Journey Here Travel was born of a desire to empower and inspire women to travel bravely.
Julianne and Heather grew up smack dab in the middle of the United States. But each of us had a restlessness that today drives us to seek the far corners of the planet.
World travel may not have been a part of our youth … but we’re making up for it now. Julianne took her first trans-Atlantic trip at 30; Heather at 46. We’re seizing all the days.
At Journey Here, we envision a world in which other women also feel confident, well equipped and excited to travel and explore in whatever way they choose.
And in that spirit …
- We believe there are no wrong ways to start traveling.
- We believe in better late than never.
- We believe there are no dumb questions.
- We believe in being respectful travelers and good human beings.
- We believe in the power of curiosity.
- We believe in making mistakes and learning from them. (And our lists are long!)
We want to share our Journey Here, or there, with you. More importantly, we want to inspire you to travel. Better!
Julianne and Heather — Journey Here Travel
Meet Julianne
When I was little, I wanted to be a lawyer. I thought it would be a great way to make money. My mom thought it would be a great way to employ my tendency to argue my case for every single thing.
But I didn’t want to go to school that long. (See the bachelor’s degree bullet below.) I was ready to get married and go to work (professionally, that is; I’d been working since I was 15). So at the ripe old age of 21, I did both.
The marriage didn’t last, however, and I’m still figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. My career has included work in newspapers, publishing, nonprofit marketing and advertising. Writer, editor, reporter, social media manager, marketing manager, sommelier, account executive, volunteer coordinator, ecommerce business owner…my list of job titles is really long.
The one consistent thing? I love to travel. When I was a kid, our family traveled from Indiana to Denver every other summer to visit my cousins, and I fell in love with the mountains. That’s how I ended up living here twice — this time for good. Our family also camped a lot, and my happy place is still on a hiking trail. My parents also took us to major exhibits at art galleries, a pretty rare thing for three little middle class Midwestern girls who lived in the country. So when I took a solo trip to Paris, I spent four full days in the Louvre, one in the galleries in Moulin Rouge and one in the Musee de Orsay. And I’d totally go back for more.
Even when I was a broke single mom, I made travel a priority. After a trip to Spain to see a longtime boyfriend who had moved there for school (and subsequently dumped me via email), I promised my little girl that she could go to Spain, too. So when she was 11, I took her to Malaga. (See a snapshot on our FAQs page.) We’ve also traveled together to Honduras, Nicaragua, Los Angeles, New York, Charleston, Dallas and Fort Worth, New Orleans, Hilton Head, Hawaii, and multiple places in Michigan, Florida, Indiana and Colorado. I’ve gotten really, really good at budget travel over the years.
I’m also a diehard planner, a rule follower, a restless soul, a fearless introvert and curious in the extreme. (Yes, that’s really spelled “nerd.”)
In short, I don’t sit still very well. When I’m not traveling, I’m usually working on my laptop, outdoors with my family, going to the gym, cleaning and organizing something, reading one of my countless magazines or doping out my next adventure. You should absolutely come with me!
Other random facts:
I earned the CELTA from Cambridge University to teach English as a second or foreign language and passed the Introductory Level of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
I’ve traveled to Italy, Spain, France, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the Bahamas, Jamaica, China, Norway, Peru, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Uganda, as well as many cities across the U.S. Puerto Rico is next on the list.
I’ve jumped out of an airplane, scaled mountains, crossed the Nile, walked the Great Wall and published several books. I honestly don’t think I’d jump out of an airplane again.
I was recently SCUBA certified in Lake Michigan. It was a lot harder than I imagined, but I look forward to diving on trips.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in three years with a full scholarship as a golf caddie. I am a terrible golfer.
Meet Heather
When I was four years old I loaded up my little red wagon with my rainbow suitcase and my white teddy bear and decided I was going to go out on my own, I’d had it with being told what to do.
This bullheadedness and desire to see what’s around the next corner is what drives most of my life’s decisions, the good and the … questionable.
From an early age, I loved adventures.
When I was ten years old, my aunt and uncle in upstate New York paid for me to fly out, all by myself, and visit them for two weeks. I spent the first week at their home in Schenectady, alone while they worked. I entertained myself by walking downtown and wandering through stores. I loved the freedom of being on my own exploring; the early 80s were a different time! The following week we spent at a cabin in the Catskill mountains, and every morning my uncle would take me out “Boondocking.” Really we were just rambling around exploring mountain roads, taking hikes, and picking wildflowers for my aunt, so she could sleep in.
What I learned from that trip was I liked being on my own and I liked exploring.
Eventually, I met a handsome boy, and at 21, I got married. A decade later, I was a single parent to three beautiful children.
I’ve sold radio, produced TV commercials, worked at an advertising agency and currently work full-time as the marketing director for a solar equipment distributor. I’ve also tended bar and cleaned houses as a side hustle. Necessary in my early single mom days just to keep the lights on and, eventually, as the kids got older, to put away money for family vacations.
I took my first trans-Atlantic flight to Ireland in 2016 at the age of 46!
Since then, I have been hooked and spend any extra money I can scrape together on trips. So far, I have been to China, Canada, Portugal, Mexico, France, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and all over the United States.
When I’m not travel planning or working, I like to hike with my friends, eat dessert and drink fancy cocktails. I love my local YMCA and spend a lot of time at the gym. I’m constantly pushing myself to learn new things.
I have three amazing adult children. I’m incredibly grateful for their love and support.
I am so glad you found us!
