About me

Réka laughing as her patterned scarf blows in the wind at sunrise in Cappadocia, with hot air balloons in the sky

I was born and raised in Hungary, and my parents took me hiking from the time I was tiny. As a kid and a teenager, scouting was my whole world: weekends and summers outside, pitching our own tents, building our own camp kitchens and learning to look after ourselves in nature. Those years are still some of my favorite memories.

Then, slowly, university and work pulled me in, further and further away from nature. It took a big heartbreak to make me stop and figure out what I actually wanted. That’s how I found my way back to the outdoors, the mountains and travel. Or really, back to myself.

Since then, I’ve been trying to fill as much of my life with it as I can. I backpacked solo through Southeast Asia, joined an internship program in a rural village in Kenya, hitchhiked alone in Finland and worked as a mountain hiking guide for a year. I’ve walked the Laugavegur trail in Iceland, the West Highland Way and the Svaneti trek in Georgia, among others. Whenever I can, I head to the mountains or somewhere new, to get to know new cultures, places and people.

This year I took it to the next level: I quit my job to travel South America, with no end date.

I start every adventure with a lot of research, so I know how valuable good, honest information is. This blog is where I share everything I’ve experienced and learned along the way. It’s for every type-A adventurer who likes to know exactly what they’re getting into :)

Quick facts

Get to know Réka

  1. My favorite place to hike

    The High Tatras

  2. The longest trek I've done

    The West Highland Way

  3. My coffee order

    Cold brew tonic

  4. My dream pet

    10 bunnies

Follow along on Instagram @rayappley