Confessions of a Foodie Turned Travel Planner
Hey there, friends! Long time no talk! How has life been treating you? I've been bursting with exciting updates and wanted to catch up with you all, especially since we've been connected for a while now. 🫶
If you first knew me as "Cooking with Julie"—maybe through healthy recipes, Wellness Cruises with Weight Watchers, my YouTube cooking show, or TV segments—you might be thinking, "Julie, what is UP with this new Travel Plot Twist?"
(And trust me, I've been getting lots of questions about it in my personal life!)
So, let's address the elephant in the room (or should I say, the suitcase in the overhead compartment?):
1. Julie, Are You Still Cooking? Why the Heck Did You Start a Travel Business?
The truth is, travel has always been a passion of mine. Even back in my days as a road warrior tech consultant in the 90s (yes, with my engineering degree!), I was the go-to person for finding the coolest local gems—restaurants, chili cook-offs, latest chefs, you name it.
I'd plan elaborate trips for family and friends, like that time I drove across Italy to find the best-hidden restaurant run by a nonna in Siena (and then came home and tried to recreate her recipes!). Or organizing a big Y2K New Year's trip to Key West? (Laughing! Remember that? 😅) Or, let's not forget the time I smuggled wheels of cheese home from a tiny shop in Barcelona (True story! 😅).
After thousands of recipes and cooking videos, I realized I wanted to expand beyond just recipes. I'll still share those, of course, but I'm also diving into imported cheeses, wine pairings, recipes inspired by my travels, and so much more!
The raw truth? I learned early on that I need to do work I find fun. That's why I left my lucrative engineering career to go to culinary school and dive into the world of food…and why, 13 years into a recipe-focused career, I wanted to expand into Culinary & Culture Travel!
2. Why Ecuador & the Galapagos?
You've probably seen photos of me leading all-women groups to Tuscany the past few years, with upcoming trips to Sicily in April 2025 (and you know I travel to Europe as much as I can!).
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might have caught glimpses of Brian and me exploring Ecuador last year! Tasting chocolate in Quito, riding horses in the Andes, visiting thermal baths, making cheese, and hanging out with adorable sea lions (plus swimming with sea turtles and hammerhead sharks!) in the magical Galapagos Islands! We were there refining the itinerary for my upcoming group tours.
Ecuador was a bit of a happy accident, honestly. Now that I'm working in travel, I attend industry events and met an amazing, women-led trip-planning group from Ecuador. We've been collaborating on this for about a year now. Plus, I have dear friends there who shared insider tips on the incredible food and culture of Ecuador.
I want to encourage everyone to explore beyond just Europe. There's a whole world out there! I'm so excited to bring you to South America—a place with so much beauty to see and experience.
I’m hosting my first Ecuador-Galapagos trip February 13-23, 2025!
3. What's Next?
I'm busy planning trips to lots of new locations, focusing on places with incredible food cultures that might be daunting to plan or explore alone.
My next adventure? MOROCCO of course! We are all booked out and ready to go Fall 2025. After that, I am in collaboration for a dreamy trip to Piedmont, Italy, also in 2025. I also have my sights set on a Greek Island Hopping trip and an immersive journey to Japan.
(Think of me as your personal Travel Concierge, crafting your ultimate trip itinerary and saving you tons of time while you experience all the best insider spots.)
I'm also opening up my future trips to anyone who loves exploring the world, having fun, trying new things, food, and culture—like the most fun traveling dinner party ever! There may still be some special women-only groups in the future, too.
So, what do you think of all these changes? Any requests for upcoming trip locations? Feel free to shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram anytime to chat!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here through all the evolutions and changes.
Let’s experience more of the world together! ✈️
All my love,
Julie
