I am a woman who grew up in a small town in Ohio and wanted a bigger life than just a career, marriage and children and spent my entire childhood dreaming of places far away. My dreams to see the world came true as I have now lived in Auckland, New York City, Hong Kong, Prague, Delhi, Mumbai and Mexico and have visited over 150 countries across all 7 continents. I have spent 15 years working in the travel industry ranging from account management for Booking.com to running a socially responsible travel company in India called Reality Tours and Travel. These professional roles gave me the chance to learn the travel industry inside out and this, combined with my own personal experience, has allowed me to plan and execute trips that I never thought possible.
Throughout my travels around the world, I was constantly welcomed with open arms and cheerful smiles. These interactions led to hundreds, if not thousands, of heart-warming memories that have shaped me into the person that I am today. While it was awesome to see Machu Picchu for the first time, it didn’t compare to the wonderful night that my dad and I had drinking beer with locals in Lima or the joy of discovering a real German bar complete with life-sized models of beer madchens. Going to see the ruins of Chernobyl was something that a history nerd like me dreamed of but being greeted with a warm smile at every cafe or restaurant I went to in Kyiv is what made me fall in love in Ukraine. While I loved seeing the magnificent monuments of India, the hours and hours I spent laughing so hard that it hurt at the crazy sights, sounds and people are something that I will forever be grateful for.
These tiny slivers of memories are something that I hold near and dear and I am so incredibly happy that I got to experience it. This is why I have started Notripophobia. I want to highlight the many wonderful places in the world that aren’t on the tourist radar. The places where people have big hearts but small bank accounts. The places that few people travel to but have a ton to offer. The places that need you. I want to encourage people to go off the beaten track and seek out alternative travel destinations.
When I am not traveling, you can find me hiking, watching my favorite Broadway musical, visiting history museums, and drinking beer.
If you would like to know more about my journey and how I started on this path, you can find the full story here.