Lydia Copeland

I was raised in Western Pennsylvania, West Newton, now I live in Tampa, Florida. I'm a Data Analyst by day and planning travels the rest of the time. Being from a small town, travel wasn't common and being a BIPOC, travel was even discouraged so I had a difficult time learning the basics of travel from my family and community. This is the book I wish I had when I wanted to travel but didn’t know where to start. Now that I've traveled internationally and explored more of the United States, I've realized that traveling is an amazing treasure and I want more people to experience it!

You can find me trying new recipes, planning trips, watching documentaries and trying new restaurants! I like to volunteer with different charities and libraries to lead workshops on resumes, financial literacy, travel planning and other life skills.

My travel why is food and culture – I love food festivals and just exploring a city through food. My life travel goal is to refurbish a private train rail car for traveling across the United States, Latin America and Canada!