Chelsey Jacobs, a 2023 graduate of the University of Miami’s School of Education and Human Development, took an unconventional route after her studies. Rather than stepping into a traditional career, Jacobs embarked on a transformative solo backpacking journey across South America, leaving in July 2023 and returning in August 2024. Her year-long adventure wasn’t just about travel; it was a deeply personal journey that began in response to tragedy.
In 2020, during her sophomore year, Jacobs faced the loss of her boyfriend, an event that reshaped her perspective and set her on a path of self-discovery.
“In that moment, the only thing running through my mind was, ‘Who do you want to be? Who do you want to become, Chelsey?’” said Jacobs. This profound loss prompted her to shift from her original criminology major to human and social development, where she found purpose and direction.
After graduating, Jacobs created “Postcards from Chelsey,” a business that guides others on personal growth journeys, encouraging alternative paths beyond conventional career or academic tracks.
“Postcards from Chelsey is about helping others become their greatest healer...turning their tragedy into their temple, which I did,” said Jacobs.
Her travels gave her unique insights into low-budget travel, self-discovery, and cultural immersion, insights she shares with others—especially students contemplating gap years or alternative paths.
“If you have a calling to explore more than what you grew up in...the more that you learn about different ways, the more you open yourself up to the unknown,” said Jacobs. Her message is simple: by understanding others, we come to understand ourselves.
For Jacobs, travel became a powerful catalyst for personal growth, allowing her to navigate grief, shed societal expectations, and cultivate resilience.
“I had to really sit with myself and find comfort within...It was through those uncomfortable moments that I can now sit here with certainty about the direction I want to go,” said Jacobs. “Traveling to foreign places where nobody knows you allows you to try on any identity, any label, and see what resonates,” she added.
Through “Postcards from Chelsey,” Jacobs hopes to help others turn their own tragedies into transformative experiences, offering guidance rooted in empathy and experience.
“People have such a hard time taking dark moments and truly letting them illuminate their life, alchemizing it into pure gold,” said Jacobs.
