About Me
Hi, I’m Retha.
I’ve been exploring for as long as I can remember.
Some of my earliest adventures happened during summers spent at my grandparents’ retirement community in Florida, where I rode my little purple bike around looking for alligators and made regular trips to Walt Disney World.
I was always curious about what was around the next corner, and that curiosity has followed me ever since.
Growing up in southeastern Massachusetts, I spent plenty of time at the beach, going to Cape Cod Baseball League games, and playing video games with my brother. A big part of my life when I was a kid was being a Girl Scout. I’ve been a member since the age of 5.
Girl Scouts taught me that girls can accomplish anything, and that mindset has shaped so much of my life. From selling a whole lot of cookies to climbing mountains, hiking thousands of miles, and traveling the world, I’ve always believed in trying new things and pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
My first international adventure was during my freshman year of college when I spent the summer living and studying in Germany. I fell in love with the culture, history, and excitement of discovering somewhere completely new. It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with travel.
After college, travel slowly became a bigger part of my life, especially after I went through my divorce. Over the years, I’ve explored 6 continents, visited more than 40 countries, and traveled to all 50 U.S. states. I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, trekked to Machu Picchu, climbed Mount Fuji, completed the Appalachian Trail, cruised through Antarctica, gone on safari in Kenya, and logged more than 6,000 miles on hiking trails around the world.
But travel has never been about collecting passport stamps or checking destinations off a list. It’s about the experiences, the people you meet, and the stories you bring home.
That belief shaped my career in travel. I spent years leading adventure and cultural group trips around the world, taking travelers to destinations like Peru, Patagonia, Egypt, Cuba, Germany, and Tanzania. (I still do every once in a while, check out my upcoming trips!) I loved helping people experience places they had dreamed about visiting, and I learned firsthand how much planning and thought goes into creating a truly memorable trip.
Today, I’m a travel agent specializing in Japan, Europe, African safaris, Disney destinations, and bucket list adventures. I combine my personal travel experience with my knowledge of trip planning to help clients create vacations that feel personal, exciting, and achievable.
When I’m not planning travel, I’m usually at home in Vermont, where my husband and I built a little cabin on a hill. The name Roaming Nanny comes from my years as a nanny, a nickname lovingly given to me by the kids I cared for. While my career has changed over the years, my love of exploring, learning, and helping others experience the world has stayed the same.
These days, you can usually find me hiking, working in my garden, reading a fantasy novel, sewing a cute outfit for Disney, drinking Vermont brewed beer, or dreaming about where I’ll go next.
Travel has given me some of the best stories of my life, and I’m excited to help others create their own.
Happy exploring!