I’m a simple gal with a not-so-simple love for travel.
I grew up incredibly lucky. Travel was part of my childhood—road trips from Milwaukee to Kennebunkport, Maine, family vacations to Florida and Puerto Rico, and countless miles in the backseat of a car heading somewhere new. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate it. I was the youngest, the only girl, usually stuck in the middle seat, more focused on whose turn it was to play PlayStation 2 (yes, we hooked up a small television in the mini van) or making sure I didn’t have to sit there again. We read books, listened to Walkmans, played Game Boy—and mostly, I stared straight ahead instead of out the window.
What I didn’t realize was how much I was missing.
I remember pieces now: stopping in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia on a trip to Delaware, complaining about sore feet and the heat, seeing Benjamin Franklin’s desk, the Liberty Bell, a stranger asking if we were from Milwaukee. Those moments stuck—maybe because they mattered more than I knew at the time. I wish I remembered walking the National Mall or standing at the Lincoln Memorial more clearly. Some trips I wish I could redo. Others, I have.
After college, I studied abroad in France, and that changed everything. When I returned to the U.S., unsure of what came next, I found myself working for an Airlines That job opened the world to me. I traveled constantly—every other weekend, chasing new places and new perspectives. When the job ended after outsourcing, it was disappointing, but it clarified something important: travel wasn’t just a perk for me. It was my passion.
I was able to explore the Temples in Bali, Hike the Mojave Desert, Explore the Chateaux of France and Bavaria, Scuba Dive with turtles, etcetera etcetera.
So I stayed in the industry.
I joined a travel corporation and grew through nearly every corner of it—starting in the call center, moving to the air team, becoming a travel agent, working in weddings and group planning, then relocating to Hawaii to join the destination management team. From there, I worked as a hotel concierge and tours desk agent. It’s been an incredible journey, and one that’s given me a deep appreciation for how travel truly works behind the scenes.
Every role taught me something new. Every destination changed me a little.
I’ll keep learning, keep listening to fellow travelers, sharing my experiences, and helping you get your feet out the door to explore the world yourself—this time with my eyes firmly out the window.
