Hi, Hola, Bonjour, Ciao, Oi, Salaam! I'm Lesley Murphy, a travel journalist and TV personality currently based in Los Angeles…but let’s be honest, I’m probably out of town as you read this! 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.
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 that be breast cancer awareness in Bali or planting trees in Patagonia. These women (men, you’re invited too!) leave with a greater sense of self and a 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.
After six years of non-stop travel, I know that we are stronger together. My business is propelled forward by my team of hard-working women 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 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!
