I grew up in San Diego and spent most of my early twenties convinced that real travel — the kind worth posting about, worth actually doing — was for people with more money than me. Turns out I was wrong, and figuring that out became the whole thing.

"I just started sharing what I was actually doing — the free beach spots, the $8 lunches, the trails nobody talks about. People kept asking where to find more of it."

What started as sharing my own weekend plans turned into a TikTok account, then an Instagram, then over 100K people on one platform and 124K+ on another. Not because I traveled to the most exotic places, but because I made California feel possible for people who thought they couldn't afford it.

My niche is specific on purpose. Budget travel in California — the free museums, the permit strategies for national parks, the PCH stops that don't show up on every top-10 list. I cover what I know because I've actually been there, tracked the prices, and done the math.

The guides came because people kept asking for everything in one place. The TikToks kept growing because apparently a lot of people feel exactly like I did — that travel should be theirs too, not just aspirational content to scroll past.

If you're a brand that wants to be part of honest, specific, California-rooted travel content — let's talk. If you're just here to plan your next trip — grab a guide, it'll save you hours.