ABOUT MISS ROVER

storyteller, photographer, and content creator

Hi, I'm Melissa! When I first started traveling and hiking, I had NO idea what I was doing. I didn't know what gear was best for my budget or how to find trails and areas to explore. I resorted to getting most of my inspiration off of Instagram. I quickly found that social media was not a very informative outlet and that often people wanted to keep places hidden and exclusive.

Travel blogs were so important in my journey of finding incredible places around the world to explore and learning about hiking safety like the Leave No Trace Principles. This desire for discovery continues to fuel me in creating information and content that is genuinely helpful and inspirational for your adventures.

Being able to share my travel experiences and inspire your next adventure is something I wake up grateful for everyday, but this did not happen overnight! I'm here to show you how to travel to the same places and how to elevate your travel photography to create beautiful memories of your adventures.

Start Exploring

ABOUT MISS ROVER

Storyteller, Photographer, and Content Creator

Start Exploring

My Story Starts in the Midwest

My Story Starts in the Midwest

I grew up in a one-stoplight town in rural Michigan with dreams of traveling, but with pressure from society to do the “normal” thing of going to school, getting married, buying a house. I got my Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy and joined the work force with massive student debt and smashed dreams. Two years into my 9-5, something snapped. I circled a day in my calendar and made plans to leave Michigan and head west to work as a travel occupational therapist.

So I quit my job, packed up my belongings in my small vehicle, and left Michigan where I had lived my whole life. Two months later, car camping across 11 states, I ended up in Washington. What was supposed to be a 3-month contract in Washington turned into 3 years. This is where I fell in love with the mountains. Washington will always have a piece of my heart, but my restless soul needed to move on to what was next...

After a series of heartbreak and bad dating experiences, I decided to move to Alaska regardless of whether work lined up. I knew I needed to prove to myself that I could make my own dreams happen without a partner by my side. I packed my car again and began my journey to Alaska, solo. I backpacked solo for the first time, saw at least 10 bears, 1 wolf, and 1 lynx on my road-trip and learned to love being with myself. I spent over 5 months living and working in Juneau, Alaska. Winter came through in Alaska and the daylight dwindled.

While my time in Alaska was incredible, it was time for sunshine. I couch surfed with friends back in Washington before deciding to head down to California to see what opportunities might be waiting for me there. I’m now currently residing in Northern California and finally made my dreams a reality and took the scary steps into full-time freelance blogging and photography.