We’re so excited to introduce Project Bly’s newest writer, Chelsea Batten. Photographer, journalist and nomad, Chelsea currently calls a ’93 Jeep Cherokee home, and brings you stories about travelers, adventurers and doers across the globe; most of which are written on the road. Read more about Chelsea below in her own words.
Growing up in southern California, my family was the envy of friends and relatives for living in the “perfect place.” So it was with confusion, consternation and, ultimately, resignation that my parents regarded my determination to travel the world. Starting with a month in Buenos Aires (where my eagerness to learn tango was looked askance by my missionary hosts), I made my way with more enthusiasm than common sense through France, Austria, Scotland, Mexico, Italy, the Netherlands, and Uganda.
Chelsea, and her jeep, “The General”
In 2008, I finally came home to roost in the US, intending to build a life and career in New York City. Only a few short months later, it occurred to me that I knew very little about the United States between the coasts. Thus came the untimely end of the New York City plan. (Full disclosure: I wasn’t sorry to leave it.)
These days, I travel around North America in a ’93 Jeep Cherokee, seeking out the extraordinary stories of seemingly ordinary people. From an Appalachian country dance in Asheville, Nc. to a Deadhead gathering in Marin County…from a house full of circus performers in Phoenix, Az. to an enclave of Colombians living in Quebec…I’ve found that the most amazing stories are the ones hiding under cover of daily life.
Here at Project Bly, I’ll be bringing you these stories each week from like-minded world travelers who prefer the road less traveled by. You’ll find profiles of photographers and chefs, yoga teachers and nonprofit workers, expats and nomads, and everyone in between. People with passions and projects that highlight the vibrant daily life of cities around the world.
Join us as we explore the world one street at a time. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, or send us a tip on a great story that we should cover.
Project Bly is a website built on the philosophy that to know a city, one must wander its streets.
