Meet Raven Patzke | Travel Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raven Patzke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raven, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m originally from Waupaca, Wisconsin- a small town of just 6,000 people. The grass always seemed greener on the other side, so after heading to the bigger city of Madison for college, I moved to Los Angeles and then spent about a year island-hopping through the Caribbean before finally settling in Miami. I think that everyone should live outside of their hometown *at least* once in their lifetime. It’s made me realize that maybe there are green patches everywhere you look, you just need to take the time to find them. The Midwest taught me to work hard and Los Angeles taught me dream big, while the Caribbean taught me to find joy in the little moments. I think without discovering a little piece of myself in each of these places I called home, I never would have found myself here in Miami building a life as a travel content creator that truly does feel like a dream.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I originally started a travel blog back in college, while I was studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia. It was mostly to assure my parents that I was still alive, but after I got back to the United States, that travel bug didn’t leave me and I instead of applying for corporate positions in my senior year, I was spending my time making travel itineraries.

Unfortunately, I graduated in 2020 AKA that time when none of us were allowed to leave the front yard. So, I decided to move to Los Angeles to wait out the travel bans, which is where I saw the creator economy boom firsthand.

I began taking social media courses online and networking at travel conferences until I realized that gap year itch still wasn’t scratched. This led to a year of island hopping the Caribbean and a few months in my partner’s hometown of Porto. All along the way, I practiced perfecting my pitch and editing hundreds of videos of the good parts and the not-so-good parts of full-time traveling.

Looking back, there have, of course, been some cringey blog posts and TikToks made, however, I never would have seen the progress that I have without throwing that spaghetti at the wall in the beginning. There have been SO many cancelled flights, emails left on read, social media trolls and months spent chasing down invoices, but if that’s what it takes to get paid to travel, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

I’ve learned that you can’t make everyone happy, but if you’re living your life genuinely with the ultimate goal of helping even just one person, then you really can’t do it wrong.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooooo this is my favorite question. I feel like the itinerary totally depends on the type of person and what they’re looking for, but if I only had two nights in Miami as a first-time tourist, this is what I would do:

We’d start out grabbing an iced coffee and croquetas from Tinta y Cafe with a little stroll through the downtown of the City Beautiful (Coral Gables). Then, I’d go a bit further south to either Deering Estate to spot some manatees or Patch of Heaven Sanctuary for a more peaceful walk in nature. We’d head over to Wynwood for lunch at Smorgasburg and can walk it off while checking out the Wynwood Walls or stopping into Walt Grace Vintage. If the weather wasn’t cooperating, we’d go to Olfactory to make our own perfume to remember the trip by. At sunset, I’d head up to Level 6 in Coconut Grove for a rooftop happy hour and then do dinner at Jaguar. We’d pop into Vinoteca for a nightcap.

The next morning, we’d grab an iced latte from Raccoon Coffee, walk around Brickell Key and then kayak over to Raccoon Island. After kayaking, we’d go to the Versace Mansion for their $38 lunch special. Post lunch, we’d go relax at Hurrem Hammam for a Turkish spa circuit and we’d do dinner at La Bodeguita for some authentic cuban and spanish cuisine with a flamenco show. Afterward, we’d head to Lagniappe for a girls night with a bottle of wine.

On our last day, we’d grab an iced macadamia milk latte from Books & Books in Coconut Grove and then I’d bring you over to Shark Valley Visitor Center to bike alongside the gators and experience The Everglades in a more authentic way. We’d do a light lunch at Motek in Coral Gables before sending you on your way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to thank my parents for teaching me to work hard and never give up on my dreams. I never would have been such a risk-taker if they didn’t let me be a little wild while growing up in the boonies. I also have to give a huge thanks to my friends and family for supporting my adventures from a distance. I see you and I appreciate every like, comment and DM asking for recommendations (it’s my favorite part!). And lastly, I, of course, have to thank my partner, Joao, for standing by my side and supporting me through all of the ups and downs as a small business owner. Thank you for letting me replay the same 10-second clip on repeat without complaints; You’re the best.

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