Why is your blog called “Taken by the Wind”?

My name is Reannon and I was named after a Fleetwood Mac song. “Taken by the Wind” is a reoccurring lyric in the song.

Where are you from? And where do you live right now?

I was born in Hawaii (on the island of Oahu) and when I was 16, I moved with my family to New York. I’ve lived in a lot of places since then. I currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

How many countries/territories have you visited?

43.

Here’s the list:

The US, Mexico, Japan, Canada, Scotland, England, France, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, Jamaica, St Lucia, the Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, Barbados, The British Virgin Islands, The Virgin Islands, The Caymen Islands, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Martinique, South Korea, Singapore, India, Nepal, China.

I’ve also visited approximately 30 US states.

How many countries have you lived in?

I’ve lived in five countries total: Austria, Germany, Japan, Guatemala and the US.

How do you afford to travel?

I’m very fortunate at the moment because my mother works for a major US airline, which means I can fly standby for free! (Please don’t hate me). But I’ve also had a lot of jobs that have allowed me to travel. During college, I worked as an au pair (nanny) in Austria and interned at Disney World. After college, I spent two years working on a cruise ship (that’s why I’ve visited so many places in the Caribbean). I also worked as a travel writer in Guatemala and briefly worked as a customer service agent for an airline in San Francisco. I also got to travel a lot while teaching English in Japan.

I’m not a “trust fund kid” and my parents don’t pay for my travels. I’ve simply made traveling and living abroad a priority and have had to save money just like everyone else. I’ve often worked as many as three jobs (six days a week) to afford my trips. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it!

What’s your favorite city in the world?

I’ve always loved Paris – cliched, I know! I also really like Portland, Oregon.

Do you earn a living ‘travel writing’?

I earn a living freelance writing and doing marketing and social media consulting work. Some of the writing I do is ‘travel writing’, so I guess, yes! I do earn a living travel writing.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Hmmm…that I’m willing to admit on the internet?

Well, I once ate bird saliva in Hong Kong. Another time I boarded the wrong flight and ended up in Riga, Latvia. I also accidentally went skinny dipping at a hot spring in Japan. I guess you’ll have to just wait for my memoir to get published to learn more!