Travel Advisor
Melissa Jean
She/Her
Expertise
- Iceland,
- Brazil,
- Off-the-Beaten Path Travel,
- Nature Escapes
Based in
Nashville, TN
Languages spoken
English, Portuguese, Spanish
Profile details
About
I'm a mindfulness teacher, forest bathing guide and creative writing teacher who loves the way that travel shakes us awake.
Travel style
I believe in the power of travel to help us connect with nature, build cross-cultural relationships and become immersed in a new place through encounters with people, art, cuisine and landscapes. My ideal trip is one that enhances my sense of wellness through lots of time spent outside, nourishing food and achieving the right balance between activity and rest. When I'm planning a trip for myself, I spend hours researching the quirkiest things to do in the place I'm visiting, as I love a surprising hidden gem more than anything.
I'm currently based in Nashville. I grew up in Salt Lake City and have also lived in Massachusetts, Brazil, Mozambique, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands and Russia. I speak fluent Portuguese and passable Spanish, and my current travel dream is to show my teenagers as much of the world as I can before they go off to college.
I'm interested in green/sustainable travel, socially-responsible travel and plant-based travel. I also have experience traveling with kids of all different ages--currently with highly-active teens who like adventures--and love planning romantic travel, too. I've spent most of my life doing budget travel, but I can appreciate an indulgence when the moment calls for it.
Melissa's travel guides & trip reports
A Family Trip to the Magnificent Iguaçu Falls
A Weekend of Rest and Adventure in Florianópolis, Brazil
A Weekend of Plant-Based Delights in Salt Lake City
4 Nature-Loving Days in North Iceland
Favorite hotels
Melissa's travel photos
Melissa's reviews
We were so impressed and grateful for Melissa's travel services. She put together sample itineraries for us, gave us plenty of off-the-beaten-path suggestions, and found and booked tours and restaurants for us that we never would have found ourselves. She tailored her recommendations to our specific style of travel, and even when we had free days, we referenced her itinerary multiple times to find suggestions of things to do and places to see (or eat!). I consider myself an experienced traveler, and wouldn't have previously considered using a travel advisor, but I hope to use Melissa's services for every trip I book in the future - she was so helpful and made our trip even more incredible!
- Liz J.
Booked travel to Cape Town
- November 2024
Melissa Jean's thoughtful, informed suggestions for excursions and an itinerary made my family's weeklong trip to Paris the stuff of dreams. I often get overwhelmed by options, and it was so helpful to have Melissa by my side to give the trip structure with plenty of time built in for discovery. I would work with her again in a heartbeat.
- Susannah F.
- October 2024
- Sarah P.
Booked travel to Costa Rica
- October 2024
I had never worked with a travel agent before working with Melissa, and my only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner! Melissa helped us plan the trip of a lifetime to Puerto Rico and made the entire process feel fun, collaborative, and unintimidating. Melissa took the time to get to know us and how we like to travel, then created (and booked!) a trip customized just for us. I cannot over-emphasize the peace of mind we felt through the entire planning process and during the trip itself, we both remarked more than once that it was the most relaxed we’d ever felt while traveling. We can’t wait to plan our next trip with Melissa!
- Dani B.
Booked travel to Vieques
- May 2024
Get in touch with Melissa
Reach out to customize and book your own experience. Or, just to chat about travel in general.
You can normally expect a response from Melissa within a business day or so. You’ll also be subscribed to our travel newsletter (you can unsubscribe at any time).