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Kesi To and Fro

Long-Term Travel Expert | Travel Further & Deeper

Years of Saving Money for A RTW Trip

Years Traveling the World

Countries visited

%

of the world traveled

Who is Kesi To and Fro?

Kesi is an Ivy League grad who quit her NYC, finance job in 2015 to travel the world. She left behind her Soho apartment, and started a life of unknown adventure. The mission of this blog is to teach nomads how to sustain long term travel, inspire people to travel to less frequented destinations, and to connect travelers with local people and experiences. Come along for the ride and #FollowTheFro

More About My Story

Want To Travel With Kesi?

Come and #FollowTheFro to tick off major bucket list items: 1) Visiting Antarctica and 2) Gorilla Trekking In Uganda!

Antarctica Group Trip

Follow The Fro to Gorilla Trekking

7-Day Tour in Uganda

Off The Beaten Path Adventures

Read about my favorite travels below and find more destinations here.

Gorilla Trekking in DRC

Largest Lava Lake in the World in the Congo

Homestay at a Maasai Village in Tanzania

What is Kesi To and Fro about?

Recent Posts

Gorilla Trekking Packing List – Know What to Wear [2021]

Gorilla Trekking Packing List – Know What to Wear [2021]

Grabr Review – How I’ve Made $1000s While Traveling The World

Grabr Review – How I’ve Made $1000s While Traveling The World

Grabr Review – How I’ve Made $1000s While Traveling The World

Grabr Review – How I’ve Made $1000s While Traveling The World

Instagram Feed

Follow @KesiToandFro on Instagram for current travel adventures

kesitoandfro

Ivy Grad. Quit Wall Street to See the World
5+ years
60+ countries
Authentic.LongTerm.Local.Travel
👩🏽‍🍳@iamnot.a.chef
👩🏽‍💻@journeytobeatravelblogger

CHEERS TO 2020 - ONE OF MY FAVORITE YEARS Yes.

CHEERS TO 2020 - ONE OF MY FAVORITE YEARS

Yes. You read that correctly. As a #highwestpartner, I am happy to celebrate 2020 with my Old Fashioned cocktail.

I know it's an unpopular opinion. Let me explain why.

It's similar to why Mozambique is my favorite country. I had awful experiences in Mozambique - I was hospitalized for a night, the road conditions were the worst, & it was uncomfortable & took FOREVER to get anywhere. Yet, all of these experiences were a part of the adventure, making it memorable & more rewarding once reaching a beautiful destination.

2020 presented a lot of challenges, but it’s a year I’ll never forget. I have adapted & appreciate this year.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE 2020 IN ONE WORD?

For me, it’s growth.

🔸Professional Growth: My summer job, which was my main source of income for the past 4 years, was canceled. I'm grateful since it forced me to pivot & now I'm a full-time travelprenuer. It’s scary, yet I've gained a lot of momentum. I’ve sold 45 spots to 2 group trips (Antarctica & Uganda) & I work w/brands I support, like @drinkhighwest

🔸 Personal Growth: My life of travel was forced to stop. This meant that I spent quality time (3 months quarantine) w/my family & it made me realize how important family is. I want to prioritize making my own in the future.

🔸 Mental Growth: My mental health was at a low after George Floyd's death. But I also found my voice and it resonates with others. I’ve engaged in difficult conversations surrounding race, and after 30 years, I finally own my Blackness.

So yes – 2020 is one of my favorite years b/c I've been given the chance to grow and gain new perspectives. But please don't let all years be so challenging.

IS ANYONE ELSE GIVING A CHEERS TO 2020?

#hwbottledcocktail #barreledbyHW #for21

(P.S - @drinkhighwest makes pre-made old fashioneds and manhattans. I love these cocktails but only order them when I'm at a bar, but now I can enjoy them at home ☺️🥂)

#followthefro

RANDOM THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT HUNGARY [Save t

RANDOM THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT HUNGARY
[Save this post if you learn a new fact]

After living in Budapest and exploring other parts of Hungary for 3 months there are a couple of quirks I've learned about Hungarians.

1. Lots of Hungarians have the same name. There is an official list of pre-approved names and parents must name their kids using one of the names on this list. (You have to apply to use a different name)

2. Hungarians put their surname name first. I would be Irvin Kesi.

3. Jaywalking is not a thing. I used to live in NYC, so I'm used to crossing the street whenever, but in Budapest, everyone waits until the pedestrian light is green. Even if there are no cars, people wait.

4. Talking or waving to strangers is odd. Since I've been a solo traveler for a long time, I have conditioned myself to interact with strangers. When I wave or say hi to a stranger in Hungary, I am rarely acknowledged, and met with a stare (especially outside of Budapest)

5. Women and human rights still have a ways to go. My Hungarian girlfriends have told me that employers can state that they will pay women less since they most likely will have babies 🤯. Also recently Hungary banned gay adoption. 🤯🤯. It's disappointing to see things go backward.

7. On Easter men spray women with water or perfume. Traditionally a bucket of water would be dumped on a woman.

8. Hungarian is one of the hardest languages and is derived from the Huns, so it's not similar to other European languages.

9. The rubik's cube was invented in Hungary.

10. The government cares a lot about football and spends a lot of money to support football and stadiums. When Hungarian borders closed in September due to covid, the government made an exception that allowed football fans to come to a league final in Budapest.

Did you know any of these facts? Which fact surprises you the most?

#followthefrohungary
#hungary
#budapest
#chainbridge
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#hungary🇭🇺 #visithungary #visitbudapest #budapesthungary #budapestgram #budapest🇭🇺 #explorehungary #explorebudapest #travelbudapest #hungarytravel #hungaryfacts #expatlife #chainbridgebudapest #gltlove #ig_hungary #ig_budapest

I LOVE LIVING AN UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE Most things

I LOVE LIVING AN UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE

Most things about my life are unconventional:

🧦 My personal statement that got me into the Wharton School of UPenn was about my love for colorful socks.

🛋️ I left a great job and beautiful apartment in Soho NYC to live out of a backpack and sleep on couches and hostels

🧑🏾‍🍳 I graduated with a business degree, yet I financially supported myself for the past 5 years by cooking on boats.

AND
👩🏽‍🤝‍👨🏼 I moved into an apartment with a boy I liked, even though we have never lived in the same city, and we weren't officially boyfriend/girlfriend

Fun Fact: @alex.wkt asked me to be his girlfriend the day I arrived in Budapest, even though we already planned to sign a 10-month lease together.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO MOVE IN WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER?

The first day you become official?!

We've been living together for 3 months and.... it's been great!

Obviously, I had a lot to learn. Traveling solo around the world for such a long time has made me very independent. I'm used to making decisions for myself only, but now I have to consider someone else. That's an adjustment I'm still adapting to, but it's been getting easier.

Also, in the beginning, there were more fights, which is natural when first sharing space with someone else. But we have figured out what things can be annoying and have built a stronger bond.

I am 💯 happy that I have settled down in Budapest and moved in with my boyfriend.

When I was living in NYC I had all these unwritten rules regarding dating, and probably wouldn't move in with someone unless I was close to being engaged. Traveling has given me a different mindset when it comes to sharing spaces and the only way I was moving to a new city to be with a boy was if we were living together. GO BIG OR GO HOME!

This photo is from an impromptu date night. We visited Fisherman Bastion for sunset and I forced Alex to take a "couples" photo with me. The second photo was taken by accident, but I love it.

3 months down, 7 more months to go living together in Budapest. 🙌🏽

Share an unconventional part of your life on the comments.

#followthefro
#fishermansbastion
#budapest
#hungary

MY ROMANCE TIMELINE 🔸'04: 1st kiss @ 14. He

MY ROMANCE TIMELINE

🔸'04: 1st kiss @ 14. He became my bf.

🔸'06: Goal - lose my virginity to my bf. We tried and couldn't get it to work. Eventually, we broke up & I was still a virgin.

🔸'08-12: UPenn, my college years, consisted of many crushes but I was single the entire time. I was jealous of people in relationships.

🔸'12-'15: NYC living=casually dating many men @ the same time that don't want to commit. There was an underlying societal pressure to date someone "successful", so I dated mostly lawyers, finance guys & entrepreneurs. Fun fact - I dated the founder of Venmo. Note: The 1st guy I was in love w/ghosted me. It took 1.5 years to get over. To this day, I never got closure & have no idea why he ghosted me.

🔸'15: You know that meme "Quit your job, buy a ticket, get a tan, fall in love, never return"? I was 25 & making my way through that list. I envisioned that traveling would be like a romance movie & figured if I found the right guy I would follow him wherever. That magical moment never happened, but traveling broadened the types of guys I would date.

🔸'16: I realized that a nomad lifestyle was not conducive to relationships. Enter my wanderslut phase - fully exploring my options as a young, free-spirit & "collecting passport stamps" w/men from various countries. As a solo traveler, I felt no judgments & gained a lot of confidence approaching men I found attractive. (Note: Spanish & German men were my favorite)

🔸'17: A bad event took place, that made me lose all sexual desire for over a year.

🔸 '18: I am 28 and still have never had a serious boyfriend. Does this mean something is wrong with me? I did meet a cute, German skipper

🔸'20: Moved to Budapest w/a boyfriend!

It took 30 years to be in a committed relationship, but it was worth the wait. Was anyone else forever single like me? Also, which country has the most attractive men/women?

TRAVEL TIP TUESDAY - USE TINDER AS A SOLO TRAVELER

TRAVEL TIP TUESDAY - USE TINDER AS A SOLO TRAVELER
[ Save + Share]

Tinder and other dating apps are a great way to make new connections while traveling.

I have used Tinder countless times when I'm looking for someone to explore with. I don't go on the app looking to date or hook up

I use tinder to:
🔸 Find someone to adventure with if I don't feel like being solo
🔸Share a meal or grab a beer
🔸Ask for travel tips on what to do. I've matched with other backpackers who have can give tips or locals who know the area well.
🔸Entertain myself if I feel lonely.
🔸Make friends if I'm new to a city and not staying somewhere social like a hostel

Tips To Use Tinder to Find Travel Buddies:
🔸Instead of sending lots of messages, I'm quick to ask to hang out right away. Be upfront and say you want a travel bud or looking to have someone to get breakfast with. I usually get along with spontaneous people.
🔸 Nowadays many IG accounts are attached to tinder so you can stalk and try to guess the person's vibe before committing to hanging out. (I have a pretty high tolerance for people, and get along with almost anyone).
🔸Don't just swipe based on looks. Swipe if the person looks like fun. (I tend to gravitate towards people who are big travelers)
🔸Some apps like Bumble, have a looking for friends section.

If there happens to be added chemistry, that's a plus, but honestly rarely happens for me and everything is strictly friendly.

Does anyone else use Tinder to find travel buddies? Or any Tinder love stories from traveling?

(P.S - I've used Tinder once as a hookup app, and that was a pretty good experience too 🤷🏽‍♀️😘...but that's a story for another day)

#followthefro
#traveltiptuesday
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#borabora #frenchpolynesia #ladiesgoneglobal #worldnomads #travellingthroughtheworld
#travellerspath #packedforgood #orbitzpic #expediapic #bestplacestogo #solofemaletravel
#schooloftravel #thetravelwomen #globelletravels #citizenfemme #treadedtravels #gltlove #backpackwithme #exploreborabora #femaletravelbloggers #backpackersworld #watchthisinstagood #thebest_capture #exploretocreate #travelnoire #blacktravelfeed #traveltips #solotraveltips

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