My Story
I developed a love for travel when I was 14 and had the opportunity to travel to Europe with a friend and her family. A few years later, as a HS Junior, I become a Rotary Club Exchange Student (AKA Ambassador for World Peace) in Chile. These experiences planted a seed in me for international travel and foreign destinations.
Since then I have traveled all over the world including, 30 cities in Mexico, 40 US states and 28 countries in Europe, Central & South America as well as the Caribbean.
My enchantment with Guatemala began around the year 2001 when I started my career with Continental Airlines. I was working at the ticket counter at Greenville Spartanburg Airport and I checked a woman in for her early morning flight. As I slapped the bag tag around her suitcase the destination code GUA caught me by surprise. I asked: “Guatemala?!?!? What are you doing in Guatemala?” She replied that she was headed to the beautiful little town of Antigua for a month of Spanish School and that I should really check it out. Hmmm… I thought… How exciting! After having lived abroad in 1987 as a Rotary Exchange Student to Rancagua, Chile…Spanish School in Guatemala sounded right up my ally. I promised her I would indeed check it out.
It took me a while to get there, but I made my first visit to Antigua in 2013. Since then, I’ve made 7 trips and directly influenced over 60 people to visit.
On the last day of my 4th trip there I was walking to have lunch with a local friend and I passed the famous La Merced church. I will never forget the distinct impression I received as I enjoyed the blue skies, spring-time weather, and gorgeous scenery. A voice came to my mind loud and clear and it said; “You live in Houston, Texas a city of 8 million people. Everyone there who has any money has been to Cancun or Los Cabos but almost no one knows about Antigua! YOU have a degree in Travel Management and connections to help these people. GO HOME and promote travel to Guatemala and invite people to serve your neighbors in Central America.
You can speak and you can write and you NEED to share your love for Guatemala!”
Speaking
In the fall of 2018, I began promoting tourism to Guatemala just as a hobby. I had my family and a full-time job in Houston, Texas. But I soon realized what an awesome opportunity it is to support a child in getting their education. Especially one who would otherwise go without.
Sponsoring a child in Guatemala makes a world of difference for not only that student but for generations. You see the illiteracy rate for people above 15 in this country hovers about 74%. Without work, there is no way to eat. Without work and without food there is starvation and desperation. It is no wonder thousands of people come from Guatemala and other Central American countries to the United States in search of work and opportunities to feed their families and send money back home. If they have an education, they are content and happy to stay in their beautiful homeland. It’s a complicated situation, but people leave Guatemala for a lack of opportunities to work and mainly because they have no education.
As a destination expert, my hope is to inspire and motivate others to care about what’s going on with our Central American neighbors. To know them is to love them, and I invite all to come and see it for yourself. Guatemala is a beautiful and safe travel destination which is very economical and inspiring.
Come for service, come for vacation or come for both.
To hear more about the country’s full rich cultural history, ancient architecture, natural beauty, terrific climate, and wonderful people, I am available to speak at:
- Rotary Clubs
- Travel clubs
- Churches
- Civic Groups
- Schools, colleges and universities
- Conferences
- Women’s groups
Using examples from my own life, I also speak about being a foreign exchange student, as well as on matters regarding surviving divorce, overcoming severe depression, faith, travel, finances, healthy eating, and lifestyle choices. I try to persuade my audiences to overcome some of life’s greatest challenges, to live their best life possible, and to love on purpose and with intention.
