Katie Aune’s travel story is a little different. The Minnesota native took her first trip abroad when she was 25 and has covered so much ground since then. More recently, Katie traded her legal career in for a chance to travel the world and volunteer. She’ll be leaving in August and we’re excited to follow her journey through the former Soviet Union. Learn more about Katie’s travel experiences in our latest Featured Traveler profile.
Name: Katie Aune
Tell us a little about yourself:
I was born and raised in Minnesota, but have lived in Chicago since I graduated from law school in 2001. I practiced law for 6 years before switching gears to work in alumni relations and development for a law school. I went abroad for the first time when I was 25 and in the last 10 years I have been to 19 countries, including Peru, Egypt, Australia, Norway, Hungary and most of western Europe. I recently quit my job and will be leaving August 30 to travel and volunteer through the 15 countries of the former Soviet Union for the next year.
Favorite city you’ve been to:
Rome. I love the history of the city and I also have a thing for Roman ruins. I have been twice and I feel like I could go back 10 more times and there would still be new surprises to discover.
Favorite restaurant:
Cafe Kor in Budapest. It sounds simple - I had duck breast strips with honey, apple and spinach pasta - but it was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. The “Gundel” crepe with hazelnuts, raisins, chocolate sauce and powdered sugar was pretty darn good too. Wow, I’m getting hungry…
Best place to relax: I don’t do a lot of relaxing when I travel - I like to be active - but I’d have to say the island of Formentera. You can rent bikes to explore the island or just lay on the beach and stare at the amazingly clear, bright blue water. I spent a day there at the end of a whirlwind trip through Spain and it was wonderfully relaxing.
Best place to have fun:
Anywhere. For me, fun is about who I am with, not where I am. If you’re with the right people, you can have a blast anywhere.
Best trip you’ve ever taken:
Egypt in 2008. It was my first trip to a non-Westernized country and the first time I really stepped out of my comfort zone. I climbed inside pyramids, explored centuries-old tombs, hiked up Mt. Sinai to see the sun rise and went way off the beaten path to visit ruins in Middle Egypt. That trip really sparked my desire to make travel an even larger part of my life.
What one piece of advice do you have for travelers?
Don’t be afraid to travel solo. It is easy to meet people on the road and it is a great feeling to be able to set your own itinerary and do exactly what you want to do.
Where else can we find you on the web?
Website: www.katiegoingglobal.com (main travel blog) and www.globally-glutenfree.com (site about living gluten-free in Chicago and around the world) Facebook: www.facebook.com/katiegoingglobal
Twitter: @katieaune
