• Lisa Niver was a teacher before quitting her job to work on a cruise ship. • She's since been to 95 countries, founded We Said Go Travel, and wrote a travel memoir. • She believes a traveler's attitude and outlook shape their experiences, and that staying positive is key.

Traveling hasn't always been easy for Lisa Niver. You wouldn't know it from watching her “>We Said Go Travel, but she's had to overcome vision problems and her biggest fear in order to have some of her best adventures. Through her work as a teacher, she found that a positive outlook and a can-do attitude could take her more places than she imagined — 95 countries, to be exact.

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Lisa Niver's love of travel began at an early age.

Lisa Niver's love of travel began at an early age.

After dropping out of medical school, she taught preschool, then worked as a ski instructor at Club Med, where she met cruise ship employees on their vacation.

After dropping out of medical school, she taught preschool, then worked as a ski instructor at Club Med, where she met cruise ship employees on their vacation.

She decided to become one of them, and ended up working on cruise ships for almost seven years.

When Renaissance Cruises went bankrupt, she opted for low-budget travel, backpacking through Southeast Asia for 11 months.

When Renaissance Cruises went bankrupt, she opted for low-budget travel, backpacking through Southeast Asia for 11 months.

Niver then returned to teaching, traveling when she could and sharing her experiences with her students.

Niver then returned to teaching, traveling when she could and sharing her experiences with her students.

She told her students about gers she saw in Mongolia, and months later they recalled the round structures in a unit about architecture.

She started We Said Go Travel to share her own travel expertise and give others a platform to share their stories.

She started We Said Go Travel to share her own travel expertise and give others a platform to share their stories.

As a writer, speaker, and self-described “social media ninja,” Niver curates We Said Go Travel with content from 1,600 travel writers in 75 countries.

When one of her fifth graders taught her how to use iMovie during recess, she began making travel videos, too.

She now has over 610 videos on her YouTube channel, as well as channels on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

She now has over 610 videos on her YouTube channel, as well as channels on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

Traveling has come with its fair share of challenges for Niver, but that hasn't stopped her from visiting 95 countries.

Traveling has come with its fair share of challenges for Niver, but that hasn't stopped her from visiting 95 countries.

She has intermittent esotropia, a condition that impairs her vision and makes it difficult to navigate unfamiliar places.

She has intermittent esotropia, a condition that impairs her vision and makes it difficult to navigate unfamiliar places.

“That's been a huge thing to overcome,” she said. “Getting lost and being a traveler is not that great a combination, but I kept going.”

And though she is terrified of drowning, she conquered her fear and learned to scuba dive.

And though she is terrified of drowning, she conquered her fear and learned to scuba dive.

She's seen how a mindset can shape one's experience both in and out of the classroom and continues to propel herself forward into new adventures.

She's seen how a mindset can shape one's experience both in and out of the classroom and continues to propel herself forward into new adventures.

“One of the main things I've learned over the years is if you're open to it working out, it will,” she said. “You find what you're looking for.”

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