Featured In
Ginny Lou Henley
Ginny Lou grew up in Sweet Home Alabama, where the white puffs you see floating around are from cotton fields, not snow. After years of vocal training, including at the University of Louisville, her sweet southern drawl has been evened-out. However, all it takes is a conversation with her family or touching a hot pan on the stove for it to come flying back with all of its glory. While her family roots remain near and dear to her heart, Ginny Lou loves discovering new places and learning from the people she meets.
Read Ginny Lou’s posts here.
Leslie Connors
Leslie grew up in the greatest state in the union, Tennessee. After completing a degree in Music Education, she can play Rocky Top on a few different instruments. As a child, Leslie used to don a coon skin hat and explore the fields surrounding her house with her trusty golden labrador, Dusty. That love of exploration and discovery, nurtured by her family, developed through the years. Now she has gone from Tennessee to Turkey, growing along the way in her understanding of the world and the people who live in it.
Read Leslie’s posts here.
Guest Contributors
Rebekah Harper
Rebekah loves claiming Birmingham, Alabama as her hometown, though she has learned that home can be anywhere. With half of her life spent in North Africa and Europe and the other half on the West Coast (USA), it can be said that she has grown adept at fitting in everywhere but belonging to nowhere. However, over the past couple of years Turkey has captivated her attention. She loves the adventure of exploring new places but even more so the people and stories she has come to cherish along the way.
Hannah Greer
Have you ever eaten a doughnut? It’s a rewarding experience. So is being Hannah’s friend. This soccer-loving journalism and mass communications graduate of Kansas State University (never to be confused with the University of Kansas; don’t make that mistake) hails from the great Chiang Mai, Thailand and knows a thing or two about good Thai food. Really she knows a thing or two about good food from anywhere in the world and is always up for trying something new. An all-in-one story telling machine, Hannah wields a lyrical style and natural wit along with a Nikon camera to tell the stories of the people and places she meets. Click to see more of her writing and photography.
Serena Swords
A self-proclaimed “Calitexoman” (hailing from California, Texas, and Oklahoma), Serena is an eclectic mix of all of the places she has called home. Her most recent domicile is Norman, Oklahoma where she is a student at The University of Oklahoma studying International Relations and Administration. In laymen’s terms that means “event planner of the world,” as she hopes to connect businesses cross-culturally. Serena loves traveling, exploring new places, and most of all making new friends. While her impressive 5’10” frame makes the opposing volleyball team shake like a leaf, those of us that know her well love her affable demeanor and profoundly positive perspective on life. After you have explored all of her work on West2East and Explore Adana, you can find her personal work here.
Joy Henley
Hi, my name’s Joy. I live in Huntsville, Alabama with my Bernedoodle, Huck. We enjoy hikes, snuggles and treats of all kinds. Our roots are planted in the deep south, but our branches stretch into adventure across the globe. Having trekked the Himalayas, explored Asia, South America and Europe, we are the best kind of paradox of homebodies and travel bugs.
Kristina Whiteaker
Kristina grew up in Middle Tennessee and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a business administration degree in accounting. She loves to travel, both domestically and internationally, exploring new destinations and experiencing different cultures. Kristina has visited various regions of North America and countries throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. Her favorite thing about traveling is adventure and enjoying local cuisine. Kristina lives in Huntsville, AL with her husband CJ, and four children.
Maja Thoenes
A girl who grew up a bookworm and blossomed into an outdoor enthusiast, Maja's passions include writing, mountaineering, traveling, running, Netflix-binging, skiing, and baking for her friends. Her education and career has been focused on Japan, where she studied and taught English for three years. Maja is a published author and resides in Colorado with her husband and border collie. You can find her work on Amazon.
Ashlyn Nixon
Ashlyn hails from the great state of “North Cackalacky” (what the rest of us call North Carolina) and she was born to be on the move. Always looking to be pushed out of her comfort zone she loves traveling to new places and meeting new people. Ashlyn cheers for the Atlanta Braves, likes to squish bananas with her feet, and is a student at North Carolina State University.
Lizzie Hubbard
Lizzie is a Kentucky Wildcat who loves art, hiking, and trying new foods (especially if that food is lamb). She takes a more thoughtful and deliberate path in life; some might even call her introverted. However, when the right mood hits, Lizzie takes the night off and “Liz,” as her friends affectionally call her, takes over the show. Lizzie studies at the University of Kentucky and is always ready for a snow cone.
Sydney Sawyer
Sydney Sawyer is a joy all-around! Although she grew up moving all over the states, she claims Huntsville, Alabama as home. She left Rocket City to study accounting at Mississippi College, which consists of lots of running, studying, and goofing off with her friends. Although Syd has only taken two accounting classes, she’s often given the label “beloved resident accountant and human calculator.” Some of Syd’s favorite things include hiking moderately-sized mountains, reading an obscene number of books, and blaring music in her car that is lovingly referred to as “Ethel.” Being Syd’s friend comes along with watching lots of documentaries, eating fajitas every other night, and giggling over the silliest of things. To know her is to love her!
Becca Conner
Becca spent her childhood between Virginia and California, before settling down in Huntsville, Alabama. She attends school in Louisville, Kentucky, where she is pursuing a degree in Global Studies. Becca loves learning about different cultures, and spending time with people from all different backgrounds. She can frequently be found watching Gilmore Girls, eating granola bars or apples and peanut butter, or on a hike with her little brother/best friend, Charlie. She is obsessed with musical theater, particularly Newsies, and has been known to burst into song at completely random times. Becca is as adaptable as they come, spending four months living in Guatemala before she was even 18. She is always down for a new adventure, whether it involves exploring a new place or meeting new people.