
PLENA VIDA VACATIONS
Travel Authentically
My Story

If there’s one thing I’ve learned is that life takes some unexpected turns! I’ve chosen to embrace change and see it as an adventure. Perhaps my passion for travel has helped shape that part of my perspective on life.
While travel has always been a love, I never saw it turning into anything more than planning a family vacation or a getaway for Scott and I! At the age of 24, I began my career as a high school science teacher. By this time, both of our daughters had already graced our lives. By the time I turned 28, I found myself juggling a full time career, a new city in a new province, and two small children just starting junior and senior kindergarten. Those beginning years were tough but a teaching career afforded me the time I wanted with my children. Since Scott was also a teacher, our family was always on the same schedule. It was truly a blessing.
Teaching also afforded other benefits. In 2011, I led my first student tour to Europe! A colleague and I brought eight high school students to Berlin, Amsterdam, Bruges, Normandy and Paris on a WWII history tour. I was hooked! A few years later, in 2014, we travelled again, this time with a group of over thirty students and five teachers! In all, I was able to travel on five amazing tours with destinations ranging from London to Prague and Barcelona to Berlin. Travel literally changed my life! As a science and math teacher, I had next to no education or experience with the arts and history. However, that first European travel experience turned me into an amateur art and history buff (not to mention coffee connoisseur) in the span of 10 days!
I ended my high school teaching career of about seventeen years. I could just tell it was time for a change. My years of teaching were amazing and I truly loved building relationships with my students. However, I know that when I start to dream, the only option is to follow it.
Plena Vida means “full life”! My goal has always been to live life to the fullest and that can only happen when you take a chance and go for it!
Travel may seem out of reach for many reasons but my goal is to make it easy and attainable so you too, can live out your dreams!
“Don’t just dream your life, live your dream!”
Heather