HOW THIS JOURNEY BEGAN

At 19, Trisha Velarmino broke free from the constraints of a Filipino passport, choosing the road over limits — and seventeen years later, she’s still proving that “weak” passports can carry unstoppable journeys, sharing that freedom with third world passport holders who dare to live differently.

Long before “digital nomad” became a trend, Trisha Velarmino was already living it — at 19, she left the Philippines with a weak passport and built a life across borders, proving that possibility isn’t defined by privilege but by persistence.

Traveling alone as a young woman, Trisha Velarmino immersed herself in kitchens, conversations, and everyday rituals across more than 70 countries. She learned how people eat, speak, and sleep — and discovered that deep cultural immersion doesn’t just broaden perspective, it rewires the brain. Each encounter reshaped how she thinks, connects, and cares, proving that living across cultures builds resilience, empathy, and a new way of seeing the world.

Tedx Speaker

CNN Travel Show Host

Girl Rising Ambassador

The Timeline

I have no photos of this. But I will keep looking! I competed in journalism competitions in the Philippines as a child. I did not know it will turn out to be what I will be doing for life!

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I didn’t want to have a debutant’s party. I asked if we can just go to another country and my mother agreed. But the whole family traveled with me!

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solo travel to thailand

I went to Thailand with 2 childhood friends. Our dream was to set-up our own jewellery store so we attended a jewelry expo in Bangkok.

We were also football fans so my friends and I went to Malaysia to follow our favorite football team – Liverpool! I also grew up playing football so this was a big trip for me!

I also went to Phuket, Thailand for a short visit. Looking at all the pictures, all I did was animal tourism, which is now a no-no in my personal values.

I studied in a fashion school in Milan, Italy and this was my first experience being away from my family.

I interned for Roberto Cavalli and worked closely with his son, Daniele. 

I spent a lot of time in the Cavalli home in. Florence, Italy while continuing my fashion studies in Milan. 

I attended Paris Fashion Week as an intern.

I also visited Budapest, Hungary.

I somehow made it in Vienna, Austria.

Of course, I had to see the Pope in Rome.

I also visited Barcelona, Verona, and London but back then, traveling was not about taking A LOT of photos!

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I came back home and because of my studies in Europe, I instantly made a career as a fashion stylist at 24 years old. Everyone wanted to hire me!

I also got to travel the Philippines. One of my favorite is Sinulog Festival in Cebu! 

vietnam travel guide

I did my first backpacking trip in Vietnam!

I visited Palawan for the first time and now I keep coming back to this place! I made so many memories in this first trip and met so many people!

I went to Boracay for 10 days and met a boy.

That boy and I went to Morocco to deepen our relationship and travel together. That only worked for 6 months.

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From here on out, I called the road home living in hostels, backpacking, doing work exchanges, working remote, and keeping myself on the road.

Latin America was the region that was lenient to Philippine passport holders. I always maxed the visa (up to 90 days) before moving on to another country. This way, I can plan my trip smoothly and save for it!

how to look for host families abroad

I lived in Sao Paulo and stayed with a local family. I was completely broke. They offered me free food and lodging. I also learned Portuguese! 

backpacking Colombia

After maximizing my stay in Brazil, I went to Colombia. This was also the time when I already have an online job! My travel blog also started getting recognized. I was part of the top 10 Female Travel Bloggers of the world. 

south america travel budget

At the time, Ecuador was still visa-free for Filipinos for 90 days. I crossed the border by bus from Colombia!

peru travel guide

Peru is visa-free for Filipinos for 164 days! I stayed here for a year and got a paid job as a hostel bar manager. I quit all my online jobs and started to earn full-time from my travel blog.

I crossed the border from Peru to Bolivia when my visa run out. Bolivia is visa-free for Filipinos.

fifa world cup

I attended the World Cup 2014 in Brazil and stayed there for another 8 months… My visa expired and I had to pay a fine.

free accommodation

I went to Uruguay and stayed there for 30 days with this familia! Although Uruguay was not visa-free for Filipinos, the visa application was easy.

argentina volunteering

I worked in a vineyard in Argetina. It was 70 days of steak and wine!

My Argentine visa ran out so I had to leave. I went back to Brazil… just because. Brazil is my favorite country!

My blog was already earning money but I continued volunteering and living with local families. I loved the cultural experience! At this point, I was already fluent in Spanish.

hong kong digital nomad

Hong Kong was a creator hub. Though expensive, this is where I made all my media contacts. My borderless business truly thrived here! 

tel aviv digital nomad

I spent a whole year in Tel Aviv while doing visa runs in Jordan, Egypt, Armenia, Georgia, and the Stans. It was the first time that I stayed somewhere long. It felt like home.

I had to leave because of visa matters. I was literally forced out of Israel, had to leave everything new (without prior notice). It was heartbreaking.

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I tried to go back to the Philippines and it didn’t work.

best places for women to travel alone

Despite saying “I will settle down in the Philippines,” I spent most of my time in Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Maldives, etc. I couldn’t stay put in my home country.

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best places to live in Mexico

I went to Mexico with the hopes of backpacking again all the way to Argentina. But I fell in love with Mexico and stayed. I still traveled around Latin America but I made Mexico my base. During the pandemic, I also got a 4-year residency visa!

 

I created Mexico Insider, the go-to travel resource for all things Mexico! Plus, I have been to all 32 states of Mexico. I know this country inside and out!

On November 22, 2023, I gave birth to a baby boy. Shortly after that, my partner and I decided to get married. I am up for a Mexican citizenship this year!

I came back to the Philippines, my home country, with a Swiss husband and a Mexican-Swiss baby in tow. I still travel alone often and built a worldschooling community for families with kids 1-16 years old continuing my advocacy for freedom in education.