Travel Julia's Way

26/09/2024

Y'all - our stay at the incredible Deplar Farms from was simply amazing, from start to finish. If I tried to explain it all to you, it would be a true Icelandic Saga, so instead I'll hit the high points.

1) The location is stunning and worth the long drive from Akuryeri. We were WOWed by the North, from the dramatic mountains, coastlines, and lakes - plus the Auroras came out to play every night we were there!!

2) The staff are so wonderful and attentive. Our adorable guide, .tejerina took such good care of us on our activities and made sure we had the itinerary that worked best for our time & the conditions. She even helped set up photoshoots for us. 😆 The bartenders were incredible - and they even brought in one of their cute pooches for me to cuddle while celebrating my birthday! (I think everyone wished me a HBD the second they saw me that day - it was super sweet.)

3) The facilities and food are top notch. Honestly, there were so many cool & cosy spots to curl up & relax in that we didn't even hit them all. Excellent yoga, gym, sauna, hot tubs, cold plunge (! I abstained!), treatment rooms, and even isopods (I also abstained). Books everywhere and the best playlist ever to keep you in a great vibe. Snacks & drinks were basically everywhere, and no request was too outlandish. My daily yogurt/granola/blueberries bowl was so good I had to take a pic. We also got to experience a few of their "outposts" that allow for additional cool experiences (like a full-on recording studio!).

So, Yeah- I'll stop before this gets to be any longer, but hopefully these shots give a glimpse of how awesome our stay was (especially in our little cubby room!!). Big thanks to my travel buddies for this adventure - and - y'all are the best!!....

19/09/2024

Today was too good of a day not to live on my feed forever.
1: Working backwards with the "raisin at the end of our hot dog" - the clouds shifted just enough for our first taste of the Auroras!!! ✅ 🌌
2: We had a delicious & fascinating dinner in a cave!! ✅ 🍲
3: We hiked a glacier (and even had a champagne toast ON the glacier for a milestone birthday & retirement in our group)! Massive thanks to for keeping us safe! ✅🥂
4: We saw the last of the big 3 waterfalls down south, Scogafoss, which was swollen & brown from all the rain. ✅🌈
5: We got to see actual lava & felt it nearly burn our faces off!!! ( - so cool!) ✅🌋
6: We got to see the black sand beach & basalt columns in Vik, and didn't get washed away by a rogue wave! ✅🌊

Honestly, it's a day I won't soon forget. Much more to come, but thanks to for inviting me along on your meticulously planned trip with - it has been beyond incredible (and we're on like day 4!), and of course, . Thanks for being a great roomie (again)!!
Time for 😴😴😴😴!!!!

12/09/2024

Before I head out on another adventure, I just have to share about the fabulous, inspiring, and revitalizing conference I just attended with my host agency, .
.......

I enjoyed basically every minute of the past three days, from powerful speakers (like pictured here and who I missed snapping a pic of b/c I was too busy writing down all of his brilliance), to connecting with so many of my amazing partners who make things happen (like , , and one of my first partner-friends, from ), to laughing and collaborating and yes, dancing with colleagues and coaches (too many to name & tag and too few pictured!). I got to advise the general session on a panel about my successes, and then masterminded with my fellow million dollar producing advisors on how to get even better the next day.
.......

It was exhausting but oh so fulfilling. I can't wait to implement so many of the nuggets I've brought home with me to improve my business so that my clients have even better experiences working with me and discovering that "je ne sais quoi" while out on their trips.
......

15/06/2024

"Everything you lose is a step you take... So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you've got no reason to be afraid..."

This night will stay with me for a long time. It's just a concert, and it's just pop music, and it's just a bunch of songs about breakups... Blah, blah, blah.

It was incredible.

Taylor Swift has figured something out. Something important, I think. The love, enthusiasm, and supportive nature of the crowd was something I haven't experienced in all my concert going days. It was well over 3 hours (plus Paramore's excellent set), and we walked nearly an hour there & back... And I'd do it all again in a second.

That's crazy talk, but it's the truth.

Make it happen. Take the trip. You can't get memories like these back.

Thanks to for joining me in this crazy trip - it was worth every penny!!!

06/06/2024

80 years ago this morning, this beautiful area looked quite a bit different. It's still the most incredible thing that happened, and I'm so moved every time I visit.

12/05/2024

Feted the Moms in my life today in my brand new screened-in porch! Can't wait to dream of and plan fabulous adventures around the world for my clients (and me!) from my own little slice of paradise. Of course, my own dear Mom had a huge hand in not only making this room happen, but supporting me in this crazy life I lead. Hugo may be staring adoringly at my sister (an amazing Mom in her own right), but make no mistake - "Nana" is his fave.
Hug them if you've got them, and if not - know they're always with you.

01/05/2024

Happy Global Travel Advisor Day!!!

I know I don't post as often on socials or share as much as I used to, but that's because I'm over here busily dreaming of all the wonderful experiences I'm planning for my clients! (Sadly, not in Paris over a wonderful chocolate chaud, only at my cluttered desk at home... today at least.) Whether it's seeing the Eras Tour in Europe, temple-hopping in Thailand, gasping at all the animals in Africa, or eating all the pasta across Italy - I LOVE being a part of all these different trips around the globe.

From meticulous planning to unexpected surprises, working with a travel professional ensures that every detail of your trip is taken care of. Even if you love planning travel on your own, collaborating with a travel advisor opens doors to new possibilities and unforgettable adventures! Huge thanks to all of my clients for trusting me with their valuable time - and to the , , and my global network of travel partners for all the support and work behind the scenes to make it possible to do this work for my clients.

Stay tuned for a truly kick-a** summer of travels from yours truly! :)

01/05/2024

Happy Global Travel Advisor Day!!!

I know I don't post as often on socials or share as much as I used to, but that's because I'm over here busily dreaming of all the wonderful experiences I'm planning for my clients! (Sadly, not in Paris over a wonderful chocolate chaud, only at my cluttered desk at home... today at least.) Whether it's seeing the Eras Tour in Europe, temple-hopping in Thailand, gasping at all the animals in Africa, or eating all the pasta across Italy - I LOVE being a part of all these different trips around the globe.

From meticulous planning to unexpected surprises, working with a travel professional ensures that every detail of your trip is taken care of. Even if you love planning travel on your own,
collaborating with a travel advisor opens doors to new possibilities and unforgettable adventures! Huge thanks to all of my clients for trusting me with their valuable time - and to the Gifted Travel Network, ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors, and my global network of Virtuoso Travel partners for all the support and work behind the scenes to make it possible to do this work for my clients.

Stay tuned for a truly kick-a** summer of travels from yours truly! :)

27/01/2024

Well this was a fun designation to hear about yesterday!! Selling $1M has always sort of been a benchmark in my business, but a goal I let go of post-pandemic because I realized I wanted more balance in my life. Funny how I finally made it in 2023, my 10th year in the biz!!! Huge thanks to all my clients who have trusted me with their vacation plans over the years, and who have helped me soar but allowed me to maintain a better balance in my life. Here's to an even more amazing 2024 with more incredible adventures for us all!

23/01/2024

Wellness is a big buzz word these days, and it can mean a lot of different things to different people.....
I really appreciate the approach takes with their "Live Well" retreats, which I have just finished in the snowy mountains outside Crested Butte. They focus on four pillars: move, breathe, nourish, and connect - and all that means is that each day of the retreat features lots of each of those. We were active each day and pushed ourselves (sometimes FAR) out of our comfort zones. We did lots of yoga and meditation (sound baths for the win!). We ate a TON of delicious and nutritious food - most of it gluten free and all of it freshly prepared with fascinating flavor combinations and textural elements. And more than anything: boy did we connect. There was so much togetherness with my 14 beautiful fellow retreaters, it was nearly impossible to get this shot!! Such wonderful women, many of whom I didn't know before this weekend, all of whom I know I could call anytime for anything. ....
I am so thrilled I got to be a part of it. Huge thanks to my friends at and for putting together such an amazing group (and inviting me along), and to the fabulous Caith, our gentle and loving retreat leader from Eleven Experience. Much more to come - it was an incredible four days!!!

21/11/2023

Bangkok!!!

Excuse this photo dump from our first morning in BKK, but we had such an awesome tour of the back canals (klongs) that I just couldn't resist! (And a reel was just going to be way too long! 😆)....
hooked us up with for this look into some of the lesser seen parts of this incredible city. Bangkok really is such a city of contrasts - we saw dilapidated shacks next to gorgeous teak mansions, loud long tail boats and small authentic skifts, Buddhas and wats and old Chinese temples and even a Catholic church and a mosque, an artists enclave (with the BEST iced chocolate the whole trip) and yes- lots of monitor lizards. (Those things get HUGE, and while harmless, still give me the heebie-jeebies!!) ....
It was so great to get a picture of what everyday life along the canals is like; to learn about the early Portuguese settlers (still blown away by all the foods they introduced to the diet which are STAPLES of today's Thai food); and get away from the insane traffic for a morning. ....
This is why I always encourage people to give Bangkok a chance - every time I go I uncover something new. It should definitely be more than a stopover to the beaches or the mountains!....

06/11/2023

Same same, but different - AGAIN!!....
Listen, the second I got into my room at and the rain cleared up for a bit, I hopped right into my private plunge pool and had a little photo shoot. (Always working on my influencer status, you know! 😂). I couldn't decide which one I liked most, so I included my top 3. ☺️....
But this is what I was talking about in my last post. Both of these resorts are directly on the Andaman sea in southern Thailand (and only about a ~3 hour drive from each other), but they couldn't be more different. While the Phuket property was a bastion of wellness & privacy & solitude, Krabi is all about the views, the views, and the views. Seriously gorgeous property, still basically brand new, well worth the visit, but completely different. ....
Which would you prefer????

05/11/2023

Same same, but different!!....
I've worn this exact combination a few times this year on a few different beaches around the world- Greece, Spain, South Carolina, and now Thailand - and while the hat's looking a little worse for the wear, I'm just as happy in this beach as any of the others.....
You see, when people hear what I do for a living they inevitably ask me, "oh, what's your favorite place???" and I always answer- there's not one. Each of those four locations offers something different and amazing, and picking one over another as a "favorite" is just impossible. Some people may prefer the upbeat vibe at a posh beach club in Ibiza, while others may prefer the (mostly) quiet national park vibe outside the (I say mostly, b/c jet skis were zipping around from some vendors way down the beach... But no hawkers and virtually no services marred the natural beauty of the beach!)....
It's my job to help you find what location fits your vibe (and timing and budget) the best, and then match you to the resort that gives you the best access. You see, this particular resort is really across the street from the water, with no real beach views, which may be a problem for beach bums... but wellness junkies (or golfers) won't care b/c they'll be enjoying the spectacular spa (or 18-hole golf course) instead. Make sense???....

19/10/2023

Well, we did it! "Travel Julia's Way" officially celebrating 10 years of service, and I couldn't have done it without SO many people, many of whom were in the room. I even managed a little speech amongst the hugs & travel talk...
Huge thanks go out to:

🌟My wonderful assistant who really put everything together and kept me sane & organized (as she does in a daily basis).

🦁Sandy Salle from for partially sponsoring the evening and charming so many of my clients that I know I'll be fielding more safari requests in the near future!

💫 Jen Cochrane representing the team from , without whom I seriously doubt I would have made it to 10 years. I so appreciate her friendship and wisdom (and strategy coaching) over the past ~8-9 years!!!

🤱My darling Momma who is always the best travel buddy and wise counsel any girl could hope for (and, honestly, the life of the party last night).

🎈 for not only giving me beautiful balloons to spruce up the joint, but for also coming and celebrating with me!

💐 for the gorgeous flowers & extra decor. I'll treasure my little "Happy 10th" signed mat for a long time!!

& for the beautiful space and delicious food & wine. We were all incredibly well-fed and only one person got lost finding us. 😆....
All in all it was a wonderful night and I so appreciate everyone that was able to come. 10 years as an entrepreneur is a big deal I guess, but I can't imagine doing anything else... so here's to 10 more years of helping my clients discover the "je ne sais quoi" of their dream destinations!!!....

15/10/2023

Y'all - it's time to CELEBRATE!!! SO. Many. Things!!!
🎉🎉🎉
So much excitement of late: I launched my new Safari page on my website (thanks !); I celebrated a beautiful home warming this weekend (thanks for the invite!); I celebrated my host agency's 10th anniversary last week (thanks for everything !); and on this coming Wednesday: it's my turn.
🥂🥂🥂
Travel Julia's Way officially turns 10 years old this week and I'm having a party to mark the accomplishment. I've invited my local clients, but there could definitely be some people not on my email list, so if you're going to be in Hickory Wednesday evening, let me know!!! The more the merrier.
🥳🥳🥳

22/08/2023

I can't resist giving this girl a place on my feed. The more I look at this pic, the more I like it, so she's graduating from just a blip in my Tanzania highlights (which are growing, btw, in case you've missed my latest stories). The Serengeti is simply amazing, and I love that had us hop between a number of to see as much as we could. Get ready- the Ngorongoro Crater is coming up next!!....
Side note: Did you know that staying with one family/brand of lodges can help your overall safari rate?? Ask me how!....

14/08/2023

It's taken me AGES, but I'm finally getting all of my Africa pics organized. It's SO fun to dig into everything - but I wanted to start with a blog post that is more of an overview. Check out my site (link in bio) to read about all the differences between Eastern and Southern African safaris. I would love to help you choose which safari might be right for you!....
I promise that I'll start getting back into the nitty-gritty on stories- I'm barely 1/2 way through Tanzania and haven't even scratched the surface of amazing Botswana!! For now- check the blog for some of my faves!....

06/07/2023

Hey friends! I promise I'm going to finish sharing all about my amazing Virgin Voyages experience, but for right now I'm digging in and working on my fall trips. Speaking of, I absolutely LOVE this experience I put together with the amazing Karla Woggon, and we have two spots left (one double room)!!! (Believe me, I was sad when I realized I wasn't able to join them... )

So if you're looking for something amazing and different to do in September, consider trekking along the beautiful Welsh coast!
Details in the link:

On a pilgrimage, we wan...