Interview with Andi Perullo of My Beautiful Adventures

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another inspiring interview. This week we are proud to feature Andi Perullo of My Beautiful Adventures. Andi was born with a gypsy spirit and takes every opportunity to travel and experience all the world has to offer. She is currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina where she practices Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her next adventure - getting married in Argentina next May! We hope you enjoy the interview and welcome further comments and questions below.

GO!: Lets start with a brief introduction. Who are you, where are you, and what are you doing?

Andi: My name is Andrea, though everyone calls me Andi. Currently, I am living in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, whenever someone asks me, “Where are you from?,” without hesitation I respond that I am a citizen of the world. Since I began traveling almost a decade ago I have left a piece of my heart in over 40 countries and will continue to do so until I have visited every single country, thus I truly believe the entire world is my home. When I am not traveling, I am busy treating patients in my Wellness Center, as I am a Chinese Medicine Doctor, which is my other great passion in life.

GO!: When and how did you get hooked on travel?

Andi: My Mom loves to say that I came out of her 2 weeks early with a suitcase in my hand, ready to see the world! While it is true that as a young girl I loved exploration, in reality the trip that sparked my obsession with traveling was 7 years ago and it was to China. As soon as I stepped off the plane and witnessed how different and amazing life is on the other side of the world, I have been consumed by the desire to travel ever since and it has now become a lifestyle.

GO!: Where have your travels taken you so far?

Andi: As previously mentioned, I have visited over 40 countries. I have stepped foot on 6 of the 7 continents, the last one remaining being Antarctica, which is #1 on my dream destination list. It is impossible for me to choose a favorite destination, but I will say that my top 5 favorite countries are: Argentina, South Africa, Australia, China, and Cuba…oh and of course I cannot forget about Brasil (a country I would love to move to one day)!

GO!: What advice do you have for female travelers who want to travel alone?

Andi: Follow your intuition, which will only get stronger with each trip you take. The only time I did not follow my intuition was in India and I ended up having a horrible experience. I left that experience not so much angry at what had happened, rather angry with myself for not listening to my gut. Other than that, I say enjoy yourself and do not be fearful of the unknown. Being scared is a waste of energy and you will miss out on some of the best experiences of your life.

GO!: Have your friends and family been supportive of your lifestyle choices?

Andi: Unfortunately, when I first started traveling I did not have much support from my friends and family. They viewed traveling as a way of escaping reality and a waste of money. Despite their opinions, I kept on following my heart and have not regretted the path I chose for one second. The more trips I took the more friends I made along the way who also loved to travel. Now I have surrounded myself with fellow travelers and we support each other in any way that we can. My family, on the other hand, does not necessarily support me, but they have learned to accept me. I did just return from an overseas trip with my brother and it seems he might have now caught the travel bug!

GO!: How did you get started in Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Andi: When I was 14 years old, I battled some serious health problems. After trying unsuccessfully everything that Western Medicine had to offer, my Mom convinced me to try Chinese Medicine, since she had been hearing positive things about it. I was very reluctant, however I tried it and after that first session I knew that this powerful medicine was not only going to help me, which it did, but also that it was my life’s calling. I wanted to give back to the world, what this medicine had given me. In College, I studied Asian Studies and learned to speak Chinese. After I graduated I went straight into Graduate School to become a Chinese Medicine Doctor. It is a 4 year, year-round program. I also briefly studied in China as well. There are a lot of hurdles that I have to jump over daily due to practicing a medicine in a society that by and large has not fully accepted yet, although I welcome the challenge!

GO!: You run a successful blog at MyBeautifulAdventure.com. Can you tell us a little more about this site, how it got started, and what your goals are?

Andi with her fiance in Argentina.

Andi: I started MBA about 2 years ago after my friends kept begging me to write about my travels. I knew that I was not ready to write a book (I would like to in the future), but I was inspired to start a blog. I am a religious follower of other travel blogs and I had noticed that there are many out there that focus on the art of traveling or that act as guides to places. And while I cherish these blogs, I wanted to differentiate myself by writing about my own personal experiences while on the road.

I named my blog “My Beautiful Adventures,” since my trips seemed to filled with one after another. While most adventures have trying moments, in the end each of them are simply beautiful. Adventures enrich our lives and teach us about our true selves, since they are an undertaking usually involving unknown risks and challenges that lead to unforgettable experiences. My life is filled with one beautiful adventure after another and I believe that blogging is the best way for me to account for them and to share them with others.

GO!: What does the future hold for you?

Andi: I am actually in the midst of planning an international wedding either in Brasil or Argentina for next May! Like most travelers, I fell in love with a foreigner on one of my trips. After 5 years of intercontinental dating, my Argentinean fiancé and I are ready to be together in 1 place. I am very excited to finally finish planning the wedding, so that I can focus on the best part of getting married (besides being with the love of my life), planning the honeymoon! We are going to be going to Fernando de Noranha, which is an island off the coast of Brasil known for its exotic beaches and pristine reef system. It is such a gem to Brasilians that they only let a certain number of people onto the island daily.

Also, in October I am going to Argentina to visit my fiancé and I am hoping to stop in Santiago and Easter Island on the way there. I have never been to Chile before and look forward to visiting a new country.

GO!: Famous last words?

Andi: Follow you heart always and you will never make a wrong choice!