Growing up in a rural village in Southern Ontario surrounded by cattle and corn fields, I discovered the world through my grandfather’s National Geographic magazines. I longed to see the world for myself, hear romantic languages, dance to different rhythms, taste and smell exotic foods, and fall in love over and over.

At 18, my best friend and I embarked on our first Epic Adventure with Eurail passes and unwieldy backpacks, following our hearts and the weather. The journey took an unexpected turn, however, when a bomb went off at Frankfurt airport. Devastated and scared, we found ourselves in Zurich at midnight with no money and no place to stay.

Despite this and other challenges, my initial 48 hours in Europe didn’t derail me. Instead, they showed me my resilience and capabilities. Real travel isn’t always glamorous – it’s filled with language gaffes, unfamiliar foods, and lost-in-translation moments that are enlightening and humbling.

Throughout my life, I pursued my passion for travel. I earned degrees in Classical Civilization and Recreation & Tourism, worked in London, hitchhiked through the UK and Ireland, and experienced the grace of strangers in Greece and Costa Rica.

Now is YOUR right time to tick off those bucket list items. Tomorrow is uncertain, so seize the moment, and I’ll take care of the logistics. Pack your bags and go find wonder with Epic Global Adventures.

Both my parents immigrated to the United States and taught me by example to not only embrace “new” and “different”, but to seek it out and truly own my experiences, which became my way of life. By the age of 18, I had lived in 14 different places, spending every summer of my childhood living with family in Germany and Austria.

I graduated from an international high school in Brazil and vagabonded through Europe by myself after college. I met my husband and got married in Montana. Finally, I put down roots when I landed in Maine on a whim in 1996. I literally said, “Let’s move here! They get a lot of sunny days and have a cool live-music scene!”

When I travel anywhere, I become closer to my own true essence, as traveling reminds me to savor each moment. When something is new—a view, language, flavor, smell—it’s easy to pause and relish in the newness.

By paying closer attention to everything within the context of ME, I become intimately more connected with the world. When I come home from traveling, I try to make a conscious effort to bring that awareness into my everyday life.

It would be my honor to share with you the absolute magic that comes from opening yourself up to the “new” and the “different.”