Contributors

Alex Wieteska is a full-time travel writer and photographer. She has visited 50+ countries and lived in four long term. She’s renowned for her ability to discover the world’s most coveted destinations, chicest eateries and unique accommodations. Her curated travel guides are read by thousands of people daily, whom she inspires to travel the world slowly and live more consciously.

Alyssa Burns is a wellness influencer, health coach, and lifestyle blogger currently living in New York City. In addition to being a huge travel-lover, she is passionate about sharing the importance of holistic health with her audience through a lens of positivity, kindness, and romanticizing life. As a Vegan, she’s always looking to explore Vegan-Friendly destinations in style. She loves meeting new people and sharing her experiences through writing, performing, and across social media.

Amelia Pavlik is the founder of FRESHJUICE + Bubbly (FJAB)—your go-to source for wellness products, experiences, and travel splurges to suit any budget. Her FJAB picks are based on experience Amelia has gained over a decade as a wellness journalist (visiting more than 50 spas from Park City to Prague) and 20 years in the fitness industry. Join the FJAB community at freshjuiceandbubbly.com to ensure that you don’t miss out on a wellness indulgence that you need in your life. After all, you’re worth it!

Based in Denver, Colorado, Anabelle Harden works in financial services but loves exploring her passions of travel and writing when she’s not working. In her spare time, you can find Anabelle hiking, spending time with her foster pets, seeing concerts at Red Rocks, or planning her next solo trip across the world.

Anna Pham is a recent graduate of Boston University with a degree in Public Relations. In her free time, she enjoys designing, learning new things and traveling the world. Her goal is to one day start her own company and visit all the U.S. National Parks!

Ava Roxanne Stritt has been called the most influential person in the world on spa travel and a top authority on luxury travel. Also known as Spa Travel Gal, Ava is a professional freelance travel writer and editor with over a decade of experience writing for some of the world’s most respected outlets. She’s a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and Wellness Tourism Association.

Camila Castro is a seeker, global citizen, mindful traveler, storyteller and certified travel coach. As a Mindful Travel Coach, she guides multi-passionate seekers in harnessing the power of mindful travel to create more purposeful, meaningful and impactful experiences in their travels and beyond. She has been featured in Life Lovers Magazine, Coffee & Conversations Magazine and on the Travel Coach Network podcast.

Bernard Karamanaj is the co-founder of Berivo Media and the creator of Diving Picks blog. He has a Master of Science in Finance. Coffee lover who likes reading on days off.

Cherrie is the creator of Catreese & Co Wellness, a wellness brand that inspires those to make self-care a priority and daily practice. Her work has led her to teach yoga to employees of CNN, Emory Healthcare, and CHOA to Tuscany, Italy as a Massage-Therapist-in-Residence. When she is not in session, she designs wellness travel itineraries for those who are in search of a transformational experience.

Chris Ryall is a Burlington, Ontario-based travel and spa/wellness writer who has traveled to more than 85 countries while experiencing hundreds of treatments from caviar facials to temazcal ceremonies. A Spa & Wellness Management graduate, Chris enjoys holistic and spa practices that incorporate local culture and indigenous ingredients and is a judge for the Canadian Spa & Wellness Awards. He has previously judged other international spa award competitions. Chris writes for numerous travel and spa publications in Canada and abroad and formerly ran a successful tourism and marketing firm representing clients from Kenya to the Galapagos Islands.

Ciara is the CEO and founder of Wellness Travel Diaries. She is a wellness travel blogger, freelance writer, content creator, and wellness and travel coach. With a degree in psychology and an emphasis on neuroscience, she helps others find meaningful connections through a blend of travel, fitness, nutrition and personal development. She’s explored more than 29 countries and loves to travel the globe with her husband, inspiring others to find new ways to journey home to their body while traveling.

Craig Zabransky left Wall Street to pursue his passion for travel. He podcasts, writes, blogs, and photographs his adventures to inspire others to take and make adventure in their life. To date, he has traveled through more than 55 countries, 40 U.S. States, 5 continents, and is still traveling For more of his story visit his site StayAdventurous.com.

Dawna is a mom of two, author of ten books, an entrepreneur, certified health coach and motivational speaker. Dawna has appeared on the Today show, MSNBC and morning news programs on NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox. Dawna has launched and sold two wellness companies. Dawna loves combining her passion for health and wellness with life-enriching travel experiences.

Deanna is a wellness travel coach & educator, photographer and founder of Travel to Well-Being, a travel-focused wellness & personal growth platform. In 2001, she left behind the long workdays of Sports Medicine and moved to Italy to build a new life around her passions, travel & photography. Now she’s on a mission to share everything she’s learned about living la dolce vita, photography for well-being and wellness travel. Because now more than ever, health & well-being matter.

A life-long traveler herself, she was born and educated in America, and since 2001 has called Italy home. When she’s not working you can find her with a camera in hand exploring Europe and living la dolce vita. One cappuccino at a time!

Devon Combs is a globally recognized Equine Gestalt Coach and leader of award-winning Unbridled Retreats® for Women. Named “Equestrian of the Wellness World” by esteemed Canyon Ranch in Arizona, Devon helps women find purpose through the healing power of horses. Her synergy with horses and intuitive coaching provides profound breakthroughs for women seeking joy, courage and clarity.

Health and travel writer Diana Ballon loves all forms of active adventures, whether that’s hiking, cycling, snorkeling, kayaking or enjoying cool things like an outdoor spa. Her stories have appeared in many major Canadian publications, including The Toronto Star, Zoomer Magazine, Best Health Magazine, Broadview Magazine, CAA Magazine, Azure Magazine, Canadian Living, Canadian Cycling Magazine, City Parent, Daily Hive, Travel Life Magazine and hotel-addict.com.

Elizabeth Heath is a writer and editor based in central Italy, from where she writes about family, luxury, soft adventure, and wellness travel in Europe and points farther.

Ellen Madden studied Communications and Women & Gender Studies at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She is navigating motherhood while working and celebrating life in Tampa, FL where she grew up. Ellen is a food lover and is learning the art of writing as she goes along.

I’m a Charleston-based Entrepreneur and World Traveler. When I am not evolving brands as The Brand Evolutionist, you can find me planning my next trip, doing yoga or writing. As an avid journaler, I realized none of my thoughts, mantras, analogies or short reflections were being shared outside of the four corners of my notebook, so that is why I started writing to combine my passions for wellness, travel and writing. I write for Synthesis Schools, Vacayou Magazine and several consumer brands.

From the mountains to the sea and everything in between—I hope my writing allows you to experience new perspectives + places in a unique way.

Heather Mikesell is co-founder of Well Defined, a trusted source for all things wellness. She is the former editor-in-chief of American Spa and an award-winning journalist and content strategist, skilled in writing, copyediting, and media relations. Mikesell is also a freelance writer and has contributed to Elite Traveler, Islands, Kiwi, Luxury Travel Advisor, Organic Spa, Porthole Cruise, Spa, Travel Agent, abcnews.com, jetsetter.com, outside.com, and wellandgood.com. She is frequently called upon to comment on various spa and wellness trends for outlets such as The New York Times, Well+Good, and Crain’s. When she’s not enjoying the pampering perks of her profession, she is likely to be found defying State Department warnings in search of adventure.

Jessica is an Asheville-based lover of community-driven travel whose priority is to share the world through experiences around the table and around the town. She’s no stranger to finding deals on flights or hotels, but values a well-deserved indulgent experience as much as the next traveler, and prioritizes the blend of experiencing local communities with amazing vacation memories. Her day job finds her crafting coffees in support of a local non-profit and writing about her adventures whenever she finds the time.

In an effort to help others live better and longer, Janet Ryan founded SpectraSpray™ Global. SpectraSpray’s mission is to provide easy-to-use, highly effective and affordable health sprays that change lives. SpectraSpray lifestyle kits support sleep, energy, stress reduction, immune health, travel needs and vitamin repletion.

Jordan Fuller is a retired golfer and businessman. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring young golfers, he writes in-depth articles for his website, Golf Influence.

Born and educated in Galway, Ireland, Kate combines an Honours degree in science and postgraduate qualifications in dietetics and cosmetic science with close to 30 years of wellness industry knowledge and experience. After 20 years in Asia, she returned to Ireland with her husband and 3 young children and continues to pursue her passion by consulting, interviewing and reviewing natural skincare, wellness destinations and leading experts worldwide. She is founding Judge of the annual Asia Spa Awards and a finalist for the UK Fragrance Foundation Jasmine Award 2019. She has written 9 books and continues to write with lifestyle magazines worldwide.

Kate Sheppard is a mum of two and enjoys writing all things travel-related. When she’s not finding new destinations to add to her bucket list, she enjoys countryside walks, writing about children’s education and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Kristina Smith is founder and editor of Wander, one of the world’s first magazines for wellness travel. With a background in travel marketing, she is passionate about inspiring people to optimize mind, body and spirit through transformative travel experiences. A few years back she and her family traded in a hectic city lifestyle for adventure on the shores of Georgian Bay, Canada, where you can find her on the water in summer or trail in winter.

Laura created wellthier to empower her clients to take control of their personal health & well-being through changes in lifestyle, food, environment, and mind-body medicine. As a Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (certified in Functional Medicine), Laura combines in-depth expertise with a deep passion for helping others. She lives in Tampa, FL with her husband, Ryan, three-year-old daughter, Olivia, and new baby boy, Drew. For more modern health and well-being solutions, visit Laura at wellthier.com.

Lauren DeFazio is a New York-based writer who is empowering solo travel across the U.S. and beyond. With 48 states under her belt, she’s on a mission to see all 50 by way of the roads less traveled. Lauren is also an artist, meditator, national park enthusiast and a lifelong soul-searcher. When she’s not out road-tripping or exploring her concrete jungle, she’s writing stories and sharing lessons from her independent adventures via her travel blog ArcticTumbleweed.com.

Leanna West is a fitness professional, nutritional coach and founder of Centered Fitness Retreat, an all-inclusive adult wellness retreat. Her passion is to see each individual find a lifestyle of health and authenticity that is specific to them. With over 10 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, she works to present fresh and realistic perspectives for what it means to truly live with wellness as the goal. Her positivity is contagious and only grows with each personal success of her clients.

Lindsay started her career in journalism but quickly moved into the travel industry with a focus on adventure, wellness and luxury travel. She has visited over 60 countries and is a certified specialist with the Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and Tahiti tourism boards. She also specializes in organic skincare and has been working with ishga Organic Skincare to promote the benefits of seaweed throughout the US.

Mariel is a Tampa, Florida-based writer and content marketing professional, with experience in integrative health and HR industries. Her passions include creative writing, fitness and travel. Although cautious by nature, she regularly seeks to push her limits and step outside of her comfort zone. Backpacking Western Europe, running a half marathon and skydiving have been her most thrilling adventures. Mariel is an alumna of Florida State University, where she studied Creative Writing and Communications. You can find out more about Mariel by connecting with her on social.

Megan is a writer and content marketer who covers topics related to careers, human-centric workplaces, emotional intelligence, travel and expat living. After completing an M.A. in interdisciplinary social sciences, she began her career in talent acquisition before pivoting into writing in 2021. When not working, she can be found traveling, on her yoga mat or chipping away at her ever-growing book collection.

Michelle is a writer based in Reykjavik who studied tourism at the University of Iceland. She writes about the Arctic region and gave a TEDx Talk on adventure travel.

Munisha Mirchandani is a certified life & travel wellness blogger who founded HŌListic Life & Style to empower and inspire others to create their best life with the mental, physical and financial vitality they deserve. Munisha’s community of global wellness advocates carry her vision… living powerfully, owning their life from anywhere in the world.

Ana Ruiz is a California-based family travel coach, mama of two world explorers, banana-bread-lover, travel entrepreneur and the voice behind the family travel platform Monos Viajeros. Through her private coaching and content creation, she helps new mamas navigate the logistics and emotions around family travel, so they can become empowered travel moms.

Muirelle was born and raised in Europe and traveled to over 20+ countries before settling to raise her family in the US. Her desire to live a healthy and active lifestyle and coupled with a passion for travel, inspires her to discover and write about wellness trips and resorts around the world. This led Muirelle to launch Vacayou Wellness Travel.

Nancy Monson is a Connecticut-based writer who specializes in spa and wellness travel. She approaches travel writing from the perspective of a wellness coach, novice outdoorswoman and textile artist, writing about spas, wellness and creativity, diets and dogs. Her work has been widely published in magazines like AARP The Magazine, Bottom Line Personal, Costco Connection, Shape and USA Today Go Escape, as well as AmericanWay.com, Fodors.com, Forbestravelguide.com and NextAvenue.org.

Paige is the author of The Green Beauty Rules and Founder of earthling. Her passion is to help women live a healthy lifestyle through clean beauty and wellness. Through her artistry and consulting work, she has helped hundreds of women including celebrities reduce their body burden by eliminating toxins in their personal care products. When Paige is not working you can find her spending time with her 7-year-old daughter and planning their next road trip.

Raina is an NBC-HWC holistic health coach, travel enthusiast and founder of Raina Denali Coaching. She helps overworked professionals create sustainable healthy habits that uplevel their health and create a customized self-care toolkit. She is the queen of finding resources to achieve the self-discovery transformation that you seek in health, travel or sustainable living! When she’s not hiking, playing in the ocean or catching international flights, you can find her drinking a green smoothie, rollerblading and, of course, catching up on her zzzs.

Sallie Fraenkel is the founder and president of Mind Body Spirit Network where she works with destination spas, immersive wellness resorts, and wellness goods and service companies. She has a lifelong passion for and expertise in wellness travel which she uses in her consulting practice. Sallie is the former CMO and COO of Spafinder Inc.® and Executive Vice President of the Global Wellness Summit.

Sara Quiriconi is a New England born actress, host, voiceover artist, writer, producer and entrepreneur with a deep passion for storytelling. She’s a wellness travel expert, a mental health advocate, and film and tourism leader, with long-term goals to win an Oscar in a lead role, an Emmy as an actor and producer, and to host a successful international wellness travel show.

Anaïs Skoutariotis, a Mindfulness Coach based in Belgium, helps clients go from chaos to calm. Scientifically backed and with a holistic approach, she provides private coaching, online courses and events. Specialized in stress & anxiety, she helps you access the serenity that’s inside you!

Shar Veda is a holistic wellness advisor and intuitive healer who uses a combination of Ayurveda, Vedic astrology and intuitive energy reads to coach clients and help them re-connect with their higher selves. Shar is a graduate of California College of Ayurveda, Vedic Conservatory and American Institute of Vedic Studies. She works with clients of all ages and especially loves working with youth. Shar was the health counselor and yoga therapist at two houses for troubled girl teens and in 2022 taught the first telepathy for kids class ever in a private school in Hawaii.

“Storytelling is my bread and butter, but coaching is my jam.”

Shelly is head of editorial at Vacayou as well as a certified lifestyle & travel coach whose superpowers are positivity, humor and connecting the people dots (read networking). Curious and social, she also facilitates workshops and organizes events. When she’s not bebopping around Europe and the United States, you can find her drinking coffee, biking, meditating or yoga-ing.

Simona is a content writer with a focus on personal development, travel and wellness. She works with SEO and content management and being creative is one of her greatest joys. After embarking on a deep self-discovery and healing journey, she now aims to inspire others with her words. Sometimes it’s with an article and other times with poetry. She has a great love for learning about the world and is a mix between an introvert and an extrovert. As much as writing is in her heart, so is dancing, nature, yoga, animals and playing team sports.

Taylor Haught is a digital nomad and certified yoga instructor writing wellness and travel content for Vacayou. She has been a professional writer for over six years, though her passion for writing started as soon as she could put pen to paper, and her passions for wellness and travel started shortly thereafter. With a wealth of personal experience in the health industry and an unquenchable lust for travel, she loves sharing ways to care for oneself and the world. She frequently roams the globe and continues to devote her free time to publishing poetry and writing fiction travel novels.

Vacayou magazine inspires, motivates and educates the wellness traveler by delivering content to a like-minded community. Our team of talented writers is knowledgeable and passionate. By sharing their wellness experiences and travel expertise, they empower our readers to blaze their own trails.

Waheeda has been circling the globe for the past 10 years, visiting six out of seven continents via countless planes, trains, cars, vans, buses, ferries and boats. As a Canadian freelance journalist, she’s committed to writing about design, art, culture, travel, wellness and the people who are passionate about their creativity.