My parents loved to travel. My dad was an attorney with a prominent firm who took work very seriously. Yet, despite his strong work ethic and long hours at the office, dad loved to vacation! The second you got him on a plane (or behind the wheel of that old wood-paneled station wagon for a drive cross-country as the case may be), he had this incredible ability to just turn it all off, completely leaving work behind. Few can manage that type of work-life balance and I’m now making a conscious effort to try to emulate him!    

My mom’s parents also traveled a lot. They especially loved remote exotic places. My grandpa was a true adventurer in every sense of the word. They would take supplies to villagers overseas, then spend time scuba diving and exploring their new friends’ backyards discovering places few had been before back then. He even created his own waterproof cases for his cameras long before they were sold commercially so he could film his underwater explorations. Perhaps the thing my grandpa was most proud of was his role as trip photographer on an “infamous” run down the El Sumidero River documented in the 1960’s little known film Run the Wild River. I say “infamous” because in our family we were forced to watch that film every year around the holidays which I admit, I was not always enthusiastic about in my younger years! Well, that trip earned him a spot in the prestigious Adventurer’s Club which was something we were all proud of. Grandpa was also known as a storyteller extraordinaire always telling us kids tall tales!  

When I was young, grandma and grandpa always sent me postcards with unique stamps from their travels stirring my imagination. My sense of wanderlust grew stronger when they, along with my parents and other family, hosted students from other countries as part of foreign exchange student programs. I remember always being fascinated by these interesting visitors sharing stories of far-away lands sparking my curiosity and passion to see those places for myself.   

All my life, I’ve been surrounded by photography, travel and stories. So, it makes perfect sense that my wanderlust has led me to spend as much time as my hectic work schedule allows exploring remote spots (and many not so remote spots) both in my own backyard and across the globe. I hope you join me on these adventures as I share my travels and stories with you!