Journey Journals: Explore the World with JMART TRAVELS

For more than four years, I built my future in the margins. By day, I built someone else's business. Before sunrise, after dinner, on weekends, and during vacations, I quietly built my own. On July 17, 2026, those two worlds become one. Chapter 1: The Spare Bedroom Every business has an origin story. Mine didn't begin in a fancy office, with investors, or with a detailed business plan. It began with a spare bedroom, a folding table, a laptop, lots of prayers, and a dream. On

One of many hotel nights for me. This one likely before a food show or a sales meeting. When people hear that I've resigned from US Foods after more than a decade, they often assume my story with the company began in 2015. The truth is, my story with US Foods began almost twenty years before that. In many ways, I've spent the last thirty years around the table. Long before I was a Territory Manager, before I attended sales meetings, before I earned awards, before I carried a

Norwegian Encore & Norwegian Jade Edition Planning an Alaska cruise is exciting, but packing can feel overwhelming—especially if you've never cruised before. We're so excited and can't wait for our TWO upcoming Alaska group cruises later this summer! The anticipation is half the journey. One of the biggest misconceptions about Alaska is that it's cold all the time. The reality is that you'll likely experience everything from sunny 70-degree afternoons in Seattle to chilly gla

Sixteen years ago, I posted a simple Facebook status: "Sippin coffee on the front porch watchin the sun rise between fourteen hour work days." When Facebook showed it to me recently as a memory, I smiled. Then I stopped smiling. Because I realized something. Back then, the coffee wasn't the point. The coffee was squeezed into the tiny crack between workdays. The sunrise was squeezed into the tiny crack between workdays. Life itself was squeezed into the tiny crack between wor

Somewhere between building out my 2026 and 2027 group travel calendar, it hit me… I’m going to need to be in two places at once. Often. And that’s not possible. Group trips are a big and growing part of what we do, but they’re only one piece of the business. At our core, we are a full-service travel agency—helping individuals, couples, families, and friends plan everything from weekend getaways to once-in-a-lifetime vacations and honeymoons. That means when I’m traveling with

There are trips you take…and then there are trips you talk about for the rest of your life. This is one of those. I’ve carefully selected this itinerary because it combines the most dramatic scenery in Europe with destinations most travelers never get to experience. In August 2027, JMart Travels and Pam's Traveling Friends is hosting a limited group sailing aboard the stunning Norwegian Prima —a journey that begins in Iceland, winds through the breathtaking Norwegian fjords,

There are some memories you don’t realize you’ve been carrying until someone else puts them into words for you. This week, my brother Jeff shared a Facebook post from 2007 in our family group chat. He had been doing a countdown of our Walt Disney World trips, writing about different memories along the way. And this one stopped me. Here is that full post from 2007. *****************************************************************************************************************

An encore tour presented by JMart Travels & Pam’s Traveling Friends ✨ Overview: This Is Not Just a Trip—It’s an Experience Imagine standing beneath towering redwoods…Watching waves crash along the rugged Oregon coast…Sipping wine in California…Taking in a boat ride through beautiful remote areas of Oregan...Trying your luck at a casino...And ending your journey in San Francisco. This fully guided, stress-free group adventure is designed for travelers who want to see it all w

If you’ve been thinking about taking a cruise—but want something truly special—this is it! New to cruising? Nervous about taking that first cruise? Utopia of the Seas offers a four day sailing - perfect for first timers and veteran cruisers alike. Motion sickness? Not a problem on these large vessels with state of the art technology giving the smoothest rides even in the roughest seas! JMart Travels and Pam’s Traveling Friends are excited to introduce our exclusive group crui

Why Scheduling a Planning Session Matters at JMart Travels If you’ve ever stopped by a business hoping to “just ask a quick question,” you’re not alone. In today’s world, we’re used to instant answers and quick transactions. But at JMart Travels, what we offer isn’t just a quick transaction—it’s a thoughtful, personalized planning experience. And that’s exactly why scheduling a time in advance makes all the difference. Your Trip Deserves More Than a Quick Conversation Plannin

A few days ago, I put together a short video showing the different offices I’ve worked in over the past 25 years. What I didn’t say in that video… is how much each of those spaces changed me or how clueless I was about how all of this would unfold throughout the coming decades. Where It Started My first office was a classroom. I was a young teacher and athletic director, still figuring things out, trying to find my footing yet also responsible for molding the minds and lives

This is one of the easiest travel upgrades I’ve seen in a long time. So many people already have registered for TSA pre-check that at times the "pre-check" lines seem as long as the "normal" lines at TSA checkpoints. TSA Clear is another option but quite costly and prohibitive for many folks especially if they are not frequent flyers. But now there's a free upgrade to TSA pre-check. If you have TSA PreCheck and a passport, there’s a new feature rolling out called Touchless TS

It's an uncertain world. But one thing that is near certain is that unexpected medical emergencies are usually expensive. Lately we've gotten quite a few inquiries from clients asking not just about travel protection insurance, but also medical coverage for those unexpected events that may occur particularly on cruise ships or international travel when existing medical insurance coverage would no longer apply. When most travelers hear the phrase travel insurance , they immedi

Rome • Salerno • Messina • Florence • Monaco • Marseille • Barcelona Seventy travelers. One incredible journey. Ten unforgettable days across Italy, France, and Spain. Over the past year, we've meticulously planned every element of this Epic European Expedition—from securing hotels and transfers to coordinating cruise logistics and ensuring a seamless experience from arrival in Rome to our final farewell in Barcelona. Now it’s time to prepare you. This is your definitive guid

This post kicks off our new series, Latitudes by Lisa , written by Lisa Noble—full-time mom, full-time guidance counselor, lifelong traveler, and an invaluable part of the JMart Travels team. Are you dreaming of the perfect girls' getaway filled with charm, shopping, and southern hospitality? Waco, Texas might be calling your name! Nestled halfway between Dallas and Austin, this once-quiet town has transformed into a design-lover’s dream thanks to Chip and Joanna Gaines and t

A couple of weeks have passed since I moved into my new sunroom, and with a little distance, I finally feel ready to share it. Not as a “look what I built” moment. Not as a show-and-tell of something shiny and new in a world where so many are struggling and scraping and trying to stay afloat. Instead, this is a story about building — building a life, a business, an office, and finally, a place for peace. For most of my life, I’ve lived by a simple personal rhythm: Pray hard.

I’ve been chasing wins for as long as I can remember. At St. Bernard School, it was winning Teacher of the Year a nd finishing grad...

August 9–18, 2026 | Presented by Pam’s Traveling Friends & JMart Travels Experience the breathtaking beauty of America’s most iconic...

When we set out on a trip — whether it’s across the ocean or just across the state — the way we travel matters as much as the...

This post kicks off our new series, Latitudes by Lisa , written by Lisa Noble—full-time mom, full-time guidance counselor, lifelong...