Get to know us!
Hi there and welcome to Near & Far! We are a mother, daughter duo who created this blog to document our love for travel. Here is a little about us and why we started this travel blog together.
Meet Jennifer
Hi I’m Jennifer and I’m the daughter of the blog! I am a 25 year old based in Austin, TX who’s been traveling my entire life. That’s just what happens when you have a pilot for a dad! My first plane ride was at 3 months and I’ve been hooked ever since. From spring breaks in Switzerland, to 2nd grade adventures in China I’ve had quite the experiences.
As I’ve gotten older my love for traveling has only grown. I now not only enjoy experiencing new places, but I love creating travel itineraries in my free time. I’d joke that my job as an engineer is just to fund my traveling, but it seems to be closer to the truth these days. They say you should always have a trip planned or something to look forward to and I eagerly agree! I love spending hours researching the best cute hotel to stay in, or the must try delectable restaurant in a new city because if I’m spending money to travel (or using precious PTO), I want it to be the best experience I can get! There’s a difference between vacation and traveling and I am 100% on the traveling train.
Even though I love to plan detailed itineraries for traveling, I didn’t learn this skill on my own. It was passed down to me from my mom. I remember her highlighted and sticky noted travel books creating the most adventurous, jam packed vacations for our family growing up. These are the memories I’m most fond of. I’m even luckier because not only did she plan exciting vacations, she documented them all through her camera. Most of the photography on this blog is from her own camera (and the bad pictures are admittedly from yours truly). Creating this travel blog with her is a joy and I’m excited to see what future adventures are in store for us. Traveling is the best decision I continue to make and I’m glad you’re along for the ride!
Meet Ellen
When I was very, very young, I thought time passed faster on an adventure or trip than at any other time. I knew there was magic in that. Whether the excursion took me into Boston (our closest city), to the beaches of Maine, or the wilds of Canada, they were all exciting. I was a traveler. Hello, I’m Ellen and I’m the mom of the blog currently living in Houston, Texas.
Travel encompasses a lot of my passions including: learning about countries and cultures, meeting new people, exploring, trying new foods, and photography. My travels have taken me to lazy days on the Maine cost, camping in Canada thick with black bears, kayaking the raging spring rivers of the northeastern US, hiking to the Glaciers in Norway, and standing on the Great Wall of China, to name a few. Travel is a love that I’ve tried to instill in my children. It’s my conviction that you are never too young or old to travel.
Let’s Go!