Valerie Perry Gets Paid to Be on Vacation

My guest for this episode is Valerie Perry. Valerie has made a career out of exciting jobs that made it possible for her to travel and see the world. Valerie is currently a Cruise & Travel Director with the Holland America Line. Previously she worked for National Geographic and before that she spent four years at sea with Royal Caribbean. Valerie's mission is to inspire people to live larger, more passionate and adventurous lives than they ever dreamed possible.

Episode notes

In this episode we talk about:

How Valerie went from being an adult who had never set foot on a plane or ship to visiting all 50 states, going to dozens of countries, and becoming a travel writer.
Some surprising benefits of cruising and Valerie's favorite cruise routes and ports
Valerie's quest to visit 100 National Park sites in honor of the centennial anniversary of the NPS
Tips for making the most of any trip to a National Park
How Valerie got her first job in the cruise industry, even though she had never been on a cruise or even seen a cruise ship in person
What it's like to live and work aboard a cruise ship
How to get a "dream job" working for a company like National Geographic

Books Mentioned:

Valerie's Sea More book series
Cruise Confidential by Brian David Bruns (the infamous American waiter)
Forever Nomad by Tynan (who writes on cruises)

Links:

Valerie's Travel Blog - The Road Lots Traveled
@valeriedperry on Instagram
Find a National Park near you