CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Without much to do outside of her apartment during quarantine, Megan Kottkamp began TikToking.


What You Need To Know

  • According to a survey by Tripadvisor, 74% of Americans don't plan on leaving the country this summer for a variety of reasons

  • One TikTok user created an itinerary around the world, right in Charlotte, no passport needed

  • Megan Kottkamp says she wants to celebrate small businesses and help people fall in love with Charlotte's diversity

She said it started out as fun, but now it's much more.

"I had 6,000 views, then took a shower and came back to 22,000, and that's when I started realizing it was going viral," Kottkamp said. 

Kottkamp's TikTok content discovers and celebrates places in North Carolina, especially Charlotte. 

She said when she came across a winery that looked a lot like one you'd find in the Italian countryside, she got an idea. 

"What if there are other places in North Carolina that are like this too," she asked.

She jumped on the internet and started to explore places in her own backyard. 

"Maybe not everybody will have the chance to go out of the country, so what if I can show them that they can kind of get a feel of other countries without leaving the state," Kottkamp said. 

According to a survey by Tripadvisor, 74% of Americans plan to travel domestically this summer. 

So Kottkamp created an itinerary for a trip around the world. No passport needed. 

On a full tank of gas, she set out on her adventure, traveling around the world, while celebrating her home city. 

Her first stop was Poland. 

She ordered a sampler plate to catch all of the authentic flavors of Poland at Zygma European Groceries and Deli.

"Sausage, pickles, four different perogies," were on the plate.

Not exactly Poland, but definitely authentic Polish food. 

Her next stop was Waldhorn Restaurant for German cuisine. 

"We're very traditional. We have German music ... and we're originally from Germany, raised and born," Waldhorn owner Gotta Maier said.

The last stop? France was the destination for dessert at Amelie's​ French Bakery. 

"I did two salted caramel brownies and German chocolate macaroon," Kottkamp said. 

Kottkamp said that besides enjoying food from around the world, her TikTok is to celebrate the Queen City and its international gems. 

"I love promoting local businesses and helping them because I know during COVID people were struggling. I'm hoping they can come here and discover new things and hopefully other people will discover that as well," Kottkamp said.

Kottkamp's TikTok series is in six parts containing restaurants from around North Carolina. Visit her page here