So Let's Go!

I’m not exactly sure when it happened, the overwhelming need to see the world. I think it’s always been a part of me - as it has been with many of us. However, there are a few notable early memories of intense wanderlust around the age of 6. The call was sounded and fueled by a fascination of Alaska - stemming from my love of White Fang and Balto. Thanks to Dorothy Jane Torkelson my sights expanded to Paris and The Secret Garden created a longing for both India and old English estates. It really just snowballed from there. Every movie, book, and thought I had was of traveling the world.

When I turned 18, I promptly jumped out of a plane to fulfill a promise to myself and began planning my first solo trip as a graduation gift to myself.

My Mom & I after the jump.

I explored the giants of Sequoia National Park, the hills of San Francisco, and the fish markets of Seattle. I had no experience with the logistics of travel and this trip provided me with a great crash course.

Lesson #1 - Not all airports are full of people 24 hours a day like the Atlanta airport. I ingrained this into my mind as I attempted to sleep on an abandoned airport bench.

Lesson #2 - Book tours in advance. I did not get to see any whales.

Lesson #3 - Hostels are cool but bring some flip flops (a lesson we all learn quickly).

Critical Lesson: Just go.

I survived and came home wiser and bolder. Years later I can still remember this trip as one of my all time favorites despite the missteps. It was the declaration of my independence and proof that I could do it.

Save for a few besties from middle school days, all of my favorite people have been acquired in the pursuit of travel. Whether it was spending an epic summer together drinking wine under the Tuscan sun, getting to know families who grew up on different sides of the Berlin Wall, or discussing the development of global citizenship, the desire to experience the world has driven every step of my life.

Perhaps you don’t think you need a Travel Advisor. After all you can research online for hours to find hidden gems on the multitude of travel blogs and book an awesome looking AirBnB. Sometimes this works and sometimes you are left in a foreign country where you don’t know the language with 3 different AirBnBs canceling on you last minute and sleeping under a bush to hide from the security that keeps telling you to move along (at least you assume that’s what they were saying). Maybe that hidden gem from the random travel blog was indeed a hidden gem, that cost you a few extra hundred dollars to get there and back leaving you hungry for the remainder of your trip. Maybe it all worked out and was completely lovely. I hope this is the case for you. After many years of penny pinching traveling I’ve finally come to realize that I don’t have to sacrifice culture for comfort. I can have both.

My goal as a Travel Advisor is to open up luxury experiences to those seeking a deeper cultural immersion as well as add culture and insight to those previously focused solely on soft bed linens. As I embark on this endeavor I hope you will follow along with me. I’ll offer tips, yes just like those other travel blogs, which you can take and use as you wish. After all, I want you to have the richest most fulfilling experience of your life and I’d love it if you returned home in one piece so you can repeat the process.

Must dash. The road is calling. Talk soon!

Holly

Holly Mann is an Independent Contractor affiliated with Vista Travel Consultants - a member of the Virtuoso Network - specializing in adventure travel, family travel, sustainable travel, and immersion travel. You can find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.