Why Travel Beyond
Working for Travel Beyond embraces my passion for opening doors to new experiences and providing opportunities for lifelong memories. My previous careers have shared this same theme in various forms. At Travel Beyond I am privileged to take my passion worldwide. An experience is worth a million words, whether it is walking a new trail or taking a different route on a routine drive. Life is full of wonderful experiences to embrace daily. I eagerly look forward to days with Travel Beyond, expanding opportunities to experience and feel fully alive in this beautiful world we are gifted.
Education
BS in Vocational Rehabilitation, minor in community-based living for people with disabilities at UW-Stout, WI.
MA in Human Development, minor in meditation coaching at St Mary’s University, MN.
Experience Living Abroad
I lived in Scotland for 4 months. Hiking waterfalls, trekking in the countryside, and connecting with the locals. It was action packed and a wonderful time!
Career History
Starting in college there was a mandate for hospital institutions to move people with disabilities into community-based housing. I was privileged to work with six individuals, who had never known what a living room was. To this day, I still remember the looks on their faces when we baked a cake for the first time or went to the movie theater. The joy and curiosity everyone showed by experiencing something outside of their normal routine brought such a delight to my life I knew I had found my passion: to provide others with amazing opportunities and experiences. I continued with my career working with families moving to the USA for the first time on work visas. Again, seeing their eyes light up with excitement on all the new experiences brings such a joy to the day.
Most Memorable Travel Experience
Trekking the Ausangate Mountain southeast of Cusco, Peru. At the base of the mountain, I was surprised to find five-leaf and four-leaf clover plants, a rare variation of the three-leaf clover. Legend says the more leaves found on a clover are highlighted to bring good luck. It felt like a magical day to find such a rare small plant amongst the vast grasses on the mountain side. Sometimes it is the small things in life that can bring delight to the day! Near the top of Ausangate, there is a beautiful set of lakes. One lake looks like an eyeball watching you, as there is a tiny patch of land in the middle of it, while the other lakes are a thick aqua blue. Waking up inside the clouds is an experience I wish upon many.
My Most Recent Trip
I spent 30 days with various native tribes in villages on the Adean Mountains, Paucartambo, Peru. I enjoyed the locals’ playfulness, home cooked potato dishes, and incredible community teamwork. It was amazing to see the entire village pulling together, no one was homeless or hungry. Each member of the village played an important part in their community, creating authentic connections at every turn. Amongst the spectacular views along the sides of the mountains, we saw condors flying the cliff edges and eagles nesting in the large eucalyptus trees. Some trees took sixteen people to wrap our arms around. Driving up the Ausangate mountain was a whole new adventure, over rocks and through rivers, then trekking the rest of the way until we reached the last semi-flat pastures before the sharp peak began. It was breathtaking! High above tree level, the alpacas would feed on the mossy rocks. Snow would greet us in the morning and the salmon pools would feed us in the evenings.