Why I Believe Travel Is About More Than the Destination
Why Travel Has Always Meant More to Me
I didn’t start Wander Barefoot because I love pretty beaches… even though I definitely do.
I started it because travel was the first time I realized how deeply connected we all are, even when our lives look completely different.
When I was seven, my family traveled to Mexico to visit relatives. While there, I met a girl my age. She was always barefoot, always smiling, and she quickly became my little tour guide. She showed me her town, her favorite spots, the way she saw the world.
On one of my last days there, I asked her why she never wore shoes. She casually told me she didn’t have any. Earlier that trip, my family had gone shopping, and without really thinking, I gave her my shoes.
I still remember watching her run down the street in them, grinning in a way that stuck with me far longer than that trip ever did.
At seven, I thought I was giving something away. But she taught me what travel really is. She showed me that connection doesn’t come from living the same life or speaking the same language. It comes from being open, curious, and willing to see each other.
Years later, motherhood slowed me down in the best way. It made me crave travel that feels meaningful, calm, intentional, and unhurried. That’s why Wander Barefoot exists. It’s not just about planning beautiful trips. It’s about helping women and families experience travel in a way that feels connected, supported, and unforgettable.
Most of the time when I travel, I leave a pair of shoes behind somewhere. Not because it’s about shoes, but as a small reminder of why travel matters. That small gesture keeps me grounded, present, and open to the connections that make a trip truly unforgettable.
Travel has shaped who I am as a woman, as a mom, and as a human. And my hope is to help others experience that same quiet kind of magic—the kind that lingers long after the trip ends.
Wander Barefoot started with connection. And that’s still where every journey begins.