Ep 24: April Davidson Travel With Meaning

Hi! My name is April, nice to meet cha!
I was born in the 80’s. I moved around a lot in my earlier years. No, I wasn’t a military brat. We moved a lot partially because of my father’s work and partially because he was an explorer like me. I just say I’m from Louisiana and Alabama because that is where my roots come from and most of my family still lives there.
We moved away from Alabama when I was 7 years old. That was when I fell in love with traveling and the mountains. My parents along with me and my 2 sisters packed up everything we owned and moved to Ohio. Next it was beautiful Utah where we lived in the tiniest town I’ve ever lived, and many small towns along the way. I remember my childhood as being so much fun. We were always packing up and moving, taking long road trips to incredible places and camping. As a kid I had a blast!
We moved to Oregon when I was eight or nine years old. The first place we lived was way up in the mountains in a campground. The five of us lived the whole summer in a 15 foot camper. We hosted and managed the campground in exchange for food and propane. That was one of my favorite memories from my childhood. Everyday was an adventure! Living without electricity is a pretty cool experience. We even had to carry our water from the creek and heat it on the open fire to take baths in a make-shift tub out of a large cooler. Doesn’t that sound awesome!?
My mother was the best person I’ve ever known. She really was a strong woman. Through all of it she never complained. She was the master of making something amazing out of nothing. We never had a lot but we always had enough. She could take the most boring basic ingredients and make a stunning meal out of it, and outdoors to! Anytime I would complain or ask why we had to do all of this and why couldn’t we live like normal kids she would just say, “It’s an adventure! How many kids do you know that have the whole world as their backyard? You are lucky!”
My dad is such a free spirit and wanderer just like I am. He took us on the best adventures and always made sure we took “the scenic route” everywhere we went. And you better believe I was always right there with him, usually on his back or shoulders. It’s because of them that I have a love for the unknown, an appreciation for the little things, and look for every opportunity to turn a situation into an adventure.
I lived a pretty “normal” life in Oregon for 8 years, the longest I lived anywhere so far. I enjoyed goofing around and being silly with my friends growing up and summer days were spent at the river or lakes or out in the mountains. Oregon is absolutely breathtaking in the summer.
Then when I was 17 we moved to California, the summer before my senior year of high school. I got my first job at the local ski resort, Dodge Ridge, and when I graduated high school I became a full time snow bum. From the age of 17-21 I lived on the mountain and snowboarded everyday. It was the best time of my life! Then I decided it was time to grow up, so I moved to Los Angeles.
I moved to LA in 2006, and attended The Art Institute, where I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design. Art school was unreal! I was at the top of my class and graduated with Honors. I was a winner at the Art Institute’s annual fashion show and even got to show my collection at LA Fashion Week, which is a big deal! After graduation I worked on some film and commercials doing wardrobe and I fell in love with costume work. I enjoy the creativity involved in Costuming and the entertainment world is a lot of fun.
A couple years ago I decided to take a step back from the Fashion world and focus my attention on something else. It’s so easy to get sucked into the hustle and bustle of the city life and forget your purpose. So I’ve been taking every opportunity to go outside and live the life I love. Not just going about the daily routine but actively LIVING life!
The fashion and the creativity