Meet the Team

Megan Eileen McDonough (Founder & Editor-in-Chief)

A bohemian by nature, Megan has a love for non-traditional destinations, underground art and unexplained beauty. Her dreams of travel were born in Orlando’s Walt Disney World, where Megan’s father bought her a fake passport from a gift shop, instilling in Megan an intense excitement as she visited all the different “countries” at Epcot Center, getting her “passport” stamped in every country along the way. Her first trip to a real country was during her junior year in college, where Megan lived and worked in London, UK. While in Europe, Megan traveled to as many countries as she could fit in between her Communications classes and her Fashion Agency internship. Since then, Megan’s appreciation for the undiscovered has led her to Argentina and Mexico twice, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Egypt.

Olga Maria Vargas (Publicist)

Olga grew up on the island of Puerto Rico and moved to the United States in 2003 at the age of 18, looking to escape the dreamy island for the fast-paced, city life only found in a concrete jungle. Olga’s independent spirit led her first to Miami and then New York City. In addition to tackling the English Language, other obstacles included climbing the Covadonga Mountain (Picos de Europa National Park) in Spain and the Great Wall of China….in heels! A creative force to be reckoned with, Olga is not only a fashionista but a published poet and model, whose personal mantra is “Living my Dream in Heels.” Currently, as an Independent Publicist, Olga has Bohemian Trails and Celebrity hair stylist & make-up artist, Carlos Otero as her clients. She is involved in marketing campaigns for Couture Fashion Week, My Lifestyle Magazine, Olympia Imports, and assists Kasal NY as a logistic wedding coordinator. 

Jessica Dante (Social Media Specialist/Contributor)

Jess is a born-and-bred New Yorker but realized that she was born to travel while studying abroad in Antwerp, Belgium during her junior year in college. As a recent grad from James Madison University, she’s decided not to follow in the footsteps of her fellow grads enduring their first 9-5 desk jobs. Instead, she is currently planning her move to Florence to teach English, improve her Italian, and eat her weight in gelato.

CONTRIBUTORS

David VanArsdale

David caught the travel bug while studying abroad in Australia and still thinks about that first weekend in Noosa. As much as he wants to explore the globe, he’s still amazed with what you can find in your own backyard (both literally and figuratively). If he’s not watching the same movies for the umteenth-time, David is 60% likely to be writing, and 30% likely to be reading Bill Watterson, Ayn Rand, or Alan Moore. He carries an audio splitter for his iPod so that he can listen to music with strangers, and believes that if you haven’t laughed at yourself by the end of the day, then you should take a good look at your belly button. 

Jessica Tiare Bowen

Jessica Tiare is a rockstar teacher and author of the children’s book, “Park Avenue Pound Puppy”.  She’s trekked to Paris for pan au chocolats, Florence for fine Italian art, Athens for Acropolis hiking, and is currently learning the Bosnian language as her passion project.  While she loves an adventure abroad, she adores living in New York City with her pink-nosed chihuahua Gillman and spending time exploring the Juicy Big Apple.  For (lots) more information, please visit her website, www.jessicatiare.com. 

Emily Banyard (London Local)

Emily left Australia for Europe with 15 kilos in her backpack. After forfeiting her return flight she’s lived in London ever since – using it as a base to explore new countries and taste the local brew. With a day job in publishing she haunts book festivals and other quirky events while developing an understanding of tea and a resistance to cold weather. Constantly seeking out the bizarre; she’s eaten crickets in Thailand, stayed in a converted prison in Slovenia, learned Druidic in England, taken a Graffiti tour of Germany and was taught animal dances in North America.

Kay Boatner (Foodie Fanatic)

Kay works as an editor in Washington, D.C., but would give it all up to be a full-time foodie. As an Army brat, she’s lived on military bases from Colorado to Oklahoma to Germany. Her best vacations ever include a post-college cruise to the Mediterranean where she fell in love with Croatia and its many homeless cats and a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest where she consumed more doughnuts than she should have. When she’s not planning her next trip, Kay’s most likely catching up on her ever-growing reading list or continuing her quest to find the perfect cup of coffee in D.C.

GUEST WRITERS: Patrick Perlmutter (Paris) Elana Zygman (Thailand), Greg Pesce (Paris)