About Melissa
Hello, I’m Mel!
I’m a Canadian travel blogger who has been traveling and living abroad since 2014.
Learn more about my story below.
Life before blogging
I’m originally from Quebec, Canada. Back in the days, I used to be a social worker. I used to travel once a year for about a month and I was always spending my summers in Europe since I was 20 years old.
In June 2014, I started my journey around the world at the age of 25.
Life on the road
I first started my journey in the Canadian Rockies, where I hitch-hiked my way around. Then, I moved to Australia for two years. I started A Broken Backpack in July 2015. Back then, I was working on a farm in Australia and needed something to stay entertained. Quickly, A Broken Backpack became popular.
After Australia, I decided to go on a backpacking trip to Southeast Asia. Later, I moved to the UK for less than a year.
In October 2017, I decided to move to Southeast Asia. Bali became my home for about one and a half years.
In 2019, I was based mostly in Thailand.
In 2020, I moved to Bulgaria.
In 2022, I moved to Thailand, and it became my main base.
Of course, I do plan occasional trips in and out, but since I’m running an online business and a few successful blogs, I prefer slow travel.
This brings me to you
A Broken Backpack offers excellent travel tips to help you stay on the road longer. I left Canada with less than CAD 2,000 in my name (and many student debts).
I’m living proof that you don’t need tons of savings to make your travel dreams come true.
I learned how to travel on the very cheap, volunteered when I needed to, and created an online business to support myself abroad. I share all these tips here on A Broken Backpack.
I’m now in my thirties, and my travel style has evolved. I’m not all about budget travel anymore, and I now travel with my husband (we met in Thailand).
So, A Broken Backpack is not just a budget travel blog anymore. You’ll find all the travel tips needed to plan your dream trip no matter your travel style, budget, or interest.
Pick Your Travel Style
Living Abroad
Backpacking
Camping
Hiking
Digital Nomadism
Volunteering
Read my latest blog posts
When You Think You Need To Go Home But Shouldn’t
Home. If you’re a perpetual traveler, a digital nomad, an expat, or anyone else who spends a lot of time abroad, your relationship with this concept––maybe even this word––is a complicated beast. There are various ways to define home. Is it where the heart is, like my...
Perfect Vietnam Itinerary 1 Month
Wondering how to backpack Vietnam for one month? This Vietnam budget guide is based on a 25 days itinerary. One goal; make the most of the country by respecting the time limit and a tiny budget. If you are asking yourself what to do in Vietnam, you should stop now....
Lessons Learned From Backpacking Southeast Asia
That moment when you walk along the wet street. It could be a flood. Or it could simply be muddy and wet. But, that day you are wearing flip-flops. There’s no point in wearing proper shoes when it’s the rain season (unless you are craving your...
Here’s Why You Should Add Lashio To Your Myanmar Itinerary
That typical question; Where have you been so far? As soon as I mention Myanmar, I get many more questions. How was it? Did you like it? Where did you go? I have an easy answer too: You need to go to Lashio! Lashio was my favorite destination in Myanmar and...
Hitchhiking Malaysia: Should You Do It?
A few years back, I hitchhiked around Malaysia. I had no problems at all even though we were two girls. In fact, we had an amazing time and it was a great way to connect with locals along the way. In this article, I'm sharing my tips for hitchhiking in Malaysia as...
Best Cities To Visit In Cambodia
If you are wondering what to do in Cambodia, you're in the right place! Here's my Cambodia itinerary 7 days (or more) - featuring the best places to visit in Cambodia! As I’m writing these lines, it’s my last day in Cambodia. The journey has been great, although...