Welcome to
The Bohemian Diaries
A blog dedicated to adventure and family travel, expat life, eco-conscious living and photojournalism.
Meet the blogger
Hi! I’m Jessica, a Minnesota native who calls Bolivia home and has been slowly traveling the world and sharing my journey on this blog for the past eight years. If I’m not lacing up my boots for a hike or chasing around a toddler, you’ll most likely find me with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a book. #OenophileInTheMaking
The sweetest, most loving little one-year-old joined my adventure squad in 2018 and he is the joy and light of my life.
hey there!
My Story
MORE THAN JUST A HIGHLIGHT REEL.
The Blog
The Bohemian Diaries was born on the road somewhere between the beaches of Nicaragua and the depths of the Peruvian Amazon during my six-month travels through Central and South America in 2012.
What you see now is a collection of my travel stories past and present, new-to-me mom moments, and plenty of expat tales from where I now call Bolivia home. It’s an eclectic mix of the professional with the personal.
The personality
Speaking of the personal, I’ll admit that I am a very private, non-oversharer when it comes to what I put out there on the Internet. Since the beginning of this blog, I’ve struggled with the balance between being completely open and writing my personal narrative as a “blogger” versus sticking to my journalistic nature of recounting facts and details as I observe them throughout my travel experiences. Duality in general is ever present in just about every aspect of my life—I’m the very definition of a gemini, so if you’re curious to learn more about me, read up on my astrological sign 😉
The Professional
Before my travels began, I earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Minnesota, concentrating in visual communication. I started my career working at various newspapers as a photographer, general reporter, and ultimately as a managing editor. After leaving the newsroom for the “glamorous” life as a freelancer in photojournalism and to pursue my curiosity of social media, I worked in three different countries before starting a digital marketing agency in Bolivia. I dabble in print design and have been known to sit and stare at HTML code for hours with various projects.
My Mission & Vision
I’m not here to try and convince you to quit your job and become a world-traveling Instagram influencer, or to embark on a rat’s race and briefly step foot in as many countries as possible. Nor am I here to tout that living abroad is the only credible way to experience another country, or that slow travel with all of your possessions packed into a converted van or carried on your back makes you a traveler and not a tourist. In fact, I’m here to praise quite the opposite.
My mission with The Bohemian Diaries is to you inspire to travel at your own pace, to the places that call to you, in the amount of time that fits your schedule and lifestyle. All you have to do is go.
Travel is not a competition. It doesn’t matter what your “country count” is. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a city to the echoes of nature or silence of a still wilderness.
I believe what matters is how you absorb new cultures and new experiences. It matters that you took advantage of the weekend or the holiday (or longer if you’re lucky!) to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. To make connections with other people. To make connections with other places. To be able to relate to the news from around the world because you have something that ties you to a situation or context that is typically unfamiliar from your own.
I hope my stories inspire you to buy that ticket you’ve been wanting to purchase for so long, to create a list of places that invoke you to research and learn more about a particular place you don’t know much about, and to ask questions based on what I share of my own experiences. I also hope to encourage thoughtful discussions and connections among all of my readers. These may be my diaries, but I am an open book, and in the comments sections of every page, I hope you feel compelled to share your own stories and anecdotes from your worldly travels, or from your very own backyard.
read on
Personal Faves
Refugio Los Volcanes:
Love at First Sight
One of my favorite places in Bolivia, read my engagement story and check out where we spent our one year wedding anniversary!
Minneapolis Summer Guide
As a Minnesota native, I might be a bit biased when I say there is no place like Minneapolis—it’s an inspiring city any time of the year! Check out my favorite spots!
26 Travel Experiences I Am Especially Grateful For
It’s been a while since I updated this list, but these are the experiences that kicked off my travels around the world and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them!
12 Adventures in Bolivia You Won’t Want To Miss
When people ask me what to do on a trip to Bolivia, this is the list I send them! Warning, these activities are not for the faint of heart!
Now tell me about YOU!
Where are you reading from? Where are you headed on your next adventure? What is your FAVORITE place to go back to over and over again?
This blog is full of my recommendations, what can you recommend to me?!
Introduce yourself and tell me in the comments below!
The Best!!! So full of life linda!!
A lovely person with a brilliant future! Also the cutest couple ever! Very creative and incredible shots! Big soul and heart!
Definitely an excellent professional and person!
Aww Victor! Você é o melhor! So happy to have spent a week with you and we can’t wait to come visit!
Nice blog! Loving the layout, did you design it yourself? Let us know if you’d like to do a guest post exchange sometime!
Thanks, Christine! I edited a template and it will always be a labor of love 🙂 We should definitely do an exchange, I’ll send an email in the near future. Cheers!
This is beautiful place you’ve created here!!!
Thanks, Liv!!
Hey lady! Looks like your personal site was hacked?… I was trying to find an email for you! Can you send me an email to my account? Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for bringing it to my attention, it’s a mess! Emailing you right now, thanks again Valerie 🙂
Dearest Jessica,
I have recently started following your blog and I love it already! That is why you are one of my nominees for the Liebster Award. Its an online award and you basically nominate blogs that you love and thing should be introduced to a wider public 😉 http://liveourtwenties.blogspot.nl/2014/10/liebster-award-nomination.html here is the link to the post in which I nominated you, I also added a link to your blog.
Lots of love,
Yara
Thanks so much, Yara! Apologies for not having seen this a little earlier but I will definitely check out your post! I participated in a Liebster Award a while back…check it out here! https://www.thebohemiandiaries.com/opening-liebster-awards/
Hi Jessica! I love your website and nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award! Keep up the good word and so glad I found your wonderful blog! http://therovingblonde.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/one-lovely-blog-award/
Thanks so much, Catherine! Going to check it out right now and happy to have you following along with The Boho Diaries!! 🙂
Dear Jessica – thanks for all the info on your blog – it helps me planning my future travels….Currently I am an expat in Cuenca, Ecuador where I live and work as a professor at the Universidad de Cuenca…I am also passionate traveler; after Galapagos, EC coast, Quito, Guay, Colombia and Peru I am ready for Bolivia…I am gathering info on B and your blog is great…maybe one time we can meet in B or Cuenca and I can show you around….and we can talk about being journalist, traveller and polyglot….Thanks again for a great info…my email is: Jrytych@yahoo.com
Hi Jessica! I just found your blog through twitter, and am excited to follow along. I’m a Minnesotan as well, living in Sweden at the moment. I tried to comment on the Pinterest board “travel bloggers tell all” to join but can’t seem to be able to. When you get a chance, can you add me on there? Thanks & Happy travels!
Hey Samantha! Nice to meet you via the interwebs 🙂 Sweden sounds AMAZING! What are you up to over there?! I will definitely add you to the Pinterest group if I haven’t already. Thanks for following along and I’m off to check out your travel tales right NOW! Cheers!
Hey Jessica,
I was offered a job teaching at an international school in Santa Cruz and when I was searching for expats in Santa Cruz you came up! I came onto your blog to find an email address because, as a fellow traveling chick from the Midwest I thought you might have some pretty good insight to living in the city.
Would love to talk to you about your experience!
-Sarah
Hi Sarah! Thanks for getting in touch with me! I’d love to chat with you about life in Santa Cruz and will send you an email shortly 🙂 Ya hablamos!
Hi Jessica! I’m currently also offered two international school jobs in Bolivia, one in La Paz and the other in Santa Cruz. I’m so completely torn. Could you talk to me about what you like or dislike about both cities/places? They seem so difficult to compare because they are so different! Please feel free to email me.
Hi Stephanie! What an exciting and difficult choice! I’ll send you an email right away, thanks for reaching out! Jess
Hi! I’d love to be added to your travel blogger tell all on pinterest. I’m also headed to Peru soon so I’ll be looking at your posts. Happy Travels!
Hey Jennifer, you’ve been added to the group! Thanks for stopping by and following along 🙂
I just discovered your blog and I love it! Spanish translation captured our hearts 🙂 I am looking forward to read your stories! Besos
So sweet! Gracias Maja!! Saludos querida.
Hi! Please could you add me to your Travel Blogger Tell All group board on Pinterest. I run a dessert and travel blog @ http://www.flavoursandfrosting.com and live in Spain! Thanks!!
Just saw that you retweeted me and came to check out your blog… I’m so excited to meet a fellow Gopher in the travel blogging world! ?
Go Gophers! Thanks for stopping by, I am rooting for you with your travel competition!
Hi Jessica, I’m the editor of http://coolofthewild.com/ and I wonder if you are able to add me to your Travel Bloggers Tell All group on Pintrest? We feature some great outdoor travel and adventure stories as well loads of other info about fun stuff to do in the outdoors. Thanks heaps!
Hi Jessica! Found your site while searching for jobs with American companies in Santa Cruz. LOL! Not exactly what I was looking for but your blog was so wonderfully put together that it gives me hope about my situation here in Santa Cruz. I recently moved here 1 month ago. Originally from California, with Colombia roots. Despite all that, I’m going through a bit of a culture shock! Your advice on this blog gives me hope that I’ll get through the rough patch.
That’s so kind of you to say, Monica! I struggled quite a bit for the first 4-5 months to adapt and feel comfortable here but rest assured, it gets easier. If you want to go for a coffee or grab some horneados I would love to meet up! Stay in touch and hang in there!
Hi, Jessica. Do you still live in Santa Cruz? My wife, daughter, and I are moving to SC in July to begin teaching at an international school. If you’re there and have the time, I’d love to begin a correspondence. You seem to get to know places much as we would like too.
Hi Roberto! Yes, I still live here in Santa Cruz! I’d love to help you out and answer any questions, I have many friends that work at the international school here (and I myself give Zumba classes at one of the schools) so please feel free to reach out through email and we can stay in touch!
Hey Jessica,
both happened to be working on our laptops at Kawka last week. I’d be super interested in your other projects here in SC, how you’ve generally shaped your life here as a gringa, and of course that co-working space you mentioned. Hope to talk soon! Amazing work on this blog btw.
Cheers,
Christian
You have done well. I am really proud of you 🙂
Just seeing this comment now, thank you! Hope all is well ?
Hi was trying to find where to request to be added to your pinterest group, “Travel Bloggers Tell All’.
I am currently an expat living in S. Korea traveling the Asia Pacific area.
Thank you,
Karen
@ http://www.thoughtsinthebreeze.com
Hi, Karen! I can definitely add you to the group! You should receive the invite shortly 🙂 Thanks for reaching out and happy travels!
Hello Jessica, congratulations on your blog and with your many travel adventures. I can’t say that Bolivia is on my travel radar but I might need to add it after reading the Bohemian Diaries.
If you could add me to your Pinterest group, “Travel Bloggers Tell All” that would be great. I look forward to collaborating with you.
Best of luck from a fellow Midwesterner! (hint: Badger & Packer fan)
David
http://www.GlobalTravelBoss.com, https://www.pinterest.com/globaltravelboss1/
Hello! I am a travel blogger and have admired your group travel boards. I would love to join some of your group travel boards to contribute for your followers. My Pinterest account can be found here: https://www.pinterest.com/luxewithme/
Hello Jessica,
Gorgeous blog & such details in your travelling!! I came across your blog through your Pinterest group, which I have joined, and would love to be added as a contributor! http://pinterest.com/vidadeliya/
Hi Liya! Thanks for stopping by! I’ve just added you to the group board over on Pinterest! Happy trails!
Hi
Could we please be added to your Travel Bloggers Tell All Pinterest group board? We’d love to contribute! It’s http://www.pinterest.com/silvertravellerscom or the associated email is hanno@silver-travellers.com Thanks so much!
Kind regards, Hanno
Hi
love your website very much!
Could we please be added to your Travel Bloggers Tell All Pinterest group board ( spciaelly this one travel-bloggers-tell-all) ? We’d love to contribute! It’s https://www.pinterest.com/pukkatravellers/ thanks you vey much and keep up the good work