My Big Beautiful Life Begins Here

Building a Big Beautiful Life

Hi, I’m Brittany!

I’m 30 years old, single, and currently standing at the edge of a huge life change. In the summer of 2026, I’m packing up my life in the United States and moving to Europe.

Not for a vacation.

Not for a semester abroad.

For a completely new chapter... an entire new way of life

This blog is where I’m documenting the journey — the planning, the adventures, the mistakes, the wins, and everything I learn along the way while trying to build a life that feels bigger, freer, and a lot more intentional.

The Kind of Life I Want

I’ve always been the kind of person who feels most alive outside.

Give me a hiking trail, a mountain view, or a hidden waterfall and I’m instantly happy. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains, chasing waterfalls and finding quiet places that remind me how big the world really is.

Travel has always given me that same feeling.

New landscapes. New languages. New food. New ways of living.

Every place you visit reminds you that there isn’t just one way to live life.

And that realization changes everything.

The Moment Things Shifted

At some point, I started to feel a deep sense of burnout.

The version of the “American Dream” that many of us grew up believing in — work hard, buy a house, climb the ladder, and everything will fall into place — just didn’t feel real anymore.

Costs keep rising. Work-life balance keeps shrinking. And the idea that life is supposed to revolve around stress and survival just didn’t sit right with me.

So I started asking myself a different question:

What if the life I want isn’t here?

That question eventually led me to Europe.

Why Europe?

Europe offers something that feels increasingly rare in the United States: balance.

In many places, the cost of living is significantly lower while the quality of life is higher. Walkable cities, slower living, café culture, accessible healthcare, and the ability to hop on a train or a short flight and explore an entirely new country.

Instead of traveling once a year, the world becomes something you can experience regularly.

My plan is to start in Albania, which allows Americans to stay visa-free for up to a year. From there, I’ll have the opportunity to explore the rest of Europe while figuring out where life might take me next.

At the top of my list?

Spain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany... to name a few

Adventure Without the Luxury Price Tag

There’s one other important thing you should know about me:

I’m a budget traveler at heart.

I love finding incredible experiences without paying luxury prices. Cheap flights, hidden destinations, travel hacks, affordable accommodations — discovering how to make travel accessible is almost as exciting as the adventure itself.

You don’t need unlimited money to live an adventurous life. You just need creativity, flexibility, and a little bit of research.

And whenever I figure out a better way to do something, I plan to share it here.

What You’ll Find Here

This space will document the entire journey of building a life centered around freedom, exploration, and curiosity.

Here you’ll find things like:

• Waterfall hikes and outdoor adventures

• Budget travel tips and destination ideas

• The process of preparing for a move abroad

• Lessons from stepping outside the “traditional” life path

• Stories from the road as this journey unfolds

Some days will be inspiring.

Some days will probably be chaotic.

But it will always be real.

Why This Blog Exists

At the heart of everything, this blog is about one simple idea:

Life is meant to be experienced.

Not postponed.

Not squeezed into two weeks of vacation per year.

And not lived entirely inside routines that make you feel stuck.

If there’s a bigger, more adventurous life out there, I want to find it.

And if you’re someone who feels that same pull toward something more…

You’re in the right place.

Welcome to the journey.