CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. — Stickers displaying dozens of destinations oceans away from Tennessee surround Rachel Ellis's Tennessee license plate.
At 30 years old, she has visited every state, every continent and around 30 countries.
"It's something that I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a little child," Ellis said.
Born and raised in East Tennessee, Ellis grew up in Claiborne County. At 8 years old, she was diagnosed with Leukemia. For a while, she was in a wheelchair. Today, she's exploring the world on her own.
"I started working in and exploring America from the East Coast to the West Coast, and I got to explore Canada and Mexico some. And then I knew I had to go explore the rest of the world," Ellis explained.
Her first trip out of the country was back in 2016 when she and her mom took a cruise to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
After eight years of traveling, and recognizing potential concerns as a woman traveling alone, Ellis has picked up certain tips and tricks.
She recommends you:
- Never tell others you are traveling alone
- Leave loose shoulder bags or purses behind as they might make you more susceptible to theft
- Ditch the cash and use Apple Pay or credit cards
- Use apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to make overseas calls and avoid extra fees on your phone bill
- Use public transportation as opposed to rideshare services like Uber or Lyft, which can get expensive quickly
Ellis recently started a YouTube channel to share her travel experiences.
"I just want to encourage younger women to have more confidence in traveling," she said. "Traveling has always been my dream. Traveling is one of the main things in my life that makes me happy, other than God. There is just so much to see. Get out there and just go."