Traveler Highlight: Meet Liz

“Traveling far has a way of bringing you back to who you really are.”

Travel has been a part of my story for as long as I can remember. Maybe it’s because I started my life as a military brat. Maybe it’s from hearing my grandpa’s vivid stories of his family’s life in Poland before coming to America before WWII. Whatever the reason, I’ve always had wanderlust in my blood.

I started traveling young — family road trips, my dad Jeff opening up the giant Rand McNally map to plot our route from Missouri to Mississippi to visit grandparents. As I got older, life and work opened doors to explore further. In 2017, I visited Beijing, China. It was incredible, but I remember feeling the ache of traveling completely alone. There’s something irreplaceable about sharing a place with others — a meal in a centuries-old building, laughter on a bus ride — even if you didn’t arrive as close friends.

My aunt Yasmine had been a longtime supporter of Land & See Tours, so I’d seen glimpses of their trips for years. When a trip to Greece and Rome was announced for summer 2019, I jumped at the chance to join. These were bucket-list destinations for me. While my aunt wasn’t on that trip, I made lifelong friends — including my roommate Angela (a complete stranger at the time, but company owner Mandy has a gift for connecting people) — who almost instantly became my "travel twin". We had even packed the same hair towels!

Later, I finally got to travel with Yasmine on a Girls' Trip to Spain and Portugal. She’s been a constant in my life — from my early days as a young mom to figuring out my career path — so sharing the world with her was an unspeakable privilege. I’ll never forget being on a walking tour in Lisbon, Portugal, and just having this moment of “Hey girl, we made it.” There’s a photo of us on a rooftop terrace, the bluest sky above and the city spreading out behind us. It’s one of my most treasured pictures because it captures that exact feeling — finally traveling the world together, just as we’d talked about for a decade.

Now, over six years after my first Land & See trip, I’m signed up to take on Scotland with my husband in fall 2026. One of the things I love most about small group travel is how it evolves as you evolve. Sometimes it’s a girls’ trip where you rediscover yourself. Other times it’s a chance to reconnect with a loved one. Every time, it’s a chance to step outside the monotony of everyday life — and carving out even a week or two can change everything.

Through every trip, I’ve found this to be true: Traveling far has a way of bringing you back to who you really are. Standing in places that are centuries or millennia old is humbling — it’s a perspective you can’t get in the U.S.

My travel advice? Keep an open mind and stay flexible. Sometimes it’s a delayed flight, other times it’s an unexpected heat wave in late October. There’s a sweet spot between being prepared and overpacking. I might re-wear the same pair of jeans, but my “Mary Poppins” travel pouch is always stocked with Band-Aids, hand sanitizer, medications, and all those just-in-case items. (Lesson learned: always keep tissues with you — there’s nothing like realizing there’s no toilet paper in a bathroom where you don’t speak the language and can’t just ask your stall neighbor to pass some over!) A sense of humor goes a long way, as does keeping Google Translate handy on your phone.

Now, as a mom to a four-month-old, I’m learning that balance all over again. Our next trip will be when he’s over a year old, staying with close family. I’ll miss him, of course, but I know it will make me a more connected mother — because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Travel has been there through every season of my life. Land & See Tours has made it possible to dig deeper into the world — through affordable monthly payments, a built-in travel community, and now, family trips. I can’t wait for the day we get to show our son the world, one adventure at a time.

The Power of Supported Solo Travel

In my twenties, I had this big dream: to travel across Europe with my friends. I pictured us wandering cobblestone streets, eating croissants in little cafés, and standing in awe of the history we had only ever read about in books. But that trip never happened.

Why? Because as much as I wanted it, none of my friends shared the same goals. Some were tied down with school or work, others weren’t interested in traveling that far, and a few liked the idea of travel but not enough to actually commit. I kept waiting for someone to say “yes,” but that day never came. The thought of going solo totally intimidated me. I didn’t know where to start. And even if I figured out the logistics, the idea of navigating a whole new world alone felt more paralyzing than exciting. So instead of boarding a plane, I stayed home and let the dream sit on a shelf.

Over the years, I realized I wasn’t alone in this. So many people told me similar stories: the dream to travel was there, but the fear and stress of going solo—or the frustration of trying to coordinate with friends who never actually commit—always got in the way. That’s when it hit me: what if there was a way to make travel accessible to people like us? To create experiences where you didn’t have to do it all alone, but you also didn’t lose the freedom and independence that comes with solo travel?

That’s how Land + See Tours was born.

From the start, my goal was simple: to give people the chance to finally step into the adventures they’ve been dreaming about, without being held back by fear, planning, or the “what ifs.” And time after time, I’ve seen what happens when people take that leap.

I think about Yasmine, a nurse practitioner, who, like me, admitted she’d always wanted to backpack Europe but never made it happen. “Being the poor planner that I was and still am, it never happened,” she told me. When she finally joined one of our tours to Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, she not only fulfilled her dream, but she left with friendships that have lasted long beyond the trip. She said, “Many of these friendships will forever be my lifelong friends.” Hearing that reminds me exactly why I do this.

I think about Nathalie, a teacher, who came on her first Land + See trip determined to not just “see the sights” but to really connect with the culture. She told me, “Thanks to these experiences, my confidence to travel solo has grown tremendously. Land + See makes it their mission to cultivate safe, fun, and inclusive environments.” Watching her grow braver and more curious each day of the trip was inspiring—not just for me, but for everyone she traveled with.

And then there’s Avery, a veterinarian, who perfectly described what I always hoped these tours would provide: balance. “While I’ve always cherished the freedom of traveling on my own, I also love sharing adventures with friends—and Land and See offers the perfect balance of both.” That balance is at the heart of what we do: freedom when you want it, connection when you need it.

When I look back at my 20-something self—the one who let fear and overwhelm keep her from taking the trip of a lifetime—I actually feel grateful. Grateful, because that version of me planted the seed for what Land + See would one day become. I built this company for people like her (and maybe like you): dreamers who need just a little bit of structure and encouragement to finally step into the world and see what’s waiting there.

My good friend Angela once described what we do as supported solo travel, and I can’t think of a better way to say it. It’s not just about checking destinations off a list—it’s about having the freedom to explore on your own while knowing you’re supported every step of the way. It’s about growing in confidence, building community, and creating memories that stay with you long after you’ve unpacked your bag.

I’ve seen supported solo travel change lives—including my own.

So if you’ve been dreaming of travel but haven’t yet found the courage, the time, or the right people to go with, maybe this is your sign. You don’t have to do it all alone. With Land + See, you’ll have the planning, the support, and the community you need to finally take the leap—so you can experience the world in all the ways you’ve always imagined.