About Real Talk Travel
I'm Jules.
A die-hard budget traveller turned digital nomad from Wales. I’ve put some solid hours into this blog, so you better like it.
Throughout my 10 years of travel, I’ve had my fair share of scams, hairy moments, and nights slumming in dodgy hostels and night buses. Real Talk Travel has been set up on the back of those experiences and from a burning desire to help fellow budget travellers. It’s not a travel blog for the luxury traveller looking for fancy hotels and tours; it’s for those looking to create their own adventures and don’t mind roughing it up for the sake of the experience.
If you fancy reading a little bit more about my story, read on, baby. If not, click here to explore the blog.
Home was always Porthcawl, a windy town on the South Welsh coast. While I adored the rainy summer holidays spent in the caravan, my world was confined to my town. Sure, I had friends who went on holidays to Spain, but that was worlds away from my world.
I guess the butterfly effect moment was when I interrailed with my older sister at 18. I spent two years working in a fish and chip job to save for it, and when I finally graduated from high school, off we went. It changed my life.
In those 10 years since, I’ve travelled to 40 countries and definitely called a few places home in that time.
While Wales will always be my home-home, I’ve really adopted a nomadic lifestyle, working remotely and chasing the sun. Sometimes I have to pinch myself as 11-year-old Julie, wouldn’t have believed it.
Since graduating from uni, I’ve worked as a freelance writer, editor and English teacher. And so far, for sure, it’s done its job. But now, I want to create my own thing and build a career around my love for travel.
The dream is that travellers will one day recommend Real Talk Travel as a blog offering genuine, honest and down-to-earth travel advice. A place on the internet where you can come and be guaranteed honesty.
It’s a tough one.
For nomading and working remotely, I’d say Mexico. Shout out to Co.404, the best coliving if you’re ever in Mexico.
For budget backpacking, it would be India or Thailand.
If we’re talking only Europe, Spain has the most going for it in terms of cost, hiking, and people.
Travel is full of highs and lows. It’s a rollercoaster baby. It’s not always what it looks like on Insta. If you’re having a shitty time, don’t feel like you’re a failure – tomorrow will be better. You’re perhaps not in the right place. Move hostels, move to a new destination, approach other travellers – it’ll get better. It just takes one nice interaction to pick you back up.
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