Get Out Of Town

see the world.I'm so lucky to have the adventurous, travel-loving husband that I do. Traveling with a loved one is an amazing bonding experience. Matt's knowledge of history and art means that I have my own personal museum guide! Together, we keep a travel blog found here. In this picture, we are in Rome during our first big trip in Europe. We spent a month traveling through Italy, France, and Spain. Even though I had traveled at a younger age, and even though Matt and I had already visited Hawaii together, this trip was different. It required planning and research that at times felt overwhelming. I remember getting completely stuck on my transportation options through southern France. I couldn't find any good train routes and I didn't know what to do. So, I booked a session with a travel consultant. As soon as I explained my predicament, the consultant looked at me and said, "Why don't you just rent a car?"

BOOM! Why had I never thought of this? I could just rent a car! We spent the rest of the hour working out a few other details, and I left feeling calm and confident with our plans. There is something scary about planning a trip. You don't want to make mistakes because you want to get the most bang for your buck in your limited time. And I felt that pressure. I still feel that pressure when I'm planning my trips. I spend hours researching, weighing my options, and organizing my plans. And I realized that there are two kinds of people. People who like planning and people who don't. As someone who likes planning, I myself have hired a total of three consultants at different times when I have felt stuck. Once when I wanted affirmation of my transportation choices in Switzerland, and one to help me pack a perfect travel wardrobe into a backpack. She went shopping with me, and we accomplished more in one afternoon that I would have accomplished in months. Each time I worked with someone, I learned new tricks and had new insights. The more I started to travel, the more I started to talk about travel and research about travel. In fact, my podcasts on my phone are mostly travel podcasts, which is a little embarrassing. I started giving advice to friends and coworkers, and even strangers! I even made a couple of people entire itineraries! I soon realized that people like me, who like planning by themselves need great, easy to access resources and advice from someone they trust. That's why I write Travel Tips each week. I also realized that many people hate planning, are too busy to plan, or feel stuck like I sometimes do. This is why I started consulting. Meeting with people one-on-one, for me, is the most fulfilling way to help clients. So, why do I obsess about travel so much? Well, there are many reasons. Here are just a few...

THE FOOD. MY GOD, THE FOOD. As a food lover, one of the best aspects of travel is trying new regional foods. Every meal is a special experience! That is why I shamelessly take pictures of every plate...

BEAUTY
When I'm trying to decide where to go, I look at tons of pictures. The more beautiful a place is, the higher it gets on my list. ADVENTURE
Travel brings out the adventurous in all of us. New opportunities will arrive, and I suggest saying "yes" as often as you can. You will love letting go, and the memories will stay with you forever!

-Jessica Stegner