Hey there! I’m Kristen—the wanderer, writer, and photographer behind Travels and Treats, a San Francisco-based travel and lifestyle blog full of adventure, food, and all of the things that make life fun and fabulous. My goal here is to show that there’s always a way to incorporate adventure and creativity into your busy life, whether you’re exploring on the other side of the world or spending the weekend at home.
Nothing gives me a rush like uncovering beautiful places, tasty restaurants, well-designed spaces, and local gems, and then being able to share it with the world so other people can experience it too. A few of my favorite things in life: Nordic & mid-century design, espresso, french fries, the concept of minimalism, wool socks, my camera, and people who are as easily-amused and sarcastic as I am.
That’s my TL;DR version. If you want more, here it is…
Where it all Began
I come from a family of Portuguese immigrants, so a deep-rooted, rich culture has been a part of my life since I was born, long before I recognized or acknowledged its existence. Portuguese culture wasn’t just my normal, it was the normal of my entire community in the small, Central California farm town where I grew up. It wasn’t until I left my comfort bubble, went to college and experienced true diversity, that I realized what a unique and rare upbringing I had.
My desire to see the world began when I started to plan my first study abroad trip at age 19. A summer college program in Spain forever changed me—as cliche as that may sound—and I haven’t been the same person since. My eyes were opened to a world (literally) of possibilities, people, and places, and I’ve been on a mission to experience all of it ever since.
Photography has been my favorite way to express myself creatively for as long as I can remember. Since I was a small child, I was always that friend who everyone could count on to have a camera in her backpack to document the experience. Decades later, I’m still that girl.
As an adult, writing made an unexpected entrance into my life. I went to college planning to obtain a degree in accounting but came out a few years later with a degree in journalism. As with most things, it feels as if this path was laid out in front of me for a reason—writing was meant to play a prevalent role in my life.
How I got here today
In the months leading up to a trip, I spend hours and hours researching the destination in an attempt to grasp the depth of its history, understand the culture, and uncover the best things to do, see, and eat. One day I thought to myself, if I’m looking for this information then I’m sure others are too. My goal here at Travels and Treats is to provide other travelers with practical and valuable content—I do all of the work so you don’t have to.
What started as a private place to document my travels, has gratefully turned into a place where I’ve learned to embrace myself and the things I love in hopes of inspiring others to do the same. Launching this site was one of the more vulnerable and frightening things I’ve ever done, but the return has been more enriching than I could’ve ever imagined. I’ve met kind, genuine people from around the world, some of which have become real-life friends, and been exposed to incredible opportunities that would never have otherwise come my way.
Travels and Treats allows me to be creative while documenting and sharing the things that make me feel alive—exploring new places, experiencing foreign cultures, tasting new foods, and connecting with people around the world.
I leave you with one of my favorite inspirational quotes that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and motivated beyond words…
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask your self what makes you come alive. Then go out and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.
