Hi, Hola, Bonjour, Ciao, Oi, Salaam! I’m Lesley Murphy, a travel journalist, TV personality, retreat leader, yoga teacher and mom. I love that my titles have evolved over the years 🙂 I write, I photograph, I live on airplanes (and for better or for worse, live on airplane food). I love discovering what makes a destination tick. I know, I know…how does a girl from Arkansas get around so much, right? It’s not about where you’re from. It’s about where you’re going and what you do when you get there.

To be honest, I always wanted to start a blog, but I wanted it to mean something to me…a passion project if you will. After graduating from UGA with a double major in Broadcast News and Psychology, I tried to get a job as a reporter, anchor, camera operator, anything. Not exactly willing to live in a small market, I then switched gears and started a life in politics. My family is deeply rooted in this space, and I’ve always enjoyed a rowdy dinner conversation/debate, so on to Washington D.C. it was!

I was fired up about the red, white and blue during my two years there, and I forever will be no matter what country I’m visiting. Right about the time I was supposed to help run a national campaign with my boss, I was asked to be a contestant on ABC’s The Bachelor. Gotta love life’s twists and turns! If you would’ve told me a few years ago when I was frolicking in the warm waters of St. Croix with The Bachelor that I’d be living out of a suitcase as a full-time travel blogger right now, I probably would’ve laughed and thrown some roses in your face, because as it turns out, I didn’t need them anyway.

Checked off my bucket list

After setting a world record (yikes) and accepting rose after rose, I threw them to the wind as I relocated to Argentina in 2013 as Marketing Manager for a luxury hospitality company. I’ve had an affinity for travel since I was a little kid, so moving abroad didn’t come out of left field for me. I landed in Buenos Aires with two bags and my sub-par Spanish skills ready to take on a new culture, eat some bife de lomo, and drink my fair share of Malbec.

After living and working abroad for two years, I had what I needed to start a blog: knowledge, passion and a topic. This site reveals my crazy adventures around the world and getting lost in the culture of the people – seeing how they move, what they eat and how they make a living. The idea is that the locals will inspire me, and then it’ll be a chain reaction from there. I try to put is all on paper for my followers to read and be inspired to see the same places I just explored. I like to think I can make a difference one destination at a time while being super vocal about my story.

In 2017, I tested positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation and made the life changing decision to pursue a preventative double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery. After my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew I needed to be proactive about my health. I’ll always look fondly on that experience for giving me beautiful cancer-free boobs and a whole new community of supportive internet friends! I think life is all about connection, and I want to facilitate that as long as I can. That’s why in 2018, I created LimitLes trips around the world for people who crave community, movement, purpose, exploration and change for the greater good. Each destination is tied to a cause whether than be breast cancer awareness in Bali or planting trees in Patagonia. These women leave with a greater sense of self and renewed outlook on life. They continue to travel together, spend birthdays together and be a support group from near and far. Space is limited on each trip…but the opportunities are LimitLes.

At the beginning of 2021, my husband and I welcomed our daughter into the world! As we’ve come out of the pandemic and newborn stage, I’ve learned so much about myself, motherhood and parenting. It’s a wild ride, and we’re in it for the long-haul as we welcome another baby girl this year! It’s a girl’s world after all.

After a decade+ of non-stop travel, I know that we are stronger together. My business is propelled forward by my team of hard-working women and men passionate about the travel, event and yoga space. The Road Les Traveled is a multi-level business with revenue streams including content creation, social media marketing, yoga classes, affiliate programs, co-owned product sales and LimitLes trips around the globe. The foundation of what I do goes back to getting people out of their comfort zone – and down The Road Les Traveled! I hope this inspires you to either travel with us on a LimitLes trip, take a solo adventure or plan a getaway with your favorite people. The best stories really are told between the pages of a passport. Thank you for reading and for your continued support!