I'm Zélie Pollon, a travel motivator, explorer, property investor, and award-winning journalist.
In late 2015 after the sudden death of my mother and the increased stress in my job, I decided that in order to save my health and spend more time with my son, I had to change my life. Radically. I left the country intending to travel for only a year. Five years later, and only because of COVID-19, we returned to the US. I came back a changed person. Travel had made my life better and richer, and had shown me how much the quality of one’s life and friendships could improve by moving abroad.
Over the years people have marveled at my lifestyle design and praised me not only for the way I created so much time for my son, but the incredible opportunities I’ve been able to show him. We’ve been diving with Manta Rays in Bali, rode camels in Egypt, and celebrated the Day of the Dead in Mexico. We’ve walked along the Mekong in Cambodia, climbed every step of the Eiffel Tower, marveled at the ruins of Machu Picchu, ate grasshoppers in Colombia and explored the amazing volcanic landscape of the Galapagos islands. Our life has been rich and my son has grown into a sensitive, aware, confident and caring young man.
With every post, we receive feedback from friends and admirers:
“You guys are the best! love to watch you enjoying life and the world!” “Who can keep up?” “You are a phenomenal mom, Zélie” “I wish I had known you back when I was a young mother. I would have tried to follow in your footsteps.”
Dozens upon dozens of friends have contacted me for guidance not only about travel but also on being a single mother. Almost all want to know how I do it. How am I able to travel as much as I do, showing my son Aiden the world and sharing our experiences over the years? Do I work? Am I independently wealthy? What about school? What about my son’s friends? Aren’t I afraid? How on earth do I this?
I love to share how I travel, but more than that I want to share WHY.
I travel because I see it as a critical means of combatting bigotry and small-mindedness. I see it as a way for children to learn about other cultures and people, religions and geographies. They learn about foods and environments, political systems and the many different ways we live our lives. I see it as a rich and fun way to build thoughtful, flexible and compassionate humans who are confident and easily interact with others. They are not afraid of difference and can build lifelong friendships across cultures and geographical boundaries. Sensitive and aware travel is one way I see to meet the challenges we face today (And there are so many challenges.). It is one way I see to build a more peaceful and kind world.
