About & Contact

I’ve thought about descriptive words that might give you an idea of what I’m “about”, but I feel like it’s our experiences and how we react to them that truly defines who we are. So if you would like a list of adjectives that best describes me, please refer to comments made by my family, friends, and fellow travelers.

Quick family info: I have an amazing mom who is passionate about well, almost everything! She raised me to be strong minded and independent which ironically has been her biggest parenting challenge this far. I was an only child until my father met his perfect match and they produced 6 beautiful children. Nope, not a typo. (I love you Joseph, Hannah, Benjamin, Sarah and Rachel… and always in memory, little Elizabeth). This sweet family keeps me grounded and humble.

My life in a nutshell (whatever that means). I grew up in what used to be the small town of Folsom California… yes, the same “Folsom Prison” that Johnny Cash sang about. Now its a city with traffic and too many stop lights. My first job, that I ended up keeping for 10 years, was coaching gymnastics. When I say “coaching”, I actually mean devoting my heart and energy (and most of my waking hours) to a team of girls that grew to be a family. During those incredible coaching years I had a variety of part time work that included teaching swim, tutoring autistic children, massage therapy and bar tending (go figure). I then decided to go to cosmetology school, why not right? First day of class went like this:

Instructor: “Erika, how come you didn’t wear your uniform?”
Erika: “Oh, umm uniform?”
Instructor: “Ok class, one by one please stand up and say what your ultimate goal is in the hair industry.” (Here is where you enter a bunch of students explaining how they want to be famous in LA or own a hair color brand or work at their parents shop and so on).
Erika: “Me? (awkward laugh) I really don’t want to do hair, I’m just here so I can charge for the prom girls hair I do for fun. (Enter judgmental silence here).

To spare you the past 20 years of my hair career details, I’ll just say after graduating I got a job at a local salon just for extra cash. Some years into it, I began to truly enjoy it and eventually had enough business to open my own little studio. “Erika’s Hair Retreat” was in service for almost 3 years and due to my loyal clients, I was able to start traveling. Short little trips became weeks of adventure that eventually developed into months abroad and finally turned into a life changing decision to close shop and head out.

I traveled the globe (as you see in this blog) collecting over 80 stamps on my passport and a whole new perspective. On a return visit to the States, I met Matt. He’s a talented man with a camera, adventure seeker, and probably one of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever met. Turns out I married him, we now have a beautiful daughter named Shanti and are living a unique life of traveling as a family. From living in DIY school bus conversions to international hostel hopping, the three of us are exploring this amazing planet together!

Other fun facts:
I enjoy learning and living a life of fitness.
I took 4 semesters of American Sign Language.
I splurge on sushi and frozen yogurt… and sweet potato French fries.
In my opinion, I’m very athletic (excluding golf… unless you consider launching a club into the nearest pond a sport).

Have a question or personal comment?
I haven’t mastered reading minds yet, so please just email me directly at herhappytrails@gmail.com