Women who Inspire: Christine Amorose

My name is Christine Amorose, and I’m a travel blogger and freelance writer. Since graduating with a degree in journalism in 2009, I’ve worked in PR in Silicon Valley, bartended in the French Riviera, backpacked solo through Europe, worked in marketing in Australia and explored Southeast Asia.

Why did you decide to start traveling?

I’ve been traveling solo my whole life: my parents sent me to spend a summer in Florida with my grandparents for the first time when I was 7. However, my love affair with travel started with France: my mom took me when I was 11, and then sent to live with family friends in Provence when I was 16 and to study in Paris when I was 18. After a solo backpacking trip through Europe after I finished college in 2009, though, I really fell in love with blogging and seeing the world while I was young.

Was blogging initially a way for you to keep in touch with family and friends?

My first WordPress.com blog definitely functioned as a “this is what I did today” letter to update my family and friends. I used the computers in hostel lobbies and didn’t even have any photos! But I was surprised by how many people said they loved my writing style and I started reading more travel blogs, and decided to take it to the next level when I moved to Nice, France in 2010.

How has blogging about your travel experiences changed your life?

I’m one of those annoying people who won’t let anybody eat or drink until I’ve taken a photo of it. I’m also constantly tweeting, Facebooking, Instagramming: it’s hard to unplug.

I love being able to craft a story with words, photos, links as a blogger, but I’ve also contributed pieces to magazines and other publications. I’ve loved writing my whole life—I read and wrote constantly as a kid, and have a degree in journalism—so I definitely identify as a writer as a well as a blogger.

What’s the hardest part of maintaining your site “C’est Christine”?

It’s hard to unplug: every experience is potentially a blog post that needs to be written about, photographed, shared on social media.

Who would win in a fight, WordPress or Blogger?

WordPress! I’m a total WordPress convert since I’ve used it personally and professionally for the last five years. My site is currently built on the Thesis theme, and I absolutely recommend it.

Who designed your blog? Do you consider yourself a professional blogger now?

I designed the first round of my blog when I launched in 2010, but I realized that it needed a bit of professional input. In 2011, I hired Matt Chevy of Proof Branding to improve the layout and SEO in 2011 and Hop & Jaunt to design my header. I still love everything they did, so I haven’t done much to change it.

 

During all of your trips you have traveled solo. What is the most shocking thing you have experience? What is the most interesting or life changing thing you have experienced?

I don’t know if I’ve necessarily experienced anything shocking, but traveling alone always reminds me just how competent I am. At home, it’s easy to slip into having a boyfriend help me fix something or dragging a friend if I want to see a new exhibit or movie. But when I’m traveling by myself, I navigate public transportation, communicate in a different language, try new foods, find my hotel, go to a museum—basically, do everything I want to do and what needs to be done completely by myself. It’s a liberating experience.

What advice would you give to young women who are afraid to travel or think that they can’t afford it?

Save your money, book a ticket, figure the rest out later. Seriously, don’t ask a million questions, trust your intuition, silence the naysayers and travel wherever your heart desires.

Your pictures are phenomenal! I know you must hear that a lot! Between your 2 cameras which do you use the most?

I travel with a Canon Rebel XSi, a digital SLR, and an iPhone 4S. If I’m out for a sightseeing day, I keep my Rebel around my neck and capture anything that catches my eye. The rest of the time, I just use my iPhone. I used to travel with a simple point-and-shoot, but the iPhone photo quality has just improved so much that it’s really the only camera I need to keep in my purse.