I have had the privilege of visiting over 50 countries in North and South America, Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. I’ve tasted the best kimchi in S. Korea, did a home stay on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, took an overnight train through Thailand, hiked the big island of Hawaii, sailed in Sweden, been on a night game drive in Kenya, had fresh coconut on a Venezuelan beach, seen tulips galore in Holland, hiked the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, skied Colorado, surfed in Cabo, and more.

My wanderlust was primarily developed by my family and later a transformative trip when I was a teen. My grandparents came to the US through Ellis Island from Holland and the Czech Republic and settled in an immigrant community in New York. I was always fascinated by their food and language and it really shaped my childhood. Because of this, when I was 14, I jumped at the chance to spend a summer in the Loire Valley as part of the French language course at my school. I fell in love with culture, food, and way of life that I experienced.

Years later I started my career in finance at a large investment bank in New York City. Next, I studied law and policy in DC before practicing law for a large English firm in London. I met my husband in Copenhagen and we planned to live in London forever but ended up back in NYC.

Back in the States, I decided to ditch law and do what I really loved – planning events and travel. I changed careers and worked with large corporations planning incentive trips, retreats, and conferences and used that knowledge and destination experience to open AVD Global.

More than anything, I want to share with my clients my belief that travel is transformative and life enriching. There is so much to learn and experience from the world around us and we become better for doing so. I encourage you to leave the walls of your hotel – walk, eat, talk, and experience local life at your destination. The world is inspiring in so many ways – let’s go!