Thanks for visiting my travel blog! It is a labor of love, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
My name is Jen, and while I use to be trés cool and say I was living in Paris, this American is now back in her homeland – specifically Bellevue, WA. The baguettes might not be as heavenly but the passing people smile more freely. A fair trade. When I am not adventuring I am managing my small business, JJ Caprices. Perhaps predictably, my business was inspired by my travels. It is a collection of handmade, unique women’s accessories and home accents that I have carefully curated from artisans and designers I have discovered during my wanderings.
I was born in Southern California, grew up in Montana, went to college (“university” for you non-Americans!) at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota where I graduated with honors, a degree in International Relations and Spanish and Phi Beta Kappa. In my life, besides Paris and the USA, I have also lived in Spain, Mexico and Costa Rica (where I was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar for a year). I have visited 58 countries…and counting. My work resume has included managing contracts at Imation and technology consulting at Accenture. I have done sales at a dating service, and was even a “dater” on NBC’s dating show, First Dates (produced by Ellen Degeneres)! While I was persuasive at selling love in real life, I can’t say I was as successful in finding love on reality t.v.
I have been told that I don’t like to let the grass grow under my feet…which is probably a fair assessment to date. But my wanderlust is more than restlessness. Our world is so big, so beautiful that I want to witness its majesty with my own eyes, I want to taste its flavors with my own palate and I want to connect with and learn from the cultures and people that make its tapestry so vibrant. This blog allows me to capture and share some of those experiences with those I love and those I have never met.
Besides being travel obsessed, I have an incredible love for collecting vintage posters, dressing up on Saturday nights…er, most nights, hot dogs and foie gras, Meursault, excessively lingering meals, brilliant conversation and my all my favorite peeps on this planet! My hobbies include cooking, keeping up on my languages, politics, reading, volunteer work for charities, oenophile endeavors, staying fit, and just trying to make myself a better person. I am always up for dancing too!
Here is a link to my very first blog post which shares how this blog was started over 14 years ago: Welcome to my first blog ever!
Now back to the adventures….
”It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves – in finding themselves.”
~ André Gide
