✧ Meet Joan ✧
Wife. Mother. Photographer. Lifelong Wanderer.
The heart behind Blush & Backpacks
✧ A Life of Adventure ✧
Hi, I’m Joan — the soul behind Blush & Backpacks.
As a wife and mother of three grown children, I’ve spent a lifetime balancing the tender rhythms of family life with an unshakable passion for travel. From spontaneous road trips with little ones in tow to solo escapades across Europe’s hidden gems, every journey has shaped who I am — and how I see the world.
Travel, for me, has always been more than just miles and maps. It’s how I reconnect, rediscover, and remember who I am at my core. Whether I’m exploring the vibrant bazaars of Istanbul, hiking the crisp alpine trails of Colorado, or strolling through the moonlit corners of London, each step has been a note in my lifelong symphony of adventure.
Blush & Backpacks is a love letter to that spirit — a space for women who long to explore with curiosity, courage, and a soft touch of elegance.
✧ Capturing the Heartbeats of Travel ✧
I believe in pressing pause on the fleeting — one shutter click at a time.
As a passionate travel photographer, I don’t just take pictures. I feel them. I chase the golden light across café tables in Rome, find poetry in quiet backstreets of Prague, and let the mountain winds of Lucerne whisper through my lens. Photography is how I gather memories — gracefully, soulfully — preserving the heartbeats of each destination.
Every image tells a story: of wonder, connection, discovery. And here, those stories unfold — as galleries, as guides, as invitations for you to chase your own beautiful in-betweens.
✧ Why Blush & Backpacks ✧
This blog was born from a simple longing: to create a space where women travelers feel seen, inspired, and supported. Whether you're planning your first solo trip, navigating family travel with flair, or dreaming up your next escape, Blush & Backpacks is here to walk beside you.
I write for the dreamers and the doers, the planners and the spontaneous souls — those who crave both whimsy and wisdom. If you love a good travel tip wrapped in poetic prose, or a packing list that includes your sense of wonder, you’re in the right place.
✧ A Note From Me to You ✧
No matter where you are on your journey — just beginning, somewhere in the middle, or dreaming of someday — you are welcome here. This is your permission to wander boldly, to seek beauty bravely, and to always leave room for serendipity.
Let’s explore with grace. Let’s travel with intention.
Let’s find the magic tucked between the lines.
🌷 Wandering with heart,
Capturing with soul,
And always chasing the beauty in between.
With love,
Joan
