Alexa Runowski

My love for travel began my freshman year of high school on a school trip to London and Paris. I still remember stepping off the plane and feeling like the world had suddenly expanded. The history, the architecture, the language, the cafés, everything felt electric. Experiencing a new culture for the first time made me feel more alive than I ever had before.

I cried the entire flight home. Not because I was sad the trip was over, but because I knew something had shifted in me. I didn’t just want to travel again. I needed to.

After graduating high school, I returned to London and Paris, this time with just my cousin. Two 18-year-olds navigating foreign cities on our own for the first time. That sense of freedom, independence, and wonder was unforgettable. We got lost, we laughed, we figured things out, and we built confidence with every train we boarded and every café we stumbled into. I was hooked.

Throughout college, I continued exploring, traveling to Italy with my family, and soaking in everything from ancient ruins to coastal sunsets. During grad school and the early years of my career, my travels were mostly domestic, exploring cities up and down the East Coast. But the international travel itch never went away.

For my 30th birthday, I decided to gift myself something unforgettable: a solo trip to Paris and St. Tropez (yes—fully in my Emily in Paris era). That trip changed everything. There’s something powerful about navigating the world on your own terms, choosing the café, wandering without a schedule, saying yes to the unexpected. It reminded me that travel isn’t just about seeing beautiful places. It’s about rediscovering yourself within them.

After that, there was no slowing down. Now, I travel internationally at least every six months, continuously expanding my passport stamps and my perspective. My adventures have taken me to:

And this summer, I’ll be adding Switzerland during a two-month stay in some of my favorite European cities.

Travel has shaped who I am. It has taught me independence, confidence, adaptability, and appreciation for cultures beyond my own. It has given me some of my most meaningful memories, and I believe everyone deserves experiences that make them feel that alive.

That’s why I became a travel advisor. I don’t just plan trips. I help create the kind of moments that stay with you long after you’ve unpacked your suitcase, the kind that make you cry on the flight home because you can’t wait to plan the next one.

My love for travel began my freshman year of high school on a school trip to London and Paris. I still remember stepping off the plane and feeling like the world had suddenly expanded. The history, the architecture, the language, the cafés, everything felt electric. Experiencing a new culture for the first time made me feel more alive than I ever had before.

I cried the entire flight home. Not because I was sad the trip was over, but because I knew something had shifted in me. I didn’t just want to travel again. I needed to.

After graduating high school, I returned to London and Paris, this time with just my cousin. Two 18-year-olds navigating foreign cities on our own for the first time. That sense of freedom, independence, and wonder was unforgettable. We got lost, we laughed, we figured things out, and we built confidence with every train we boarded and every café we stumbled into. I was hooked.

Throughout college, I continued exploring, traveling to Italy with my family, and soaking in everything from ancient ruins to coastal sunsets. During grad school and the early years of my career, my travels were mostly domestic, exploring cities up and down the East Coast. But the international travel itch never went away.

For my 30th birthday, I decided to gift myself something unforgettable: a solo trip to Paris and St. Tropez (yes—fully in my Emily in Paris era). That trip changed everything. There’s something powerful about navigating the world on your own terms, choosing the café, wandering without a schedule, saying yes to the unexpected. It reminded me that travel isn’t just about seeing beautiful places. It’s about rediscovering yourself within them.

After that, there was no slowing down. Now, I travel internationally at least every six months, continuously expanding my passport stamps and my perspective. My adventures have taken me to:

And this summer, I’ll be adding Switzerland during a two-month stay in some of my favorite European cities.

Travel has shaped who I am. It has taught me independence, confidence, adaptability, and appreciation for cultures beyond my own. It has given me some of my most meaningful memories, and I believe everyone deserves experiences that make them feel that alive.

That’s why I became a travel advisor. I don’t just plan trips. I help create the kind of moments that stay with you long after you’ve unpacked your suitcase, the kind that make you cry on the flight home because you can’t wait to plan the next one.