I was born hard of hearing and have worn hearing aids my entire life, but I don’t let this define me. In spite of my hearing loss, I’m a mediocre connoisseur of languages with four languages so far under my belt. Obviously I’m fluent in English, I also know intermediate level ASL and Spanish and am currently learning Italian.
I am a mom of two teenagers and have been married for 20 years. I fell in love with travel and learning about the world through literature and a love for mystery novels as a kid.
I backpacked solo around Europe for 2 1/2 months in my mid 20’s. My mother being concerned about my hearing (or lack thereof) was worried I wouldn’t be able to hear people, to which I replied, “Mom, I don’t speak the language anyways!” I’ve experienced many frustrating moments because of my hearing loss, but the joy of traveling is far greater than any frustration I’ve encountered. Over the years I’ve gotten better at advocating for myself, but I still feel like I shouldn’t have to. When I find something that helps with access I want to help others to eliminate those barriers so they can experience the thrill of exploring this rock we live on.
People always ask me how I manage to travel as often as we do as I’ve gotten more creative over the years of how to travel with a limited budget. When I’m not planning our next adventure you can find me cooking up healthy food in the kitchen, gardening, doing Crossfit or just kicking back and reading a book. Life is too short not to live it to its fullest.