Meet Raven Patzke: Lattes N’ Luggage Travel Blogger

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

Hi Raven, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My journey in the travel space started in probably the most cliche way one can think of: Studying Abroad. In 2019, I moved across the world alone to live in Melbourne, Australia for 6 months. The time I spent there is full of memories that I will cherish forever. From visiting 5/7 states in Australia to exploring Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand and Fiji, I had a lot of stories to share. Of course, my friends and family back home were curious as well, so I began a travel blog to keep them up to date. Once I came home from this life-changing trip, I had my mind set: I was going to take a gap year after graduating and solo-backpack across Europe. Unfortunately, the universe had other plans. In March 2020, COVID-19 hit. Instead of kissing the Blarney Stone, I found myself wincing at my laptop over all of the non-refundable plans I had to cancel from Ireland, Scotland, London and Paris.

However, I was still determined to explore as much of the world as I could, considering the circumstances. In October 2020, I packed up my car and took a solo journey across the United States, moving myself to no other than Los Angeles. Before leaving, many friends and family preached to me that it was not safe for a woman to do this trip alone. Even so, I went along with it. I remember reading the comments on travel posts that I’d written after my mother shared them on Facebook. Questions like, “How can you let her do this?” danced along her page and I couldn’t help but think how sad it was. How sad is it that women just like me think they can’t go out and see these beautiful places just because they think it isn’t safe?

Once I arrived in Los Angeles, I began working full-time on Lattes N’ Luggage. I’ve since then written plenty of travel stories, as well as created guides and wanderlust videos. I liked sharing my adventures as proof that these places we may have heard stereotypes of while growing up really aren’t as they may seem. However, I certainly haven’t been everywhere, so I wanted to build a resource where other women could share their experiences abroad. Using Google Maps, I created a Solo Female Travel Safety Map where people can rate locations on a scale of 1-5 on how safe they felt, as well as any tips for someone who may go there in the future. If they have questions about a location not on the list, they can also join the Solo Female Travel Facebook group I’ve created which is full of many eager well-traveled women.

With Lattes N’ Luggage, I want people to see that there is beauty in every city and that you can travel anywhere, anytime on your own terms without fearing the unknown. I want women to feel safe, comfortable and confident while exploring this never-ending world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
To get where I am today was anything but easy. I’ve had my website since 2018 and have learned countless lessons along the way, one of them being that a rebrand is NOT easy. There is no one way to overcome challenges and each one that comes has to be taken with a grain of salt. If there were no challenges, everyone would do it. This is how the people with a passion for their business will set themselves apart.

As for bloggers specifically, I will say that the rumors are true: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is truly the most powerful tool out there. If you can take the extra annoying steps on each post to make sure that it is SEO-friendly, your results WILL pay off. This is probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned since the beginning. I’d always thought that I would just write my piece exactly as I wanted it to be and that fixing it for SEO would ruin it. However, I’ve found that SEO really doesn’t have to interfere with my writing style and I can reach thousands of new eyes with a few simple steps.

Even so, the travel industry is extremely saturated. If you like to plan trips yourself, you’ve probably realized this in one Google search. However, I’d like to think that Lattes N’ Luggage can set itself apart from others because it reads like a book. You can click on one story and be snowmobiling through Iceland with me, then you can go to the next and travel through downtown Reykjavik. Even if today is not the right time for you to go on an adventure, one blog post can make you feel as if you are right there with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This question could not be more perfectly timed as I just had a friend visit me last week! First, I would take them to my favorite neighborhood: Venice. We would walk the boardwalk and check out the Venice Skatepark. Afterwards, we’d go to Abbot Kinney for brunch at Butcher’s Daughter, then walk off our breakfast burrito in the Venice Canals. For the sunset, we’d head to Santa Monica and take a stroll through Palisades Park, grabbing a green juice from my favorite juice truck parked alongside. Then, we could walk down to the pier and watch the sun fade away while the Ferris wheel lights come to life.

The next day, we’d do a sunrise hike at Runyon Canyon, where I’d point out the Hollywood Sign. Afterward, we’d go to Hollywood and do the Walk of Fame on our way to The Highlight Room. We’d have mimosas while checking out the view from the rooftop. After this, we’d head to DTLA to check out The Last Bookstore. From here, we’d walk to The Grand Central Market and grab a local beer while pointing out the famous seats from La La Land. We’d hop on the Angel Flight Railway for a quick pic before scootering to the Crypto.com arena to watch the Lakers play.

The next day we’ll probably be extremely tired from a Lakers win, which calls for Malibu. We’d pack a picnic to spend the day at Matador Beach and keep an eye out for dolphins. We’d watch the sunset from Griffith Observatory, then drive through the hills for a nice view. For dinner, we’d grab tacos from my favorite truck in front of Target on La Cienega that I can never remember the name of.
On the fourth day, I would bring them to Bluestone for the best coffee and classic Australian Breakfast. Then, we’d go to Marina Del Rey where I’d point out all of the ridiculously famous peoples’ yachts while watching for sea lions. I would grill out on my rooftop at home for dinner and then hop in the hot tub to warm up afterward.

On our last day, I’d go to brunch with bottomless mimosas at Fratelli Cafe and then bring them to Point Vicente for a short hike and the hope to see a whale spouting. Before I take her back to LAX, we’d of course have to go to In-N-Out and watch the planes overhead.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank my parents who gave me the opportunity to travel many places while growing up and the freedom to pursue my passions thereafter. I would also like to thank my friends and family who have been reading my blog since the beginning and a special thanks to João, for being the most supportive partner and wanderlust soul.

Website: https://lattesnluggage.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lattesnluggage/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lattesnluggage

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/sftgang/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9VQRa1g9ymYNKY8b8UhyIg/video