Our Story: From Diplomats to Your Travel Guides
Who We Are
We are Heather and Meghan. We started as colleagues and became friends over our wanderlust and our common love for traveling to places on Earth that most people never think to visit.
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As former U.S. Foreign Service Officers with USAID, we spent a combined 23 years living and working—not just traveling—across the Global South. Between us, we've called Haiti, Benin, Colombia, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, Senegal, and Peru home. We've worked in remote villages where electricity is a luxury, danced at celebrations that lasted until dawn, and broken bread with families who welcomed us as their own. We've hiked to waterfalls no guidebook mentions, navigated bustling markets with local colleagues who knew every vendor by name, and witnessed landscapes so breathtaking they rewired how we see the world.
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Here's what matters most: we didn't experience these places as tourists passing through. We lived them. We learned the languages, built lasting friendships, and earned the trust of communities across continents. Those relationships—with local guides, families, fixers, and friends—are still strong today. And now, they're the foundation of what we offer you.
What Makes Us Different
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We haven't just visited countries—we've lived the daily rhythms of life there. We know which neighborhoods feel like home, which local guides are worth their weight in gold, and which hidden corners will take your breath away. We have friends and trusted contacts scattered across the globe who are genuinely excited to share their communities with travelers who approach with respect and curiosity.
This isn't about collecting passport stamps or curating the perfect Instagram grid. It's about authentic connection, transformative experiences, and discovering places so remarkable you'll wonder why no one talks about them.
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Our Promise to You
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Whether you're seeking a two-week adventure that recalibrates your perspective or you're ready to plant roots somewhere entirely new, we're here to guide you beneath the map—to the nooks and crannies most travelers never find. Some of our experiences require physical fitness and a sense of adventure; others are accessible to anyone with an open mind and curious heart.
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What they all share is this: a commitment to meaningful travel that respects and supports local communities, insider access you can't Google, and the kind of memories that don't fade.
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We're not here to show you the world as it appears in brochures. We're here to help you experience it the way we did—as a place of endless wonder, unexpected friendship, and profound belonging.
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Ready to go beneath the map?
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Meet Our Team
Meghan Waters
Co-founder and former diplomat/Foreign Service Officer, Meghan has transformed unfamiliar places into home across Latin America, Africa, and beyond through 15+ years of deep community engagement. Having lived in seven countries—Uganda, Peru, The Gambia, Colombia, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Italy—before settling in Senegal with her family, she has built the kind of trusted friendships and local networks that turn foreign cities into places where you belong. Her travels to over 70 countries—solo, with family, with friends, and for work—taught her that the richest experiences come not from seeing a place, but from truly living in it. Drawing on her global network of local hosts and friends, Meghan curates homestay experiences that offer what transformed her own life: trusted connections who open their doors and homes, shift your perspectives, and help you discover authentic corners of the world you might never leave.
Heather Wirick
Co-founder and former diplomat/Foreign Service Officer, Heather has built deep, lasting relationships in communities across the globe through her 10+ years living in Benin, France, Haiti, Colombia, South Africa, and Thailand. Her extensive travels to more than 60 countries throughout Latin America, SE Asia, and Southern Africa weren't just about seeing sights—they were about forging genuine connections with local families and understanding cultures from the inside out. Drawing on her diplomatic network and decades of cross-cultural experience, Heather now curates authentic homestay experiences that welcome travelers into the homes and hearts of communities she knows and trusts. An avid hiker, scuba diver, and outdoors enthusiast, she designs trips that blend cultural immersion with adventure, bringing travelers to extraordinary places through the eyes of local hosts.
