International travel was part of my life from the exciting moment my cousin Monica and I jumped on a plane to London — at 16 and 18 years old! I share more of my story in the About Me section of this site, but suffice to say I’ve been around — over 60 countries visited. My career at Alaska Airlines afforded me wonderful flight benefits — and when it all came to a screeching halt after 25 years I packed a small bag and put the pedal to the metal — making 2019 a year of abundant adventures. No stranger to an airplane, I flew 136,000 miles to 15 different countries in Europe, Asia, North America and islands in between (Greenland).
The journeys were spiritual and bright — as if I was acquiring little pieces of my soul in each locale along the way.
I didn’t set out with a master plan to spend 2019 racing around the globe, though I was particularly drawn toward places allowing me to soak up healing and spirit and a more meaningful side to travel. Something told me to keep moving — to connect with nature and the world in new ways. A year later the impact of a global pandemic is still sending shock waves — and I feel so much gratitude for the experiences I was able to enjoy in the now “good ‘ole days.”
The twelve months wrapped up strong for me and even as I created a 2020 Wish List and planned a month-long trip to Brazil for April, 2020, something in my heart starting shifting towards home. The beautiful Pacific Northwest started calling me back and by January, 2020 my focus narrowed in on bringing to life the wonderful aspects of travel within Oregon, Washington and British Columbia with a secondary theme around Spirituality in Travel. I write about this in my bi-weekly email in February titled, I’m in Love.
My section highlighting the Pacific Northwest continues to expand, so check out all the articles and photo galleries, in particular about the abundant nature in this quiet corner of the country. But I will still offer photos and accounts of my farther away adventures with a focus on spirit in travel, meaningful connections and what it means to explore in a new post-pandemic world.
Speaking of my international experiences, check out the map below which highlights the geography of my current articles and photo galleries from several trips to Europe in 2019. Simply click on the dots and you’ll be transported away to the content somewhere on this Kessi World site. I’ll update along the way. Now, more than ever, I hope my stories and photos can help foster a continued wonder for the world in this time of global crisis.
If you’d like more information on any of these places — my experience is particularly rich with Ireland — please reach out to me. Or, perhaps you have your own experiences to share? Jot me a message and attach some photos. Or better yet, share your information on the Kessiworld facebook page.
Dublin / Newgrange
Donegal
Belfast / Northern Ireland
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Berlin, Germany
Kiev, Ukraine
Chernobyl, Ukraine
