Beauty in a backpack

02/06/2023

16/05/2023

A few from Tolu and Coveñas on Colombias Caribbean coast 🏖❤️

Slow travel takes you to the world's most beautiful places
and gives you the time to capture the moment ✨️👐🏽

15/05/2023

A few from Tolu and Coveñas on Colombias Caribbean coast📸🏖

Slow travel takes you to the world's most beautiful places and gives you the time to capture the moment ✨️❤️

13/05/2023

Where you'd find me after a 3 hour day volunteering at the stunning eco lodge in San Rafael, Colombia🇨🇴

Want to travel more? Here's some SLOW TRAVEL TIPS inspired by days spent at the Ritmo Rio (Save and Share📍)

🌱TRAVEL MORE BY TRAVELLING LESS. Spend more days with rivers, mountains, in parks and nature. Not at tourist attractions that will blow your $$$. When you spend more time with nature, you realise how much you've been neglecting it👐🏽

🌱 VOLUNTEER. I've said it before, I'll say it again, volunteering abroad is the best way to travel. Contributing to a good cause, making connections, and saving you $$$ on accommodation! The links in my bio will give you access to discounts on and my best platforms for finding volunteering opportunities and get involved with local projects 👐🏽

🌱 Start a conversation with a local, smile at people, get to know them, and they'll more than likely want to show you more of their life. I've been offered rooms, taken for meals, and found volunteering opportunities. Purely off putting myself out there and the kindness of locals 👐🏽

🌱 Be open to anything. There's no right or wrong way to see the world (or to live life). But when we slow down to the pace of nature, we get to appreciate more about our destinations👐🏽

No struggling against the current, stop rushing around. Start flowing with your destinations, like the river🏞 🩱🌱

25/04/2023

Today, I started a volunteering position at an eco-lodge in the Antioquian region of Colombia❤️! In exchange for 3 hours a day on their farm, you are provided a comfy bed and use of the facilities, including a ping pong table, hammocks, and WiFi🙌🏽

The work is in weeding, planting vegetables, teaching English to the staff, and making compost.

They have a meal plan for 3 meals a day you pay roughly £6!

Getting close to nature, connecting with like-minded people, and a day that finishes by 11.30am- what says simplicity more than that?

I love volunteering on eco-friendly and alternative projects across the world. It's the best way to learn, play, connect, and see the world 🌎 👐🏽

If you're interested, please see the links in my bio for Workaway and Worldpackers memberships! Happy to answer any questions in the comments 🙏🏽

20/04/2023

🐌 Slow down and savour each new sight. Let your journey unfold, not just take flight.

Travel slow and let time be your friend. This is life, not just a trend.

What stories do the locals have to share? What lessons and people are waiting out there?

Hear the whispers of the wind, feel the sun on your skin. Notice each passing cloud, and the beauty within.

Why rush through life or travel in haste? When the best moments are found at a slower pace.

Embrace the journey, let it unfold, with each step, a new story to be told ✨️

📍Viewpoint above Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹

14/04/2023

"Lost in the beauty of Lake Titicaca 💙🌅

Ventured off the beaten path in Puno, a tourist hub in Peru, and discovered the hidden gem of Llachon. A small village that feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of Peruvian city life.

Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, this little community offers a glimpse into traditional Peruvian culture and a way of life that's deeply connected to nature 🌿🏞️

From learning about ancient farming techniques with my host to feasting on delicious locally-sourced food, every moment spent in Llachon was a true delight.

If you're looking for an authentic travel experience that will leave you feeling recharged and inspired, visit Llachon✨

12/04/2023

Happy places 💚🌿

🇨🇴

05/04/2023

"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature."- Steve Maraboli

📍Maracas lookout- Port of Spain, Trinidad 🇹🇹

🇹🇹

20/03/2023

💛Today is international happiness day! What does happiness look like to you?💛

✨️For me, it means having perspective. It means looking at the good and bad situations I find myself in and looking at them through different perspectives to see what I can learn from them. It means riding the waves of life with trust. As this is also the week that lockdown in India started 3 years ago, just as I started travelling around the world, I think about perspective A LOT.

✨️I think about that time and what seemed to be the worst situation ever, ended up being the start of me becoming the best version of myself. How I didn't take the fear perspective, which allowed India to teach me what happiness means - simplicity, trust, and living for today.

✨️On every and anything in life, we will all have a different view. Many of us think we know 'whats what' and limit ourselves from seeing all the other perspectives that exist. If we can be a little more open to other perspectives, we can choose how we see things, create trust, and limit all those fears and anxieties.

✨️Having the freedom of mind to see things for what they 'could be' instead of what we think they are, I believe, creates space for more lessons, more growth, and more happiness 😊 💛🙏🏽




📍Gocta Waterfall, Peru November 2022

16/02/2023

Hello everyone! My latest blog is up on Beautyinabackpack.com :)

It's been a year since I quit my job to travel and volunteer abroad. Celebrations are in order here in Trinidad and Tobago, with the annual carnival season afoot. So I thought I'd celebrate a year on the road with a post to share with you all.

In this post, I share the lessons that have come since I took a leap into the unknown. I've spent 6 months travelling around Europe, 6 weeks camping through Scotland and the last 5 months travelling around South America where I intend to stay for the foreseeable!

Please read and enjoy, I appreciate any comments and shares.

Thank you my loves! xx

https://beautyinabackpack.com/quit-my-job-to-travel/

I'm Sophia Howard- In 2022, I handed in my notice and quit my job to travel. One year later, I'm still travelling and volunteering full time.

09/02/2023

I am soft and strong
'Normal' and weird
An introverted extrovert

I am creative and structured
Comfortable and curious
Stubborn and easygoing
I am fiercely ambitious
And humbly grateful

A free spirit floating through life
A lost child, still figuring it all out.

And still unapologetically myself

I have answers
And even more questions.
I smile. I cry.
Riding all the waves of life.
The highs and the lows

Because there's always more to learn.

I'm a perfect mess in a crazy world. Embracing everything about myself, flaws, and all.

Because we are not what other people think. We are never one thing.

We are simply multidimensional beings✨️

18/01/2023

🤣

15/01/2023

In 2023, I hope more people can finally discover the joys and personal growth that comes with stepping into the unknown and exploring the world. Make 2023 your year of choosing yourself, of choosing joy today and making your travel dreams a reality.

January blues kicking in? Do you want to travel more in 2023? The slow travel mindset lets us turn our travel dreams into reality.

19/12/2022

New on the blog! My "Guide to Slow Travel Bulgaria" with low European prices, quirky hostels, charming towns and ample nature, enjoy these 8 ideas to experience slow travel in Bulgaria. Plus favourite places to eat and volunteering opportunities!

https://beautyinabackpack.com/slow-travel-bulgaria/

A comprehensive guide to slow travel Bulgaria and experience the Bulgarian way of life. Discover Bulgaria with these 8 enchanting experiences

01/12/2022

Being intentional is the essence of slow living, meaning anyone can practice it🌱

The last 10 months of travel have shown me that slow living is about getting clear on the priorities of our hearts before our heads. Slow living prioritises the joy of now over the anxieties of tomorrow, as the heart only knows today.

Letting go of fear allowed me to create the joy of waking up slowly, connecting with myself and nature over a morning coffee in South America. Which easily trumps a thriving career, jumping on early meetings or dreading Monday mornings.

Slow living will look different for each of us, it is a path that leads to joy and gratitude. Whether you call it la dolce vita, minimalism, hedonism, or slow living, being intentional about the way we live life costs us nothing but intentionality. ✨️🙏🏽

06/11/2022

For my 29th birthday, I hiked the 2-day inca trail to Machu Picchu ⛰️ 🙌🏽🥳 Starting at 104km on the Aguas calientes train line, this trail is shorter than the well known 4-day inca trail and easier to arrange, so perfect for intermediate&spontaneous backpackers like me. Luckily I found arranged my entrace tickets to Machu Picchu despite them being sold out online 🙏🏽🎉 (panic over😅)

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝) 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:

(Save & Share for later📍)

𝟷. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱.
𝟸. 𝘏𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴=𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭! 𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺(𝘴) 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 (𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩🙈)
𝟹. 𝘓𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴, 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦.
𝟺. W𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝟻𝟶+ 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘗, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘏𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦.
𝟻. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘗 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘰, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴!
𝟼. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘶 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘤𝘩𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥.
𝟽. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 $𝟹𝟺𝟶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝟸 𝘥𝘢𝘺 (𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦) 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 $𝟸-𝟺𝟶𝟶 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱.

Still a must-see in Peru, one of the most beautiful birthday weeks ever! ❤️ 🥳

Sophia Howard shared a post on Instagram: "For my 29th birthday, I hiked the 2-day inca trail to Machu Picchu ⛰️ 🙌🏽🥳 Starting at 104km on the Aguas calientes train line, this trail is shorter than the well known 4-day inca trail and easier to arrange, so perfect for intermediate&spontan...

06/11/2022

Chapter 29 starts in Peru🇵🇪🥳

What a year its been!🙃 Since my last birthday, I've taken some big steps to recreate my life. Safe to say the last year has been one of the best yet 🙌🏽💛

From quitting my job, to volunteering around Europe for 6 months, camping in Scotland for 6 weeks and taking the leap towards my dream to slow travel South America👐🏽💃🏽 Its been a year of laughter, facing fears, greater confidence and taking life less seriously. This year I learnt to let go of a lot mental and physical clutter, to laugh along the journey and enjoy the ride- even in moments of doubt! My intention is to contine to create a more simple, playful life and enjoy more of my todays before waiting for happiness tomorrow🙏🏽

Thank you for all the lovelyyy birthday messages, I'm grateful for all the wonderful people I've met, friendships that have blossomed and the adventures chapter 28 has taken me on. Excited to see where the next one leads 🥳🙌🏽💕

13/08/2022

Views from my tent
A pen, paper and I
Flowing in silence
With the Scottish violet sky💜☮️

18/07/2022

How to live the life you want? My answer is in SIMPLIFYING✨️

This year I decided to stop wasting energy worrying about tomorrow's. I started living for today and left my job, started volunteering abroad and backpacked around Europe for 6 months🎒🌎 I'm now camping in Scotland (in 27degrees heat) and its safe to say its been some of the best 6 months of my life 🙌🏽 💜
And I have no intention of stopping anytime soon!

Slow down, spend less, give more (not in a monetary sense, give whatever you can)- such as volunteering while travelling, join workaway via link in profile and get one month free!

And its no easy ride, but one you wont regret, simplifying is a process of letting go. Let go of anything that drains you from being the best version of you. Be it friends, jobs, worries, partners ETC and watch how simply joyful your life becomes ✨️

12/06/2022

Slow and solo travelling in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This colourful old city won the European capital of culture in 2019 and is a feast for all street art and culture lovers. Plovdiv is also the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, and in the world's 10 oldest cities still in existence today.

Soaking in its rich history, I had such a beautiful time here. Slowly strolling the streets, eating delicious foods and exploring the 7 surrounding hills that give beautiful views of the city.

📌Not to be missed, save and share for your future travels! And do not miss the

📍Top restaurant recommendation:
📍Hostel I stayed in: 2*
✨️ Best moment: connecting with locals and travellers for hours in a Bulgarian tavern and being treated to a free chocolate and salted caramel cheesecake!🙌🏽🍰

31/05/2022

Only thing better than solo travelling is when you link up with the girls👯🏾‍♀️👯🏾‍♀️💜 Throwback to Budapest📍 for birthday in April🥳 Laughter and enjoyment is our language- had the bestt time with my sisters 😅💞💃🏽

?

04/04/2022

Smiles and new heights in the Medieval capital of Bulgaria-Veliko Tarnovo🇧🇬🌺. Cannot recommend this town enough for anyone visiting diverse country! 🙌🏽💞

And yes I love greeeen 🌱✨️

17/03/2022

"If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the sixties, that's their problem. Love and peace are eternal" 💜

Someone said I'm giving off John Lennon hippy vibes in this photo😂. It made my day because I'm all about peace and love👐🏽☮️