Why I Travel - And Why It’s Always Been Part of Me!
People often ask me, “Why do you travel so much?” My answer is simple: travel gives me more than souvenirs—it gives me stories, perspective, and connection. But if I’m being honest, travel didn’t become part of my life. It started with me.
🌎 Born Into a Life of Travel
My travel story began the day I was born—in South America, where my parents were serving as missionaries. Depending on which parent you ask, the details vary a bit. My dad likes to say we lived “in the jungle.” My mom assures me it was a town. Either way, we had monkeys swinging through the backyard stealing our laundry, so I’d say that counts as exotic.
From the very beginning, I was immersed in different cultures, languages, and places. I spent my early years traveling around Central and South America, attending churches with dirt floors, sharing meals with strangers who quickly became friends, and seeing the world through a lens of faith and curiosity.
Humble Road Trips with Big Memories
When we moved back to the States, my family traded mission field travel for classic American road trips. One summer, we packed all six of us into a minivan and drove 21 hours from Tennessee to Petoskey, Michigan. We camped in tents at a state park and cooked meals over an open fire. It poured rain—and yes, the tents leaked. One night, I woke up to find my sleeping bag floating in a puddle.
And yet, I still count that trip among my favorites. I remember finding a cozy little used bookstore. I remember my brothers shivering in the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. I remember laughing under the stars.
It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy. But it was real. It was together. It was ours.
🇬🇹 Guatemala: A Country Close to My Heart
When I was a teenager, I took a 7-day road trip from Maryville, TN to Chichicastenango, Guatemala—with two adults I had just met. Yes, really. My dad sent me because I was the only one in the group who spoke (a little) Spanish.
That journey was wild and unforgettable—but deeply meaningful. You see, Guatemala is part of my family’s story: both my brother and my nephew were adopted from an orphanage there. So this trip wasn’t just a cultural immersion—it was a return to the heartbeat of our family.
During that trip, we were held at gunpoint while traveling at night. It was terrifying. But it didn’t shake my love for Guatemala or its people. It simply reminded me that God is always with us, and also… not to travel remote roads after dark. Even now, Guatemala holds a sacred place in my heart.
🐘 Africa: Rugged Beauty, Real Perspective
Years later, I traveled to Africa with my dad and sister on a mission trip. It was raw and real—we slept on the floor in our host’s home, ate chicken from the backyard, and had lunch from the same mission buckets I helped pack back in Tennessee.
But I also got to:
Witness the power of Victoria Falls
Take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River alongside hippos
Ride on the back of an elephant with my sister at my side
Africa changed the way I saw the world. It gave me a deeper appreciation for both the beauty and brokenness of life—and for the incredible resilience of people around the globe.
Why I Still Travel
Now, as a wife, mom, librarian, and travel advisor, I carry those memories with me—and I work to create new ones for myself, my family, and my clients.
Because here’s the truth:Travel gives us something no one can ever take away. The memories I’ve made while traveling are pa
rt of who I am.
Like riding on the back of that elephant with my sister—something I’ll always hold close, even though she now lives more than 3,000 miles away.
Or sitting beside my grandfather on a Guatemalan mountainside, watching kids play soccer below. He’s no longer here—but I still have that moment.
Or standing in front of Cinderella’s Castle, watching my sons sing every word of the “Happily Ever After” fireworks as teenagers. Now as they are all grown up, I always have the memory to treasure.
These memories are priceless. They’re mine forever. And no one—not time, not distance, not loss—can take them away.
You Deserve That, Too
I travel because I want to keep creating those moments.
For my husband.
For my children.
For myself.
And for you—my clients and friends who trust me to help design something extraordinary.
So if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to book that trip, here’s your reminder: There will never be a perfect time. But there is still time to make memories that last forever. Let’s make it happen together.
