Birthday Party Time!!!

Julia Johannesson 

Globe Trotter - Adventurer!  

It's Julie's birthday!

Time to Party!

So who is Julia Johannesson? Wish I knew. Our mother wishes I knew too because she doesn't know. Speculating about Julie has been a favorite and especially difficult topic around my home since I can remember.

The easy answer is that Julie is a Globe Trotter and Adventure. The easy answer is that Julie is my wonderful sister! What makes Julie tick is anyone's guess. Come join us this Wednesday night to help us celebrate Julie's birthday (she's a Pisces)  and while at it if you figure her out please let my mother and me know! 

Julie's Playground

While I can't tell you who Julie is I can tell you about her but when the world is your playground where does one begin?

As Globe Trotter and Adventurer Henry Kissinger, legendary investor Jim Rogers, and Indian Jones could use Julie's frequent flyer miles. I have yet to find a place on the planet she hasn't visited at least once. What she's looking for is anyone's guess. All I know is she hasn't found it and keeps seeking. I thought I had her once. I was watching the news about a bombing in Djibouti. As if trying to stump the chump I asked her if she had ever heard of or been to Djibouti. Answer--been there seven times. Go look up Djibouti and tell me why anyone would go there even once?

Leaving out 20 years of Julies incredible adventures where she met, made friends and broke bread with many of the world's leaders, captains of industry, and even captains of cruise ships, and fast forwarding to 1992; Julie parlayed her travel experience into working as a professional tour manager where she continued to travel to diverse locations worldwide and across the USA. She has managed travel for several large international tour operators, including many years managing tours for the Smithsonian Institution. Julie traveled extensively before working in the tourism industry. She lived in Europe for 10 years and while there developed a keen interest in international politics, economics, history, and culture. While living in Switzerland and France she became fluent in French.

Upon returning to Arizona from Europe, Julie decided to put together her unique set of talents to work in the tourism industry. With a BA in Theatre and Communications, good diplomatic skills, love of history and cultural geography, along with great social acumen and management style, and a passion for travel, International Tour Management was the natural choice.

Managing the day to day logistics, of what were often intricate itineraries, was a challenge that was always met with an appearance of ease. Juggling rigorous time schedules, often filled with last minute decisions, fielding a plethora of queries and passenger concerns, giving daily commentaries and lectures, Julie was able to draw on her training in Theatre and Communications to not only manage each day, but also to do so in an entertaining and easily understandable and informative manner.

From Australia to Zanzibar…Djibouti to Tibet…there isn’t much of the world she hasn’t covered. Helping people discover the joy of travel, the thrill of far off adventure, savoring the cuisine of exotic places, Julie loves to impart her knowledge to bring a hands on experience to those that roam the globe with her. She believes education is a very essential and powerful component to truly being a traveler, rather than just a tourist.

Julie feels travel opens the eyes and opens the mind. If that's true than she must have the best eye sight and most open mind of anyone on earth.

Julie has since retired from full time professional tour management but still roams the globe. You can bet she's planning her next trip at this very moment.

President's Day is Julie's birthday (February 22). Come help us celebrate before she runs off on another Globe Trotting - adventure!

It is with great pleasure that Julia Johannesson, Globe Trotter - Adventurer!, will be my Special Guest this week.

Please plan on joining us to socialize and meet new friends.