Hi! My name is Jenn and I’ve been friends with Marisa and her family for almost 15 years. I’m a Leadership & Career Coach, and that means that I teach people how to live their lives in a way that feels impactful and authentic. Often that means that I help them overcome the old beliefs and fears that discourage curiosity and keep us feeling small and limited.
Why is any of that important on Marisa’s travel page? Well, it’s important because I wasn’t always this person. I’ve had many mentors, but the very first person to help me find courage for a bigger life was Marisa. She was a world traveler even as a child, and not just glamorous places, but many “off the beaten path.” As a result, the world as she sees it is somehow both small AND limitless. She sees the incredible gift that travel can be as a mechanism for growing as a person, providing children and their parents with opportunities to learn about the world and about themselves while bonding as a family.
Our first trip together was 13 years ago, when we took our two boys who just turned 2 years old to Tuscany. Yeah, I know, toddlers on a plane is only slightly less terrifying than Snakes on a Plane, but this was just one of many moments when Marisa’s confidence and courage made all the difference. Her thoughts at the time – children learn flexibility when you expose them to circumstances that require them to adapt. That principle also applied to me. As I opened my mind to the new experience, I became more resourceful and confident.
We toured Rome, Florence, and several charming Tuscan hill towns. Our boys had the best pizza and pasta of their lives, and they were accommodated and fussed over by Italian businesses in a way that warmed my heart. Restaurants stayed open late for us, waitresses fussed over our handsome little men, and the airline kept us together for our flight home even though they were oversold. Talk about changing my worldview… strangers were kind to us. Beautiful memories were made on that vacation, as well as a lifelong commitment to seeing the world with my kids. All of that started with me saying, “We can’t take toddlers to Europe!” I can’t remember how Marisa responded, but it was the equivalent of “hold my beer.”
Marisa was raised with the world as her playground. Because of her experiences navigating unforeseen circumstances all over the world, she knows all the tricks of the trade. It excites her to plan trips that feed your mind with unique experiences and nourish your soul with relaxation and that oh-so-necessary departure from your day to day. She’s a meticulous planner, researching every activity to make sure your family’s needs are met and that you are prepared for every experience. I trusted her so much that we decided to go to Iceland with her back in July, attempting adventures that I would never have otherwise tried (hiking INSIDE a glacier). I was confident that I was prepared because she planned the trip and made sure I knew everything I needed to in order for the trip to be a success.
You won’t meet another travel agent like her. You won’t meet someone more invested in your experience. She wants you to see the world. She wants you to make priceless memories with your loved ones, and she can help you do it because it’s her super power.
Travel by Marisa 