James Feess, Bachelor of Science in Marketing

Current Position: Full-time copywriter for McCann, New York

Current City: New York City, NY

Missouri State University is home to thousands of diverse students with different backgrounds and goals for the future. Some students may plan to return to their hometowns after graduation. Others may have their eye on a dream job in a new city. And some, like James Feess, set their sights on traveling the world.

James, alum of Missouri State University, graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing emphasizing Advertising and Promotion. It wasn’t until his undergraduate years as a Bear that James caught the travel bug. However, while planning his own trip abroad, James had trouble finding information online about low-budget travel in Europe.

The result? In 2010, James created The Savvy Backpacker, a travel blog that places product reviews, backpacking essentials checklists, lodging guides and other important travel information into one easy-to-follow website. Now, users won’t struggle searching for information on low-budget travel.

“Once I returned from my travels I decided to make the website I wish I’d had before I ventured out,” James said. “It turns out other people were hungry for the same information.”

Five years later, James’ website receives more than 500,000 page views and 200,000 visitors monthly.

In 2014, James built upon his website information and started writing his own book: The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide to Europe on a Budget. The book was published in early 2015.

James’ travels abroad have not only put his marketing knowledge to use, but also granted him many wonderful experiences. Though he has seen countless landmarks and museums James says the small things are most memorable, such as “walking the streets of Paris at night…traveling on high-speed trains from one country to another…seeing the Swiss Alps…[and] seeing the beautiful architecture everywhere you look.”

James currently lives in New York and works for McCann, an advertising agency. Last April, he, his wife, Susan, and their dog, Henry made a trip to South Africa, and he’s looking forward to an upcoming trip to Italy in the fall. Although he’s traveled extensively, James still has a lengthy list of places to visit. Some places at the top of his list are Iceland and Scandinavia.

“I don’t think I’ll ever run out of places to visit on my bucket list,” said James. “I’ll try to indulge as much as my bank account allows.”

Trying to cure a travel bug of your own? James’ advice to students is “absolutely study abroad, even if you have to push back your graduation a semester or more. [College] is the easiest time to travel…just get out there and do it. Trust me. It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

For help planning a trip abroad, view James’ blog and website and purchase your own copy of The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide to Europe on a Budget. If you have more questions or need general travel advice, you can email James personally at savvybackpacker@gmail.com