Growing up on the islands of Guam in the Pacific Ocean and St. Thomas in the Caribbean gave me a love and appreciation for corals, fish and the tropical lifestyle. In high school, I enjoyed the experience of living in a metropolitan area in New Jersey, an hour outside New York City. During college, I had the opportunity to study French Literature at the University of Grenoble while living with a French family in the Alps. After that, I settled into Amish country in Pennsylvania for a bit where I completed my degree in French Literature and Education. Shortly thereafter, my husband and I moved to Gettysburg, living right beside one of the famous battlefields, for five years. While my husband and I loved the lifestyle of small-town Pennsylvania, we also yearned for more international experiences and jumped at the opportunity to live in central Switzerland when he was offered a position there with his company. During our stay there for 5 ½ years, we traveled extensively throughout Europe, developing a particular fondness for Italy. Finally, in the summer of 2000, we decided to return to the mainland USA and relocated in Hickory, North Carolina, which has been our home ever since.
Now I use Hickory as my home-base from which I continue to explore the rest of the world. My three children, all young adults now, also love to travel. As a home-school family, we had flexibility in our schedules, allowing for some travel opportunities we might not otherwise have had. My family and I have reflected on how some of our best memories stem from our family vacations.
Since both my university education and my practical-life experiences have been focused on foreign languages, culture, and teaching, working with people and exploring other cultures is a natural extension of my experiences. As a travel agent, I am constantly taking new courses to learn more about different destinations and the companies that provide travel opportunities to them. I love to hear about what people enjoy in vacations and to use my background and insights in travel along with my ever-growing knowledge of tour operators, resorts, cruises and wonderful world-wide destinations to help my clients find the vacation that fits their interests, time frame and budget.
Insights in Travel Blog 