About Me

Hi, I’m Anna, the storyteller behind Spin the Globe Project. I’m a dreamer with an appetite for adventure, and a passion for sustainability. Before trying my hand at farming, I backpacked around the globe solo, traveled in a van for 4 years, and lived in a remote off-grid house for 3 years.

I live with my husband Ryan, our baby River, rescue dogs and chickens on 35 acres in central Colorado. We are using our land to SLOWLY build a sustainable farmstead.

Spin the Globe Project is an ethical adventure travel & alternative lifestyle blog. It’s the place where I share travel, outdoor adventures, van life, off grid living, gardening, raising chickens, backpacking, and expat life tips and stories from the last decade living on 5 continents, visiting 50+ countries, and all 50 U.S. States.

How it all began…

Growing up with a single mom who was an Army nurse and MedEvac helicopter pilot, it was probably inevitable that I pursued a career that combined travel and humanitarian work. By the time I graduated from high school, I had attended 10 schools and was no stranger to the nomadic lifestyle.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability and Global Health in 2012, a few things were true about my life. I was more lost than ever, I felt relatively unqualified to start any type of job, and I had an itch to know more. So, I booked a one-way ticket to Australia to pursue a Master’s Degree in International Development. I graduated with a solidified passion for women’s and children’s rights, an internship at Save the Children and a life-changing month-long volunteer experience at a community development organization in Uganda under my belt.

I knew I wanted to make a positive difference in the world, but hadn’t fully worked out the “how.” I spent five years trying on professional titles at international organizations and non-profits like Sustainability Assistant, Project Support Officer, ESL Teacher, Executive Assistant, and Operations Associate.

Through cost-saving travel hacks, studying abroad, volunteering and working internationally, I had managed to backpack around Africa, South America, North America, Oceania, Europe, Asia and the Middle East on a budget. I crossed off and simultaneously added bucket-list items, taking me through Incan Ruins in the Andes, to the thin air on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, swimming with crocodiles in Australia, diving with giant Manta Rays in Thailand, and eventually working a “9-5” at an international nonprofit with headquarters in New York City.

I explored 6 continents and countless cultures, seeking growth, connections, and love. I fell for people and places, pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone, and occasionally stumbled into pessimistic lows about myself and humanity.

So, how did I go from being an international aid worker & frequent traveler to a full-time nomad in a van?

My decision can’t be attributed to one thing. It was a series of events, leading up to a dramatic moment when I could no longer ignore the fact that something needed to change. As an executive assistant to the CEO of an international non-profit, my job was emotionally draining and complex. I failed to create boundaries, and the job seeped into my personal life and took a very real toll on my health and mental well-being.

I burnt out at 26-years-old, after five long years of working in the nonprofit and international development sector.

Even though the diverse cultural melting pot of Manhattan was a dream come true, I needed a break from the rat race, I needed to do some soul searching, and I used this opportunity to jump into a new life.

On January 15th, 2017, I put in my two-weeks-notice, packed my backpack, and on February 1st, I hopped on a plane, Asia bound. I spent two months trekking my way through a Thai jungle, finding my zen inside the stones of ancient ruins in Cambodia, floating down the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, climbing The Great Wall in China, and marveling at marine life while learning how to scuba dive. Somewhere between the coral reefs and heart-to-hearts with fellow wanderers, I was inspired to pursue my passions of human rights, environmental conservation, traveling, and writing.

With nothing left to lose, I decided to build a career around a lifestyle I am passionate about. So, I bought and converted a Ford Transit cargo van. Then I hit the road in my new tiny home and slowly started learning how to leverage my skills and earn a remote income.

After traveling for a few months in my first DIY build, I felt called to go home to Arizona to work on my mom’s local political campaign. While there, I decided to completely remodel Casper the van, before hitting the road again.

While on the road the second time, I met my now husband (a fellow solo van lifer) and we began caravanning across the U.S. together. Check out my video about how we met and fell in love.

In 2020 we bought, renovated and lived in a remote off grid house for 3 years. Then a high risk pregnancy and the birth of our baby River pushed us to move closer to civilization to make our dreams come true on a new piece of land. Now we are slowly trying to become more self-sufficient by building a sustainable farmstead on our 35 acres of high desert land.

You can watch our Off-Grid Living Series on YouTube.

You can find the ups and downs of my story on these pages, Instagram and Youtube. I share it all in hopes that my journey will inspire you to follow your own truth.

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Most importantly, I want to send a warm thank you for stopping in to explore the pages of my website.

I hope you leave feeling inspired and refreshed.

Love,