Hey! I’m Jackie! As is probably obvious from the existence of this site, I love to travel. And equally so, I love the planning and research leading up to traveling. Among friends and family, I’m the one exhausting the Airbnb options until I find the best three options to choose from, taking into account price, proximity to restaurants and bars, and accessibility from the airport or train station. And you can be sure that I’ve looked at every list of the best restaurants and must-try cuisine for a travel location. Take a look at my Google Maps and you will see thousands of locations that I starred in the lead-up to trips. What if my travel buddy wants to splurge on dinner one night? I’ve got it covered, with three to five options depending on location and cuisine. You want the coolest dive bar where the locals hang? Bonus if it has live music? No problem.

This preoccupation (some might call it an obsession) with being prepared when I travel doesn’t come from a need to have everything scheduled when I travel. My ideal travel style is a balance of adventurous activities (hiking, exploring ruins, dogsledding, etc) and semi-organized chilling (brewery hopping, lengthy dinners out, frequent coffees in cozy cafes, etc). If this sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee or beer), take a look at my guides! Or get in touch with me for personalized itineraries or guides if you, unlike me, dread the planning part of travel.

(Beyond my general love of travel, I worked for several years as a travel security analyst, and my professional background is in international security. This means that, in addition to the fun parts of travel planning, I am available to provide personalized travel security and safety consulting, including details of how to travel safely and healthily during the COVID pandemic. Get in touch through the Personalized Travel Planning page if this is of interest.)