I’ve been working in travel since 2008, building a career around one thing: creating meaningful, transformational experiences. I started out with two global giants, Flight Centre and STA Travel, working primarily with student and young adult travelers. But it was after moving into a role with Global Leadership Adventures, a high school travel program focused on cultural immersion and leadership, that I truly found my footing. Their emphasis on values-driven, meaningful travel felt far more aligned with my own. After years of helping clients tick off destinations, I was drawn to the idea of helping young people engage deeply with the places they visited. It wasn’t just about going somewhere, it was about growing somewhere.

Those years solidified something for me: I love working with people at transitional moments in life. For students, travel often marks their first step into the world outside school. It can be messy, thrilling, and overwhelming. My role wasn’t to keep them from making mistakes, but to guide them with just enough structure so they could explore boldly and expand their comfort zone. I loved the attention to detail, the conversations with families, and the joy of watching students return home lit up with new confidence. That foundation has carried into everything I do today.

By 2014, I knew I wanted to offer travel that wasn’t about volume or trends, but about connection. I wasn’t interested in selling mass-market packages or cruise deals. I wanted to design trips that felt human, honest, and grounded in culture. So I launched Ask Ros, She Travels, built on the belief that your itinerary should reflect your pace, your passions, and your personality.

Since then, I’ve helped clients discover the world in ways that are more immersive, more meaningful, and more aligned with who they are. My goal has always been to make the planning process feel as rewarding as the journey itself, through thoughtful conversations, intuitive logistics, and a deep respect for what makes each traveler unique.

In 2023, my dad, then 72, told me he wanted to spend seven weeks traveling through Europe with his partner, Nancy. Between the language barriers and the complexity of multi-country travel, I knew I needed to do more than help. As I began researching, I realized how few travel options truly cater to our vintage demographic. While adults of every age can choose from an endless variety of travel styles and experiences, the same diversity simply doesn’t exist for seniors.

After their successful trip to Europe, where I joined them for just one of the seven weeks, my dad told me,

“The most enjoyable parts were when you were there as our guide.”

And with that, he finally agreed, after my 17 years in the U.S., to come visit me.

In June 2025, he and Nancy spent four weeks exploring the U.S. with me. On the second day of the trip, an unexpected knee injury turned our adventure into a logistical puzzle: scooters, accessible transport, and modified plans on the fly (literally — I was ordering a scooter to our hotel mid-flight to Las Vegas!). Still, it became one of their most memorable journeys. Halfway through, Nancy turned to me and said,

“You should do this for other oldies like us.”

I laughed it off at first. But as I sat with that comment for the remainder of the flight home, I realized how fulfilling it was to make travel possible for people who might otherwise feel that it’s no longer as easy as it used to be to just pick up and go. Accessibility and age should never stop anyone from exploring.

Sadly, in August 2025, after returning to Australia, my father had a stroke and passed away. This time we shared together traveling and the beautiful gift he helped me discover, to work in travel with seniors, remains a deeply personal part of my work.

I am on a mission to help seniors travel with confidence, independence, and curiosity, treating them all as I would support my dad and Nancy — like family.

I’ve always loved solving complicated operational scenarios and smoothing out logistics. If I can improve efficiency and effectiveness, i will!

After years in both the travel and corporate worlds, I’ve seen and experienced the same pain points repeat: systems that don’t talk to each other, departments that don’t align, and teams that accept inefficiency because

“…it’s too complicated to fix.”

That’s where I thrive. Sign me up!

I speak both languages, the operational needs of finance and HR, and the human needs of travelers themselves.

My work focuses on identifying each department’s priorities and implementing a solution that is not only cross-functionally effective but also efficient, user-friendly, and stress-reducing. A system that saves time, money, and sanity? Don’t you love the sound of that — because I do.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, I moved to San Diego in 2009 after winning my green card in the Diversity Visa Lottery (yes, the Green Card Lottery is real!). Both my parents were born in Italy, so espresso and wine are basically in my DNA.

Obviously I love to travel, but what I love most is the way it expands my comfort zone and turns the unfamiliar into the familiar. Every trip feels like an opportunity for borders to fall and understanding to grow.

When I’m not traveling, you’ll usually find me in the kitchen attempting to perfect my focaccia, watching some admittedly awful reality TV, or out sailing in downtown San Diego. I also love to go and watch the San Diego Football Club play! Having season tickets with a group of friends, means that even when life gets busy, I’m guaranteed to see them at a game!

I’m a pretty open book — as you’ll discover if you tune into my podcast, Mate’s Rates, or browse my blog.

My credo, “Practice acceptance, not tolerance.”

-Ros