Learn More About Me, and She Explores The USA!

Bonjour, I’m Ali. I’ve always been drawn to freedom and exploring new places. For 16 years, London was home. I loved the energy of the city, the freedom of being able to jump on a plane for a weekend away, and having Europe right on my doorstep. I traveled extensively during those years, visiting more than 40 countries and collecting experiences along the way.

Chasing Freedom, One Adventure at a Time

America had always been calling me. After years of exploring the world from my home base in London, I was ready for a new adventure. In 2013, I moved across the Atlantic and started my American chapter in New York. I loved the excitement of the city, but after one polar vortex winter, I knew freezing temperatures were not going to work for me long-term.

So I bought a one-way ticket to San Diego.

I didn’t know anyone there and didn’t have a job lined up. I packed my bags and my senior cat and moved to Southern California because I wanted a different kind of life. I wanted sunshine. I wanted the ocean, mountains, and deserts nearby. I wanted to be able to spend more time outdoors. San Diego gave me exactly that.

Finding the Outdoors

The funny thing is, I wasn’t always a hiker. If my friends in London had told me they were going backpacking in Wales, my immediate internal reaction would have been: why?!

I was always active, though. Before hiking became part of my life, I spent years street skating through London and New York with group skates, exploring cities on wheels, and even traveling around Europe for skating events.

I also loved walking and being outside, but moving to San Diego opened up a completely different world of outdoor adventures.

When I first visited the USA, I was actually much more interested in the cities than the national parks. On my first trip through the American West, places like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite didn’t have the same appeal they do now. I wanted Vegas and city life. (You can read more about that trip here.)

Living in California changed my perspective.

I started joining fitness groups and hiking groups to meet people and find new ways to spend time outdoors. One evening hike up Iron Mountain, with the sunset happening at the same time as the full moon rising, completely changed how I saw these places.

It wasn’t about conquering a mountain. It was about standing outside, surrounded by incredible scenery, and realizing there was a whole side of the USA I wanted to explore.

From there, hiking became something I kept coming back to.

Discovering Backpacking

Eventually, hiking led me to backpacking.

I wanted to reach places I couldn’t get to by car and experience landscapes beyond the usual viewpoints. There is something special about carrying everything you need, walking deeper into the wilderness, and setting up your own billion-star hotel for the night.

I’m not someone who needs a lot to be happy. Spending a few days with everything I need in a backpack is often simpler than coming home to a house full of things.

One of my long-term goals is to complete a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, and I hope to share that journey here when the time is right.

Exploring The USA

After exploring more than 40 countries around the world, I wanted to turn my attention to exploring the country I now call home. The incredible variety of landscapes, trails, and places across the United States gave me a whole new world to discover.

My goal is to visit all 50 states and all U.S. National Parks while discovering the trails, landscapes, and places that make each area unique.

The United States is incredibly diverse, from desert landscapes and cactus-filled skies to rainforests, coastlines, mountains, and wide-open spaces.

States I’ve Visited

National Parks

Visiting all U.S. National Parks is one of my biggest goals. Each park has its own personality, and I love seeing how different the landscapes are across the country.

So far, I’ve visited:

About She Explores The USA

I started She Explores the USA in 2021 as a way to share my photography and adventures. Over time, it grew into something much bigger: a resource for people planning their own trips.

Here you’ll find hiking guides, national park itineraries, adventure diaries, and gear recommendations based on the things I actually use.

I love finding gear that makes adventures better. Sometimes that means sharing the exact gear I own, and sometimes it means sharing what I would buy today if something I use has been discontinued.

Whether you’re looking for the best shoes for your next hike, ideas for a national park trip, or what gear to pack for an upcoming adventure, I hope this becomes a place you return to when planning your next adventure.

Photography & Prints

Photography has always been part of how I document the places I explore.

I love capturing dramatic landscapes, colorful sunsets, ocean views, reflections, forests, deserts, and the night sky. I’m especially drawn to beautiful light, whether that’s golden sunsets, moody weather, star-filled skies, or small details like water droplets on leaves.

My photography collection includes images from national parks, coastlines, and adventures throughout the USA.

A Few Things About Me

• Cat person forever. After losing my 20-year-old cat, I started fostering cats between adventures.
• Former street skater who spent years exploring London and New York on wheels.
• Tea over coffee.
• Happiest outside, especially when my billion-star hotel comes with a great view.
• Always looking for the next place to explore.

Thanks for following along as I continue exploring the USA, one trail, one road trip, and one wild place at a time.