Each month, we like to showcase someone from the Wild Bum community. This month, as our Guide Architect of the Month feature, we are introducing you to Jessica Springer! She is the gal behind Well Planned Adventures, and avid traveler, and an amazing member of this community! We can’t wait for you to get to know her better in the questions below.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am a Michigander born and raised and currently live in Southwest Michigan. I work full time in healthcare marketing and public relations which is definitely a dream job for me. When I’m not traveling I love exploring local wineries and breweries, hanging at the beach, working on projects around the house, or spending time with my friends, husband, and mini golden-doodle, Wrigley.
What type of traveler are you and what would you say is your travel style?
If my blog name doesn’t give it away, I am a type-A traveler to the core. One of my favorite parts about traveling is spending time researching my destination and crafting a detailed itinerary. I always joke that I’m more of a trip taker than a vacation person and am always on the go and trying to cram in as much fun and adventure as possible no matter where I’m heading. I’ll get better at relaxing one of these days I promise!
Where have you been? Where has been your favorite place?
For the most part my travels to date have been in the U.S. aside from a couple
Caribbean cruises. I truly think our country has so many beautiful places to explore and I hope to visit all 50 states one day. So far, my favorite place to travel is hands down Hawaii. We first visited Maui and Oahu on our honeymoon and fell head over heels for the islands. We went back a couple years ago to Maui and Kauai, and had a third trip planned that sadly had to be cancelled due to COVID. But we’ll definitely be back again soon!
Why did you decide to become a Guide Architect for Wild Bum?
I love Wild Bum’s mission which encourages people to get out and explore. Since I still work full time, it’s so important to me to use my time off and make the most of my weekends. Being an enneagram 3, type-A planner to the core, I also love how Wild Bum makes travel easier for people. My blog’s mission is “I do the research so you don’t have to” and I think Wild Bum aligns so well with that idea.
What guides have you created? Do you have any upcoming guides we can look forward to?
So far I have created guides for Maui, Traverse City, and Mackinac Island – some of my favorite places from my own travels. I have some fun trips coming up the next few months to Gatlinburg, Savannah, and Pictured Rocks/Marquette which I hope to put together new guides for.
Check out all of Jessica’ Wild Bum travel guides right here.
How have you stayed inspired during this time where travel has not been as accessible?
I would have to say my camera! I love documenting my travel memories and being’
able to look back at the photos and videos for years to come. Having a place to capture and share all my adventures is one of the main reasons I decided to start my blog so I wouldn’t get very far on my trip without snapping a few photos.
What is one thing you can’t travel without?
This past year has definitely inspired me to explore more locally. When you’re not
always looking to book your next flight out it causes you to get creative with what’s right in front of you. I really enjoyed being able to discover new hikes or breweries within my hometown I may have never had the time to visit otherwise. We also took more road trips to some of our favorite spots in Michigan, like Traverse City and Petoskey, and hit the slopes more than we ever have before this past winter. One thing I always try to tell people is “travel” doesn’t always have to be extravagant. I like to instead refer to it as “adventure” which to me is just getting out and trying something new.
What is something you enjoy about being part of the Wild Bum community?
Through Wild Bum I’ve been able to connect with several other guide architects who all share my same passion for traveling. I think it’s such a fun community of people who are willing to offer tips and advice and share their own travel experiences. Even if you don’t travel to the same locations, or have the same interests as someone, I think you can still learn a lot and adapt it to your own style which is what I appreciate about this group.
We are all about inspiring people to get out there and travel, use time-off to explore, and find their wild.
Tell us, when do you feel the most “wild”?
I feel the most wild out on the trails. Since I began traveling more regularly I have discovered a love for hiking. My husband and I will often try to incorporate two or three hikes on our trips and it just makes me feel so relaxed to be out in nature, breathing in the fresh air, and spending time together pushing ourselves both physically and mentally. I also love how each hike is unique depending on where you’re traveling and let’s not forget about those views along the way!
If you haven’t already, be sure to read this post or this one to meet a couple more awesome Guide Architects that are part of our travel community.
