I am a travel and food obsessed Midwesterner living in Chicago and dreaming of the world. I work as a full-time program manager for Greenheart Travel, but I am also committed to integrating the travel lifestyle into my every day routines. I am passionate about ethical travel, meeting new people, creating unique memories and eating local cuisine! Learn more about me and follow my journeys abroad here on my blog.

Since my first time abroad, traveling became ingrained in my persona. It is no longer something I do; it is something I am. Exploring the world and learning about its ways is inspiring, exciting, and nerve-wrecking all at the same time. I love the feeling of landing in a total foreign place and just figuring it out. But I thrive in this constant state of physical and mental flux. I may not be someone who will easily settle down, and I love the feeling of freedom that travel gives you.

Visiting other cultures and seeing beautiful landscapes inspires me and traveling has made me the person I am today; yet, with each new experience, I find myself changing. And always in ways I don’t expect! Exposing oneself to other cultures and lifestyles impacts your worldview, opinions and interactions in a way that cannot be replicated through any other method of learning.

I believe those that travel are more tolerant, respectful and open-minded because of their choice to see and experience things that are different from them. When traveling, you have to roll with the punches, be flexible, open and willing to grow when you travel. I am a product of this experiential, culturally immersed learning and I will forever be a supporter of learning from the world around you. To all the female travelers out there, I congratulate you for being brave, bold, interesting and adventurous. You are actively making the world a better place.