Meet Christine Lai | Digital Creator & Traveler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christine Lai and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my business because I wanted to create something valuable for someone like me 10 years ago. Someone who longs to travel but doesn’t know how to travel, is afraid to travel alone, and wishes they had all the answers, questions, solutions, and encouragement. It gives me a powerful driving force because I understand the challenges I faced and the knowledge I lacked,

I started to create a web of knowledge on my blog on travel, as well as creating google maps for places I have visited and spent endless hours researching and planning. I hope these will help people to either travel solo or simply travel more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a digital creator; I mainly create travel content since I dive into solo traveling; due to my love for photography, food, architecture, art, unique experiences, and my need for safety, I have done extensive research before my trips. Especially as a solo traveler, it was something that I was so afraid of and thought I would never do. I have gone through many years forgoing traveling due to many factors such as scheduling, cost, or just having someone who also wants to travel. I don’t have many close friends, so finding people to travel with is challenging. Especially if my friend is coupled up, and I want to be something other than a third-wheeler!

It’s interesting that I never even considered the possibility of solo travel until one of my best friends told me that’s what I needed to do. I did not act on that advice right away; in fact, for several years. I finally dive into it, almost by accident. I was planning a trip, trying to set it up with at least a friend, so I would not be alone. However, I ended up being the only one doing the planning, and not going to lie, the process of planning the trip was painful when it was a new country that I had never been to; there was a lot to find out. Many circumstances made me alter the trip so much; in the end, my friend couldn’t go with me, and I decided that instead of skipping the trip, I would go alone.

I can’t fully express the amazing feeling I had the first time I went solo in a foreign country. Free is all I can say. Now that I have explored solo traveling, I want to do more, and I would love to help others on their solo travel journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a best friend visiting SoCal, many options would exist, from architecture to theme parks and endless gourmet. My favorite thing about SoCal is the artsy museums, aesthetic cafes, and amazing beach. For a weekend trip with a first-time visit, I would minimize travel time and mainly stick to one area in LA.

I would take my best friend to Urth cafe for a latte and waffle in the morning. Their organic coffee and chocolate are a must. Then start our adventure, checking out Disney concert hall for its unique architecture; they also have great city views in the back only some know about. They also visit iconic museums such as The Broad, a piece of art inside and out. Then, visit the historic Bradbury Building in downtown LA, where the interior is simply magnificent.

We then can go across the street from Bradbury to get food in the Grand Center Market while taking fun Instagram pictures with unique neon signs. After tasting as much food as we want, we can visit The Last Bookstore; it is a huge store with any book you may find, with unique design and fun small shops on the second floor. Then the art district, when they have open shows, is a maze with a crazy amount of art. It is so interesting to see how artists live and their passion. Last but not least, go to a rooftop bar in Venice Beach to end the night with good food, custom cocktails, and a sunset view at High Rooftop Lounge, where you can see a panorama view of the beach and ocean.

I know that’s a lot for one day, but that’s why I love to be my guide when I travel; I get to adjust the itinerary however I want, or as I go, or in this case, however, my best friend would want!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This shoutout goes to my friends who encourage me to travel solo. I never thought I could do it in a million years, but it is the most freeing thing ever, and I am never the same again, and I love it.

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