” I travel and work from a home base in Ohio, and firmly believe that you don't have to quit your job or leave your loved ones behind indefinitely in order to be a traveler.
(I did try to be a digital nomad once, but it didn't end well.)
You'll mostly see me around this site, but my husband Elliot pops up, too, from time to time.
Some random fun facts about me:
The important things:
- I have a bachelors in journalism and a master's degree in tourism management.
- I have a minor in German, but can't speak it very well at all.
- I like to consider myself to be pretty adventurous and open to new things (though not always when it comes to food).
- I live near Cleveland, Ohio, and love the city; I love it so much that I started a second blog about it: Cleveland Traveler
The less important (but probably more interesting) things:
- Before I was a blogger, I worked full-time at a small newspaper as a copy and layout editor; I started out editing obituaries.
- I love the scent of freshly-cut grass.
- I have been bungee jumping five times, and am always up for doing it again.
- I took Irish Step Dancing lessons in high school.
- I really hate all things “Twilight.” (See here if you do, too.)
- To contradict the previous statement, I like chick flicks, no matter how corny or predictable they are.
- I can write my name upside down.
- I am awful at video games.
- I have a ginger cat named Weasley.
How I travel
My travel philosophy is that travel is impactful and transformative, but it doesn't HAVE to be anything you don't want it to be. It doesn't have to be uber-luxurious and expensive, but it also doesn't have to be backpacks and hostels. Travel doesn't have to be going to exotic, hard-to-reach places, but it also doesn't have to always be all-inclusive resorts.
There's no right or wrong way to travel – only a way that's right for YOU.
I started out as a budget traveler, backpacking my way solo across Europe and Southeast Asia over the course of a couple years. As I've gotten older, though, my travel style has changed (yes, it's allowed to do that!), and now I travel probably like a lot of you do: on a moderate budget, willing to pay a little extra for comfort, convenience, and really special experiences.
Two things have remained consistent for me over the years: I only go places I want to go, and I always write about my personal experiences in a way that (I hope) is easy to follow so that you can plan to exact same trip for yourself.
A few more things about my travel style:
- I believe in climate change, and do what I can to minimize my negative impact on the planet by traveling as sustainably as I can, avoiding flying when it isn't necessary, and offsetting my carbon footprint. (Learn more in my environmental disclosure.)
- I do my best to research and follow cultural norms of whatever place I'm visiting, and acknowledge ALL parts of a destination's history, even when the past is uncomfortable.
- After studying tourism development (I have that master's degree in tourism management!), I make an effort to spend my money in ways that support local economies in the places I travel.
- I don't believe in gatekeeping information about destinations, and believe that public lands and the outdoors are for everyone. If I visit a place that I truly feel is too fragile for tourism, I simply don't share about it at all.
- I don't believe in only visiting “new” places and don't really care too much about counting countries – which means I return to my favorite places a lot!
- I sometimes am a “pack it all in” type of traveler, and know that not everyone else is. And that's fine! You do you. If my content isn't right for you, no hard feelings.
Posts to read about Amanda
Posts about me and my travel philosophy you should read:
- Why I'm Not Afraid to Travel Alone
- Why I Won't Get Mad if You Call Me Lucky
- Where It All Began — It's Carmen Sandiego's Fault
- 26 Things Travel Has Taught Me
- 5 Ways Travel Has Made Me More Adventurous
- Why I DIDN'T Quit My Job to Travel
- How I Make Money as a Travel Blogger
- How I Failed at Being a Digital Nomad
And go check out my travel timeline if you're curious about where I've been!
News coverage of Amanda
Along with being a guest a few times on local morning show New Day Cleveland, I've also been featured in the following online articles:
- Everything You Need to Know About Traveling Solo as a Woman at HuffPost Travel
- Here's How You Can Actually Travel the World Without Quitting Your Job at Buzzfeed
- How One Travel Blogger Funds Her Adventures at US News & World Report
- Maintaining relationships on the road at USA Today Travel
- Alumna Travels the World and Blogs About It at Kent State University
What is A Dangerous Business?
A Dangerous Business is a travel blog that was begun in 2010 when I was working full-time as a copy editor at a newspaper. The blog started as a hobby; a creative outlet to document some of my past travels. But I fell in love with travel blogging, and began growing a following.
I went back to school in 2011 to get a master's degree (thinking I'd change careers and work for a tourism board), but when I finished in 2013 I decided to work part-time and focus more on the site. I went full-time as a blogger in late 2015, and it's been my full-time job ever since.
Today, A Dangerous Business is one of the top travel blogs on the internet, getting more than 150,000 visitors per month and being promoted to an audience of more than 100,000 followers on social media. I've partnered with brands and destinations all around the world (learn more on my Work With Me page), have spoken at conferences and events like the New York Times Travel Show and TravelCon, and have been featured on sites like Travelzoo, The Huffington Post, and USA Today Travel.
The main goal of A Dangerous Business is to show people how to fit more travel into the lifestyle they already have. I cover global destinations and bucket list-style trips, and always focus on how people can realistically replicate these adventures themselves.
And, in a day and age of writers-for-hire and AI technology, I think it's important to state that I write everything on this site myself, and I have personally traveled to every place featured here. All of my tips and suggestions on A Dangerous Business come from personal travel experience.
Awards for A Dangerous Business
In 2013, I won the Ottawa Tourism Travel Writing Award for a piece I wrote about staying at the Ottawa Jail Hostel.
In 2018, A Dangerous Business was awarded a Silver Award for Best Travel Blog in the 2017-18 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, which is hosted annually by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).
In 2019, I won two Silver awards and one Honorable Mention in the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) Awards.
In 2021, A Dangerous Business was awarded a Gold Award for Best Travel Blog in the 2020-21 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, which is hosted annually by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW).
In 2023, I won the Gold Award for Instagram Storytelling in the 2022-23 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, which is hosted annually by the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). (Check out my Instagram here.)
Speaking appearances
I'm regularly asked to speak at conferences and on webinars about travel and running a blog as a business. A few notable past speaking experiences include:
- I was featured on an episode of HuffPost Live about Why More Women Are Traveling Solo.
- I've participated on panels at the New York Times Travel Show in 2018, 2019, and 2020 about being a blogger/influencer.
- I spoke at the 2017 Women in Travel Summit on a panel about social media strategy.
- I was a mentor/speaker at Bloghouse from 2017-2020.
- I spoke at the Social Travel Summit in 2019 in Ravenna, Italy about affiliate marketing.
- I spoke at TravelCon in 2018 and 2022 about affiliate marketing.
- I spoke at the SATW annual conference in 2023 about being a digital publisher.
Press mentions for A Dangerous Business
- Publisher Interview: A Dangerous Business at Mediavine
- 11 Ways Millennials Can Travel for Cheap at Parade
- 31 Romantic Weekend Getaways to Book on a Budget at Oprah Daily
Contact me
Want to get in touch with me? Here's how:
You can email me at adangerousbusiness [at] gmail [dot] com, or fill out my contact form.
You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Other fun stuff
Want to know where all in the world I've been? Check out my Destinations page, or my Travel Timeline.
Want to know what goes in my backpack or suitcase? Check out my Packing List page! It lists all my favorite gear, and is also where you'll find my trip- and destination-specific packing lists.
Curious about where I turn to search for flights or book a hotel? Head over to my Travel Resources page for lots of great tips and secrets.
And, lastly, if you'd like to work with me in some way, check out my Work With Me page.
*Note: My headshots (which you'll see throughout the site, including on this page) were taken by the super-talented Jessie of Jadie Foto. The watercolor illustration you'll find behind my new newsletter sign-up box was done by the lovely Candace Rose Rardon.
I love your blog! It’s full of heart and honesty; very engaging and helpful content. Glad to have stumbled upon it.
Thank you so much for the kind words!
Hi! My name is Chantal and I found your blog at Pinterest. I automatically fell in love. I was searching for things about South Africa because I will go there in April 2018. Can you please help me? I need some advice of you. How about money? It’s something I still don’t really get. I live in The Netherlands, I’m 19 and I’m still studying. At the moment I’m really depressed about everything, the only thing I really like and what keeps me happy, is traveling and also thinking about the South Africa trip. Is there something possible to travel more? Through the world? Without money issues…
Sadly money makes our world go ’round, and travel does cost money. There’s no way around that, really. There are ways to help defray travel costs (looking for deals, traveling in the off-season, staying in hostels), but there’s not really a way to travel the world without any money.
Not sure whether this reply goes to Amanda or Chantal or both. If this reply goes to Amanda and not directly Chantal, Amanda, you might tell Chantal that sometimes travel can be done pretty inexpensively. Just a thought (sorry I ramble on here)…there are some ways to afford some travel. I’ve never been outside the US except for Montreal, Nova Scotia, and South Africa (and a couple of brief transfer stops along the way to/from South Africa.) You’ve done a great job of affording it and sharing how by the choices you’ve made, Amanda, tho’ as you write, it does cost. My own two trips to South Africa (from near Boston, MA) cost me almost nothing! The 1st one came about by accident. The minister of the church I was going to had a connection with friends in South Africa. He wanted to build some connections between our church and his friends and their churches in South Africa. He recruited/encouraged a few of us. I wanted to go, but said that I could not afford it. One of the others to make the trip had so many “travel miles” from his own journeys that he gifted me enough to pay for the entire travel. The church people and other acquaintances we visited were so friendly and hospitable, and the currency exchange rates favorable enough, that my nights and meals cost very little more than what I would have spent while at home. That trip was about 13 days all told and it was in 1999.
The 2nd trip to South Africa came about 10 years later, in 2009. In part, it came about because of the 1st trip. Rotary International had a program called “Group Study Exchange (GSE).” Rotary International has changed the program since 2009, but it looks like some districts still offer it and there are also newer options such as “New Generations Service Exchange” & “Friendship Exchange.” There is also the long-time “Youth Exchange.” Each offers different interesting kinds of opportunities with varying requirements and costs. I’ll provide more info about GSE because it’s what I know and it gives Chantal and other readers a sample of what Rotary may offer. The GSE program we did was an amazing, unique, cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for “business people” and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. I put “business people” in quotes to highlight that the phrase need not be intimidating. The team I led included a young fellow whose first loves were surfing & photography while he supported himself by working as a sales associate in sporting goods / outdoor recreation retail store. The GSE program provided travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country’s culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at a “district” conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families. This was all “free” (i.e., at no cost) to the team members, who need not be Rotarians! Each Rotary district picks its own destination district in exchange with that host district. I think the district presidents worked it out at the Rotary International Assembly the year before. There was an application process for the leader of the trip, who had to be a Rotarian from the local district with some experience in the destination district (and whose expenses are all paid by Rotary). And there was an application process for the young professionals. It was competitive, and I cannot believe that with my limited overall experience and just the 13-day ten-years-old prior trip, I was chosen to lead this 31-day trip. The younger non-Rotarian team members also could not believe their good fortune to go on this trip! Just for the serendipity of it, I looked up Rotary Districts in the Netherlands. There are 7. By no means do all districts conduct exchanges each year. From what I can tell in a quick search, dating all the way back to 1968-70, there have at least been GSE exchanges between districts in the Netherlands and Mississippi USA, California-Nevada, USA; the Philippines; Australia; South Africa/Swaziland; and New Zealand. I don’t know about the number and extent of Youth and other exchanges and graduate fellowships between the Netherlands & other parts of the world, but it’s definitely worth a look!
Our younger 23-year-old son is living on a very low budget, waits on tables & bar tends for his income, but has managed to travel around the US a bit. Two trips are to Savannah (one in the past and one coming up) to cover a music festival for not much money. It does cost, but he truly does them “on the cheap” and some expenses are absorbed by the fact that he’s a very good writer, knows about bands/music and a publication is engaging him to cover the festival and write about it.
The most important thing I want to convey here is that there are low-cost travel opportunities in unlikely places to amazing places. Chantal, just keep your eyes open, do some more research and tell others about your interest!
BTW, Amanda, our older son went to U. of Otago for a semester + some traveling in NZ. He brought & sent back pictures and told and wrote us about his journey. That plus other reading we’ve done have convinced my wife and I that we really want to go to NZ. We hope to go next March (2019). In the course of looking for some info, I found your blog/website. It’s great. I’m so grateful to have found it! It’s chock full of interesting and useful info of all different sorts. I’ve only just begun to read so much that is here. Thank you so much for sharing so much that you have experienced and learned!
NOTE: please feel free to edit if you choose to publish this reply. I know it’s much longer than the other replies I see. Sorry! I just got going and couldn’t stop, but I hope you found it interesting/useful.
Inspiring! Just stumbled across your blog. You have a fan. 🙂
Great to hear it! Welcome. 🙂
I found your blog earlier today and have spent the morning reading through your posts. I am from the middle of nowhere Northwest Ohio and have spent the past year preparing to move to Arizona and begin my adventure. My roommate and I have started a travel blog called The Hive and are always looking for awesome lady bloggers to look up to. You definitely have become just that for us. Greetings from Ohio!
Aww thanks so much! Good luck with the move and the new adventure!
Your next adventure is to become an amateur radio (ham radio) operator and that will lead you to friendships and more around the world (I am just a vicarious traveler). If you are in northeastern Ohio (Christmas tree country), a lot of clubs would like you as a member – you would be in heavy demand as a Christmas dinner speaker as well ! You are living the life.
My fiancé grew up on a Christmas tree farm east of Cleveland – perhaps that is a thing in Ohio? I think it’s cool that you’ve been able to craft your own dream lifestyle that balances work, home, and travel. I’m working towards early retirement and then hope to do something similar. I’ve danced between slow traveling internationally, getting an R.V. and traveling across the U.S., or setting up shop in my hometown and then traveling for a month or two out of the year. Still figuring it out!
Haha, well farming in general in Ohio is pretty big business, and pine trees do grow well here! 🙂
Hi Amanda,
I stumbled upon your blog while searching for the best ones and I must say it is a very inspiring and entertaining blog. Cheers for that!
As I read through the About Me page, I could agree to a lot of things but one. Normal Life. It is great that you can balance the ‘normal’ life and the life of an adventure and travel enthusiast, but Normal according to me is a very subjective term. Those who have quit their jobs never found the life they led to be normal.
THEY’RE living a life THERE which is totally THEIRS. I am particular about grammar too.
But anyways, this is just to say that even I may not quit my job in future and travel, but I certainly won’t call that life Normal and be calm.
I am from India. Someone who is living a kind of normal life here but is interested in a lot of other things, including travel. Trekking, Writing, Music, to name a few. If you wish, do check out my blog someday.
Cheers.
Apurva
http://www.apurvaoka.com
I can’t fathom why there is a huge amount of bloggers and supposed SEO professionals who are actually useless
You are now part of my weekly website bookmarks, keep up the interesting posts
Thanks, Saul. Glad to hear I’m not useless. 🙂
Amanda, Oh my Lord! Aside from the many beautiful things about your blog, your header image is to die for! I also love that you didn’t give up your job to travel. That’s so reassuring for us part-time nomads!
That beautiful header image was painted by the amazing Candace from The Great Affair: http://www.candaceroserardon.com/. I LOVE it!
Hey Amanda;
Just wondering why you invited me to like your facebook page and how you found me.
Nice blog site. Hope you enjoy ours 🙂
Love your travel philosophy.
Pru & family.
Hey there! Most likely you liked something I posted on my page (perhaps a photo or link). That’s the only way I find people to invite to like my page. 🙂
Great site and useful information. Keep it up!
Amanda, it feels like we are the same person ))) I was passionate about Harry Potter, Lord of the rings too. I like traveling a lot. Your Alaska photos are so impressive. You inspire me to do more for my traveling.
Glad to hear, Peter! Happy travels!
Love the site. You’ve definitely inspired me to get up and get out! 🙂
Love hearing that! Happy to have you here. 🙂
Hi Amanda,
I have been enthralled reading your blog. You are a girl after my own heart…as well as an awesome photographer.
Could you suggest the best LOTR tours you did around Queenstown. I have so enjoyed reading all of your NZ adventures and have great respect for your views.
Many thanks,
Mel
Hey Mel! Thanks so much for the lovely compliments. 🙂
As for LOTR tours around Queenstown… I’ve mostly just done things with Red Carpet Tours, who offer multi-day LOTR-themed tours through NZ (I have a review of them if you search my site!). For shorter trips, I’ve also heard good things about the Nomad Safaris tour to Skipper’s Canyon, or their “Safari of the Scenes.”
Your site…It’s the best travel blog I’ve seen BY FAR. So well done and that header…beautiful! Just wanted to say thank you for creating a blog that shows a woman enjoying life on her terms. Yours is definitely one I’ll share with my young daughter who, at 8, already has a serious case of wanderlust. She begged me to let her have an outdoor adventure blog of her own and we have ended up doing it together as a great way to be creative and share our love of the outdoors. You are definitely an inspiration and I’m so happy I have stumbled on to A Dangerous Business!
Aww thank you so much, Katey! I’m glad you stumbled upon my blog, too! 🙂