Welcome to the Jet Set Gypsy, a travel and lifestyle blog about mindful, adventurous travel for personal enrichment and growth.  Hi, I’m Jodina, and I’m a gypsy… That is to say, I’m happiest when roaming and exploring some new corner of this fascinating & beautiful world, discovering its secrets, meeting people, savoring exotic cuisine and learning to appreciate its beauty and culture. I guess you could say that I suffer from an incurable case of wanderlust, and the only remedy I know is to travel more.

This blog is for my fellow travel lovers looking for inspiration and entertaining tales from the road, seasoned with a healthy dose of know-how and garnished generously with gorgeous photos and interesting videos. (Did I mention I love food?!)  I’ll also be sharing tips on how to travel better based on my own trial and error.

My approach to travel goes well beyond seeing the monuments and museums, the art and architecture of a place — and I do enjoy those things  immensely — but what really turns me on is seeing how people live (eat, operate, dress, work, play) and getting to meet, talk with, and know them.  I have an anthropologist’s fascination with how people live and do things.  I love to wander and watch and interact with people wherever I go… even when I’m not traveling beyond what I officially call home.  (Though I do consider myself a citizen of the world, and I do believe that life both is a trip and a journey.)  Everyone has a story, and it’s usually pretty fascinating.

To me, this wide world is really smaller than it seems. I see everything as interconnected, and all of us as having so much more in common than what sets us apart.  I think that’s always kind of been my default mindset, but travel has definitely reinforced it. There’s really nothing else that can open our hearts, eyes, and minds like traveling and exploring this amazing planet we call home.  I truly believe that one of the best, most gratifying side effects of travel is a greater appreciation of other cultures, and ultimately, especially as more people do it, a more harmoniously connected world. Now that’s one heck of a souvenir!

I publish new posts about once a week. To stay in the loop and join the conversation (and to receive my free gift: “Travel Secrets: 27 Must-Haves for Easier, Better Travels”, subscribe (it’s free!) using the form on the top right of this page. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Yours in travel, adventure & exploration–

Jodina

Jodina Gallo aka the Jet Set Gypsy is based in San Diego, California. She teaches Italian and Spanish, organizes tours to Italy, and travels as often as she can.