Annie, Road Warrior Princess

Since 2000, I have traveled to domestic and international destinations as a solo female traveler. Travel is my passion, and Annie All Around is my gift to people who love to travel—or who enjoy living vicariously through me.

What we like to do when traveling is unique to all of us. While I’m typically game for anything, the things I gravitate to include:

• State capitols

• Local best (shopping, food and coffee)

• Historical points of interest

• Botanical gardens, parks and zoos

• Beautiful buildings

• Museums

As a child, my family drove cross-country from my home state of Texas to visit family in Ohio and Pennsylvania, so I grew up used to long drives. After making my first solo cross-country drive in 2012, I knew I wanted to keep doing them for as long as I can.

Yes, I also fly. London is one of my happy places, and I have international travel goals, including visiting all continents at least once (as of this writing, I have only been to Europe).

After going through a massive life change in 2020, I discovered that travel is the key to my wellness, and I now make it part of my life’s work. In March 2020, just days before the first local COVID cases, I was diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer. Thankfully, it was caught early through mammogram and wasn’t aggressive. But going through cancer treatment kicked up years of psychological dust that made me evaluate my life and how I spent my time, and therapy confirmed for me that it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Traveling has been a huge help to me as I clean up my life after cancer, which has meant making many changes to protect my physical and mental health. Since my first post-treatment driving trip in 2021, I have driven to 44 states and four Canadian provinces, all on my own.

I’m doing great today! I lost 75 pounds after treatment and adhere to a healthy diet and lifestyle, which I will cover here. I truly believe I’m at the beginning of the best years of my life!

I am a first-generation Texan based in Austin, TX. I moved to Austin from my hometown of La Grange (yes, THE ZZ Top La Grange) to complete my studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where I earned a Bachelor of Journalism in News and Public Affairs. In addition to travel, I also love to cook and watch football (Hook ‘Em Horns and Go Steelers!).

Content Approach

While I am a professional writer and communicator, Annie All Around is a departure from my 25+ years in corporate communications, which included more than a decade in web content development and management.

This website documents my domestic and international travel experiences from a personal perspective. With all of the travel content available through digital media, I think the best provide a personal touch versus regurgitating facts because you can see one place from different personal experiences and interests for a more unique content experience.

I will provide links to help you plan any trips inspired by my visits. This is actually better web content management practice to ensure you have the most up-to-date visitor information.

I have communications and technical writing experience in different industries for private and public employers. Since my days writing for my high school newspaper, I have had the gift of taking complex material and making it consumable for a wider audience. However, the corporate audience never gets to know you as a person because you are never a factor.

Knowing the bar may be higher for me because of my past professional experience, I have to set my professional experience aside at times and let you know me through travel, since Annie All Around is my personal gift to others. This is in line with my wish to be a light in the world.

Please visit the A3 News for new content and announcements. I’ll meet you on the road.

Love, Annie