Why am I So Dedicated to Travel? Why do I do what I do?
From Law School Dreams to Luxury Travel Expertise: A Journey to Redefining Personalized Travel for Women.
My decision to become a travel concierge did not come easily. In fact, the idea first occurred to me after graduate school as a vague concept, and it finally solidified in my mind after law school during the pandemic. As it turned out, the timing was excellent because when travel restrictions were lifted, both international and domestic travel rebounded dramatically.
I already had more than a passing interest in aviation, but I knew I did not know enough. So I pursued the only solution I could think of: I immersed myself in studying aviation. I watched travel reviews on YouTube and TikTok, took aviation business classes on a whim because they helped deepen my understanding of commercial aviation practices, and built business contacts throughout the global aviation industry with professionals from Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, and more. I subscribed to aviation-focused news publications and eventually expanded into broader travel journalism as well.
However, I quickly discovered—especially after working in cargo operations at San Francisco International Airport and traveling more extensively—that I did not simply want to book travel for people. There are already countless travel agents in the United States. What I truly wanted was to help people understand the value of luxury travel by planning complete, personalized itineraries: finding flights, arranging train travel if desired, curating customized “things to do” lists, selecting hotels that match personal preferences, and ensuring an ideal journey home.
Once I uncovered these travel strategies and industry insights, I wanted to share them with others—especially women, who are often overlooked or treated as an afterthought by many travel reviewers. Too often, travel content is created from a male-centered perspective, as though women either do not exist in global travel spaces or do not seek meaningful travel experiences. Yet today, approximately 62% of travelers are women. Despite that, much of the travel advice industry remains disproportionately geared toward men.
There are ways to experience the coveted front of the plane without spending your entire life savings or retirement on a one-way ticket, and women especially deserve access to those tips and strategies. Over time, I expanded my research and evaluations beyond airlines to include hotels around the world—from smaller U.S. chains such as the underwhelming Red Roof Inn (not recommended) to internationally renowned five-star properties like Rosewood Hong Kong.
More recently, I have broadened my professional interests to include trains—not just ordinary rail travel, but luxury railway experiences. While I still focus heavily on value-driven air travel, I now also specialize in train travel, hotels, and, more recently, cruise lines.
My true love and passion, however, will always be aviation. Whether I am sitting in seat 1A at the front of the aircraft or 44L in the very back, I remain endlessly fascinated by the ingenuity and engineering marvel of flight.
I began my professional journey by leveraging my master’s degree in military history and writing for the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a nonpartisan geopolitical and geostrategic think tank based in Washington. There, I analyzed the ongoing war in Ukraine while simultaneously working in cargo operations at SFO Airport. Although I am deeply committed to travel, my background in military history, geopolitical analysis, and writing—particularly regarding casus belli (Latin for “cause for war”)—provided important context for understanding and illustrating how global events shape travel.
Over the years, I assembled a small but dedicated team of passionate travel professionals: my fiancé, who edits videos, reviews articles, and curates our master database; Lana, a devoted customer service representative who also manages our initial cybersecurity needs; Henry, our second cybersecurity specialist and primary videographer; and, of course, myself. We all share administrative responsibilities in addition to providing personalized guest services. Internally, we refer to these responsibilities as “CSR roles” because, to us, clients are not simply customers—they are guests and fellow world travelers.
I truly hope this provides meaningful context and illustrates why I am so passionate about what I do. Book your consultation today with me or my team at Brooke in the Air Travel.
