About Me

My name is Melissa Leigh, I am 27 years old and a novice website designer from Israel and avid traveler. I decided to combine these two interests to preserve my travel memories. I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list.

What’s my camera?

From August 2018, I have been using my OnePlus 6 as my main travel camera. I love it a lot, and I’m impressed with how good the quality of the photos are and how long the battery lasts even when I’m out for the day. I never use filters on my photos, but I use Lightroom and Snapseed to fix the lighting or balance the photos.

How do I plan trips?

I have been planning trips for the majority of my life. Most of the story started with my stepdad and me planning out our family vacations together. My mom loves to tell the story about how even at 9 or 10 years old I was already an expert traveler. I poured over AAA guidebooks and Fodor’s or Lonely Planet books, trying to find out everything I could about where we were going. I’ve always loved traveling and seeing what was out there.
Since leaving home and moving to Israel, I’ve really caught the travel bug. Europe was now so much closer to visit than from the states, and so much more affordable! Even when I didn’t have a vacation booked, I still loved to make itineraries for trips I’d eventually want to take. Yes, I’m a planning nerd. I’d research through tons of sites, scroll through other travel blogs, and find places to go that weren’t on the main tourist path. Even watching travel vlogs has become a favorite activity of mine. Finding the best deal is also a skill of mine, and so many of my friends always ask me how I do it.
There’s really no secret of mine to be honest. I try to plan as far in advance as possible. Ocassionally, I’ll come across an amazing deal where I’d have to leave sooner than expected. I mainly use Skyscanner, Secret Flying, and Hopper for finding flights. When I come to a new city, I love to do free walking tours, and I’ve noticed in some cities they now offer Local Guide Tours, where a local from that city will show you around for free, which to me sounds like an amazing program. I also tend to do self-guided walking tours, or try to find some amazing hidden gems along my orientation walks in a new place.