FTLO Alumni Spotlight: Larissa – From Solo Birthday Plans to Lifelong FTLO Travel Friends

FTLO Team
Oct 9
3 min read

Meet Larissa from Houston! What started as a “no more waiting around for friends” birthday resolution turned into six FTLO adventures for her so far. From stargazing in South Africa to onsen hopping in Japan, she’s collected not just experiences, but an entire network of solo traveler friends she now meets up with around the world.

FTLO Trips:

🇿🇦 South Africa (2023)

🇮🇩 Bali (2024)

🇨🇴 Colombia (2024)

🇳🇱 Amsterdam (2024)

🇯🇵 Japan (2025)

🇮🇹 Amalfi Coast & Puglia (2025)

FTLO traveler alum infront of colorful houses on an Amsterdam trip

🎂 How did you first find FTLO and decide on your first trip?

Larissa: “I’m in a book club here in Houston, and a new member had these amazing travel photos. She told me she’d done three or four FTLO trips and loved them. I kept it in the back of my mind. For my 30th, I did a Mexico City trip and struggled to get anyone to commit. It was so frustrating that for my 31st I said, ‘You know what? I’m not doing this again.’ I looked for whatever trip fell around my birthday and landed on South Africa. Probably a wild first choice, but it was magical.”

😮 What surprised you most about group travel?

Larissa: “I thought everyone would be super extroverted. But I realized really quickly that wasn’t true. Some people are outgoing, some keep to themselves, and that’s fine... Honestly, I’ve only had great experiences with people.”

🤝 Have you stayed in touch with other FTLO travelers?

Larissa: “Yes! After Colombia, four of us met up in Chicago for a Bad Bunny concert. Two of those same friends later did Japan with me. A girl I met in Bali met me in Berlin, and then joined Japan too. Now we’re planning a Mexico City trip together. And the Bali crew? Five of them are doing Lapland together in January. FTLO really made it easier to build a travel network, these people actually want to go places.”

🦁 Can you share some standout memories?

Larissa:

“In South Africa, seeing the stars in the Southern Hemisphere was unforgettable. The Southern Cross was something I’d only read about. That night sky will stay with me forever. And seeing lions up close... after that, I can never look at a zoo the same way.”
“In Japan, the onsen experience stood out. Walking around in a robe for 24 hours, totally different from home, and so peaceful.”

💭 If you had to describe each trip in one word?

Larissa:

South Africa – “Magical (and friendly)”
Colombia – “Delicious”
Bali – “Peaceful”
Amsterdam – “Lively”
Japan – “Fast”
Southern Italy – “Historic”

💡 What advice would you give someone going on their first FTLO trip?

Larissa: “Show up as your most confident self. You don’t need to try to be cool, just be open to people’s quirks. I hate when things get labeled as ‘cringe.’ To me, it’s cringe to think other people’s passions are cringe. If someone wants to talk about Pokémon for three hours, I’ll listen. The trips are better when everyone feels free to be themselves.”

✈️ Would you recommend FTLO to others?

Larissa: “Absolutely. I’ve had amazing Trip Leaders, each one so passionate about their home country and willing to go above and beyond with recommendations, even outside the trip. And the people who join: 25 to 40, usually curious and adventurous, make it so easy to connect. That combination of leaders and travelers is what keeps me coming back.”