The flight that started it all…
In October 2015, I nervously embarked on my first ever solo travel adventure. Not only was I going alone for the first time, but I was going to BALI, which is practically on the complete opposite side of the world! To be frank, I was terrified. As I walked through the airport in Taiwan waiting for my flight to Bali, I thought to myself, “What am I doing here?”
When I arrived at the yoga retreat center, however, I was immediately at ease. The people and atmosphere in Bali are so friendly and relaxed. It didn’t take long for me to realize there wasn’t anything to be afraid of. I spent a week in pure bliss, exploring Balinese culture, meeting new people, and becoming more in-tune with myself than I’d ever been before.
When I returned home, I wanted to carry that feeling of self-awareness and focus into my everyday life. That’s when I decided to start my travel blog called AUMTHEWORLD and continued to travel solo 2-3 times a year, sharing my experiences and revelations along the way. Since then, AUMTHEWORLD has morphed from solely a travel blog to both a source of information for would-be travelers and a vehicle for those who wish to pull the trigger and actually make their own travel goals come to life.
It is my firm belief that all travel embodies some element of restoration. You don’t have to go to a yoga retreat to find clarity (although that helps!). You just need to overcome the mental hurdle that keeps so many of us from realizing our travel dreams and in turn, a fulfilling life. Once you get over that first intimidating step, it gets easier—I promise!
And, so Aum Journeys was born…
After working as a travel advisor at a large national travel agency for 5 years, I decided it was time to take my mission of bringing travel and purpose into the lives of hardworking people to the next level. Turning AUMTHEWORLD into Aum Journeys LLC allowed me to really hone in on the full custom travel experiences and personalized service that isn’t possible with such a large, corporate company. It also gives me the opportunity to travel more, which is invaluable when it comes to bringing my clients firsthand destination knowledge and recommendations.
Before entering the travel industry, I attended Michigan State University and earned a Bachelor’s in English with specializations in Spanish and Professional Writing. Since then, I’ve earned many travel-specific designations with The Travel Industry and continue to keep up-to-date on all of the current events and travel offerings to make my travel services invaluable in today’s fast-paced, online world. In a world of online booking engines and automation, I can honestly say that you won’t get the same level of personalization, firsthand destination knowledge, or unique recommendations anywhere else.
On a personal note…
I love reading, food and wine, hiking, nature, painting, and my bloodhound Maggie Mae. Since I was little, I’ve always had a very deep respect for the rainforest, so a couple of my favorite destinations in the world are Panama and Peru, where the rainforest is alive with sounds and colors. I love the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and hope to live on the shores of Lake Superior one day sooner rather than later. Fitness and healthy eating are both important to me, but I also love to indulge on a good greasy pizza every now and then! I collect postcards and hate shopping that isn’t online. Reality TV, peanut butter, and midnight sweets are my guilty pleasures. I love trying my hand at cooking international recipes from places I’ve been (and not been!)–I’ve gotten pretty good at it, but of course the dishes are never as tasty as the ones in the actual country.
Want to know more? Follow me on Instagram, where I share my travels and everyday life through photos!
