My name is Alla — a first-generation Ukrainian American now based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Whether traveling solo, with my husband Erik, or now with our young daughter, I find my way back to myself by setting off into the unknown. With a full-time role in higher education, I’ve learned to seek out travel in the spaces life allows.

Alla’s Atlas is a place to hold onto those experiences — the places we’ve visited, the meals we’ve enjoyed, the books that shaped our journeys, and the logistical details along the way. What began as a personal archive is also meant to be useful to others, offering inspiration and practical insights for their own travels.

Thank you for being here.