Hello all, Michelle here! I’m a twenty-something-year-old living in the Chicago area, carrying out my passions for writing, photography, and travel.
I started this travel blog in November 2016 to share my adventures and experiences with traveling. I will share my past, present, and future journeys, along with what I’ve learned on my trips and various tips for travelers and photographers. Anything you see on this blog, both photos and content, are mine unless otherwise stated.
The Story Behind “Wrecked Hope”
I struggled with depression, anxiety, and self-harm for a few years, mostly during high school. At the time, I felt like all my hope had been lost, resulting in “wrecked hope.” I continue to have some struggles at times but not nearly as much as what I have had in the past. When I created this blog, I decided to title it “Wrecked Hope Travels” because I have found that traveling has helped me regain some of that lost hope. As most of my posts have solely been about my travels and nothing about my experiences with depression, anxiety, recovery, etc., I plan on including insight into my future posts, bringing Wrecked Hope Travels to life in its fullest and helping others find their hope through traveling too.
My Travels
Since I live in the states and I’m still working on financing my travels, I have visited more states than I have traveled abroad. My one trip abroad so far was to England in May 2017. Most of my trips will be around the U.S. with the occasional abroad visits. I tend to visit attractions that are filled with nature rather than city life, but of course, I’d like to see it all so you’ll see it all in my posts as well! I have Boston, MA, Manchester, NH, and Jackson Hole, WY trips coming this summer!
What am I Doing Besides Traveling?
I’m studying with Southern New Hampshire University working toward my BA in Creative Writing and English, and I’m minoring in Psychology. I’ll be graduating in May 2019, which means a trip to New Hampshire and the surrounding area! I left my job as an Assistant Manager at Starbucks to intern as a Senior Writer for Study Breaks Magazine, which I recently finished, and now I’m back part-time at Starbucks for the time being. I’ll be actively looking for writing, editing, or publishing jobs! I’m also a Brand Ambassador for Serengetee, and you can use my code “Dreyer” to get 20% off your purchase! They support those around the world trying to make a living by donating some of the proceeds to them. I’m also trying my best to keep up with this blog as well as working on some of my own writing projects.
My Writing
Watching the Louder Than a Bomb documentary in my 9th grade English class was when I figured out I liked writing more than I thought. My 12th-grade creative writing class was when I realized I loved fiction writing, and I guess I should have realized that a bit sooner since I always read fiction and fantasy. My favorite poets are Neil Hilborn, Adam Gottlieb, and Sabrina Benaim, and of course, Edgar Allan Poe and Sylvia Plath. My favorite author is Brandon Mull. I’m currently working on a YA fantasy novel and have other book ideas in the works.
My Photography
My interest in photography started in the 10th grade. I love nature and landscape photography as well as portraits, but I will take photos of anything I see beauty in. I’ve also taken a huge interest in the photography darkroom while I was in high school, but unfortunately haven’t used one since (hopefully, in the near future). Most of the photos you see on my blog will have either been taken on my iPhone 5s or my Canon Rebel T5 DSLR. You can find my photography Instagram below.
Wrecked Hope Travels 