About Me
Welcome to my blog! I’m Summer Rae!
I have somewhat of an unusual background. My degrees in Mathematics and Actuarial Science proved to be no match for my love of adventure after I traveled to Europe in 2016. That was when I caught the travel bug. My favorite pastime suddenly turned from grading math papers and coaching high school sports to writing stories about my “small town girl goes to the big city” escapades. Since then, I have been traveling and writing nonstop. I’ve developed a passion for sharing my adventures with my readers through storytelling and photography.
Outside This Small Town is a travel blog written and managed by myself (and friends). It focuses on tips, tricks, and travel hacks for exploring areas in and around the world including: the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia and Africa. It is intended to be a go-to source (and an inspiration) for readers who wish to create their own memorable adventures by informing them about the best places to visit, stay, eat, and more. The blog has also morphed into tips for traveling as a family and more personal posts, after the birth of my daughter, Lillie Belle, in 2020 and our son, Levi, in 2022. My hope and vision moving forward are to inspire those with newborns, infants, toddlers, or kids of any age, that having children shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love.
When my husband, Stephen, and I talked about growing our family, we always felt the need to wait until we were done living in Europe and traveling. And I’m so glad we changed our minds. Seeing the world through our children’s eyes is something I don’t think I will ever tire of. They may never remember some of these moments, but we sure do.
I hope to inspire you to see the world no matter what stage you are in life — single, married, have children, etc.
Many of our posts cover the lesser-known (but truly cool) sites around Europe with a bent for adventure. Anything that gets our adrenaline going, we love to experience and then write about – whether it’s mountain biking, hiking, mountain climbing, whitewater kayaking, or just sightseeing! We like to explore places “off the beaten path,” and then write about our travels, encouraging readers to make their own trek to these sites.
Our main message for our readers is, “There is so much to see and do in the world, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it! Just get out and explore!”