Alicia Dooley

I grew up traveling with my family up and down the east coast of the US and throughout western Europe. Growing up in Georgia, we always escaped the summer heat by visiting New England, often at my grandparent's lake house in Maine or along the coast in Cape Cod or Newport. My mom loves the water and my father is a huge history buff so each trip usually incorporated something historical: an old church, castle, cemetery, ruins, museum or battlefield. Most of my childhood memories are when we were on a trip together, discovering someplace new. Travel is ingrained in me, at my core. I studied abroad in Florence, Italy during college and took several courses on travel writing as well as food and wine.

My favorite food and travel writers include MFK Fisher, Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain, Rick Steves and Frances Mayes, all of whom are responsible for furthering my wanderlust and teaching me valuable life lessons. I worked for my college's Office of International Education, educating my fellow peers on their study abroad options including school, external and exchange programs. My sister and her husband lived abroad from 2020-2024. During that time, I traveled with them throughout Europe, always planning all of our adventures, my favorite being our trip to Germany’s Bavaria and several cantons in Switzerland.

I'm a huge foodie and believe the way to discovering a destination at its heart is through the stomach! I love taking in the scenic landscapes via hiking and embracing unique cultural experiences that tend to incorporate some sort of adventurous thrill like scaling the side of a mountain, walking along a swinging bridge, helicopter tours, boat tours, canyoning and paragliding. I like ending each travel day saying to myself "Well it's not every day I get to [insert experience here]." At the end of the day, isn't it our unique experiences that become the stories we share, those moments in life that we ultimately remember?