I can’t visualize or recall images. I make a living traveling the world and take photos to preserve my memories. [Video]

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Boardman, a 36-year-old former teacher and current content creator from Massachusetts who has lived abroad for the past 12 years in countries including Vietnam, Australia, Guatemala, and Bahrain. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I’m from a tiny town of 1,300 people in middle-of-nowhere Massachusetts. There’s not even a store in my town.

Going back as far as eighth grade, my goal has always been to travel the world.

In the last 12 years, I’ve traveled to 53 different countries and have lived in 10, including Germany, France, Thailand, Australia, Guatemala, Bahrain, and Indonesia.

I’ve always enjoyed sharing my adventures and experiences, and capturing my life through photos and videos to show the world. It’s also a way for me to preserve my memories.

I have this thing called aphantasia, which is the inability to visualize in your mind. …