About Me
Hi, I’m Brenda 😉 Traveling the world and sharing my journey. Travel is my passion: documenting and retelling my story is my purpose. Hoping to inspire YOU to plan a trip, go someplace new, find your wild, and create extraordinary memories and adventures. I know that it is never too late: adventure does not have an expiration date!
From High Desert to High Energy
A little about me…I’m a California native who grew up between two extremes: the vast, silent Mojave Desert and the neon-lit pulse of Los Angeles. My childhood was a mix of hunting for fairy shrimp on dry lake beds and digging for sand crabs at Santa Monica beach; of staring at the Milky Way in China Lake and listening to live jazz jam sessions in an LA living room.
Living between these two worlds—one a community of desert engineers, the other a sprawling creative global metropolis—conditioned me to not only thrive on the “get up and go” but more importantly to appreciate the differences of the people and places. I learned to find beauty in both a quiet Sierra trailhead and a bustling city square. Today, that same curiosity drives me to keep moving, keep exploring, and keep seeking out the unique stories that every new destination has to offer.
The "Local" Life in Amsterdam
My first adventure was a College graduation trip. My friend and I started in The Netherlands. I remember getting off the train at the busy Central Station in Amsterdam with our bags. I packed sensibly but my friend had two of the largest suitcases you could imagine. We taxied to the hotel we had booked which was a small room on the top floor of a traditional narrow dutch house with a tiny winding staircase five flights up! Let the adventure begin!
In Amsterdam we met amazing new Dutch friends and had many fascinating adventures from going to a co-ed Dutch spa, dancing at the uber hip Richter, watching our Dutch friends play American football, getting hooked on Dutch licorice, “touring” the Heineken ‘museum’, being wowed at the tulip farms, riding bikes everywhere, trying to learn Dutch, experiencing a ‘coffee shop’ and bon bons (iykyk), buying fresh cheese, herring and flowers from the cheese store, herring cart and flower market, riding trams throughout the city and visiting an old dark wooden Dutch bar (i.e. 1600’s) where traditional dutch liquor, Genever is served. The bartender fills the glass so that the liquid forms a slight dome above the rim of the glass, the tradition (and the “house rule”) is that you must keep your hands behind your back, lean over the bar, and take your first sip directly from the glass! It was a hilarious, communal rite of passage that made us feel like true Amsterdammers.
This was the most magical of times, we submersed ourselves in Dutch culture and happily got to know the people and places that make a place unique. This is what traveling is about. The days of my millennial travel are long over but I still seek out connections and adventures while traveling and you can too.
The Evolution of a Worldly Traveler
As I look back, that year in Europe was the catalyst for a lifetime of movement and life long friends. What started with a “get up and go” attitude as a California kid turned into a journey across six continents and over 55 countries. My travel style has certainly evolved—the days of hauling oversized suitcases up four flights of stairs are (thankfully) over—but the heart of why I travel remains exactly the same.
Today, I’m still that person who wants to see the “famous for a reason” sites, but I’m far more interested in the off-grid adventure and real world connection. Whether I’m traveling alone with my Ugandan guide navigating jungle and bumpy roads in search of gorillas, chimps, waterfalls and crocodiles or sailing with friends along the turquoise coast of Turkey or hiking up Torres del Paine, Patagonia with new very young athletic friends I’m always looking for that special energy—the authentic, the local, and the unexpected.
I started The Worldly Travels to share these stories and to prove that adventure doesn’t have an expiration date. I’m still active, still curious, and still seeking out those specialty shops and local connections that make a place feel like home, if only for a few days.
I’m so glad you’re here. Let’s go find the next great story together.
A Side Note from the Slopes
When I’m not exploring a new corner of the map, you’ll usually find me in my “office”—which happens to be the top of a mountain. I spend my winters as a professional ski instructor, sharing my love for the snow and Aspen air with students of all ages.
I’ve found that a career in the mountains and a life on the road complement each other perfectly. We all have our “work,” but I’m a firm believer that we have to make room for the things that bring us adventure. Off-season is my time to reset, reconnect, and find the next great story to share with you here.
