Hi, I’m Jenna.
I’m so glad you are here! This Is My Happiness is a travel blog for people like me who find happiness through travel. Since 2010, I’ve been helping people plan their adventures.
About This Is My Happiness
More than 15 years ago, I created This Is My Happiness to share my love of travel with people who love to travel smart — with curiosity and intention to make the most of their travel experiences.
I am deeply passionate about culture and history, so I always want to know what makes a place special — art, architecture, traditional food, history, and, of course, the people.
After becoming a parent, I wanted to inspire other new parents to continue exploring. Over the years, we managed to travel both near home and abroad with a limited budget while working around our work and school schedules.
Now my children are grown, and our family still loves to travel together!
How did this all start?
My life has always been about moving around and traveling. As a child of a military family, I lived all over the U.S., and later, when I was old enough to choose where I wanted to live, I kept moving.
My love of traveling to other countries began with trips to Italy, France and England in my teens and grew while earning a B.A. in art history and studying abroad in Florence, Italy. After college, I pursued my dream of living abroad. I moved to the Czech Republic, where I began teaching English and had the opportunity to travel extensively across Europe.
I later returned to the United States to earn my master’s degree, and I met my husband, an international student from Brazil. We have been married for 25 years and have two bicultural children. Because we spend time in Brazil every year, I consider it my second home.
My educational background in art history and linguistics gave me a deep curiosity about the world. Since 2004, I have worked as a professor of English as a Second Language at a community college in California, where I help immigrants and refugees prepare for college classes. I love to learn from my students about their cultures!
Since I started this blog way back in 2010, I have traveled several times a year with my family, with my husband, and by myself. Frequent destinations include Northern California, Washington, Brazil, Italy, and anywhere in nature that we can take our travel trailer.
What can I do for you?
After 35 years of travel experience, I am passionate about making smart travel choices and sharing this with others. I love to travel in a way that is intentional and meaningful, and I want to help you have the best trip possible! I focus on travel that looks beyond the regular to-do list and instead seeks out sights and experiences that build an understanding of a place and its people. I strive to bring you only high-quality stories to help you travel smarter and happier and get more out of your vacations.
Brands I’ve worked with:
Michelin Green Guides, Vail Resorts, Lexus, Hyatt, Northstar, Gallo Family Vineyards, Pier 39, KOA, Grand Pacific Resorts, Chase credit cards, Fetzer Vineyards, Tuesday Morning, Lodi Wine, Blundstones, Merrell, Visit Lodi and many more.
Freelance writing:
I’ve also worked a freelance travel writer with work that has appeared on National Geographic Newswatch, Time Out, AFAR, Travel Mindset, Luxe Beat Mag, GoBrazil on About.com, and G Adventures’ The Looptail.