Today we’d like to introduce you to Krista Landis.
Hi Krista, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m Krista—a travel planner, content creator, and travel blogger—and a native Oregonian, born and raised in the Willamette Valley. Growing up surrounded by forests, mountains, coastline, and waterfalls deeply shaped my sense of curiosity and connection to place. I’ve explored nearly every corner of Oregon, and even today, its raw beauty continues to inspire me.
Travel has been part of my life from the very beginning. My first trip was to Crater Lake when I was nine months old, and from there, adventure became second nature. I grew up camping and hiking throughout Oregon and Washington, and as a child, I traveled cross-country many times to visit extended family across the U.S. One of the most formative experiences was a six-week road trip through 38 states, which cemented my love for exploration and storytelling through travel.
At 17, I took my first international trip to England, spending over three weeks immersed in London, Surrey, and the English countryside. The charm of small villages, rolling green fields, rose-covered gardens, cobblestone streets, and historic architecture completely captured my heart. That experience opened my eyes to how history, culture, and natural beauty can coexist so seamlessly.
In the years that followed, I continued traveling throughout Canada—including British Columbia, Alberta, Toronto, and Quebec—and later spent three immersive weeks in Mexico, primarily in Mexico City and the surrounding regions, including Teotihuacán. These experiences deepened my appreciation for cultural travel, slower exploration, and meaningful connection to place.
Life later took an unexpected and difficult turn that put travel on pause for many years. When travel eventually re-entered my life, it did so with renewed purpose. What began as a personal return to healing and freedom has grown into a business centered on helping others experience travel in a more intentional, restorative, and inspiring way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. While travel has always been a source of joy for me, there were long seasons where survival had to come first.
After leaving an abusive marriage, my children and I faced years of ongoing challenges. Even after escaping, we were pulled into a prolonged legal and financial battle that deeply affected every part of our lives. This included a foreclosure tied to my former marriage and, years later, renewed court involvement when my ex-husband sought visitation after long periods of silence.
For nearly a decade, my husband and I fought tirelessly to keep our children safe. We were required to undergo numerous evaluations with counselors, child psychologists, and court-appointed professionals, including extensive family psychological studies. The process was invasive, emotionally exhausting, and financially draining. It repeatedly forced us to relive experiences we were actively trying to heal from, making it feel as though closure was always just out of reach.
Despite the strain, we remained committed to protecting our children and building a stable, peaceful life. Those years taught me resilience, discernment, and the value of safety—lessons that continue to shape both my personal life and my work today.
When travel slowly returned, it became a form of restoration rather than escape. It reminded us that beauty still existed, that joy was still possible, and that we were allowed to build a life defined not by what we endured, but by what we chose next.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At my core, I’m a storyteller and a strategist. I work as a travel planner, content creator, and travel blogger, specializing in thoughtfully curated itineraries that blend iconic destinations with hidden gems, natural beauty, and meaningful experiences. My work focuses on romantic, slow, and restorative travel—experiences that allow people to truly feel a place rather than rush through it.
I’ve been planning travel for well over a decade. What began as creating detailed itineraries for my own family in 2012/2013—centered around Oregon and Washington’s natural wonders, off-the-beaten-path discoveries, and scenic road trips—naturally evolved into full-scale travel planning. In 2015, I planned a lengthy cross-country family trip through Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, and Maryland, and by 2018 I was designing immersive, multi-stop itineraries for destinations like Southern California.
In 2020, I rediscovered my love for road trip planning while designing a massive journey through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, with stops at Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and countless lesser-known locations in between. That trip reminded me how powerful intentional travel can be—especially when nature and story are woven together.
From there, the scale and scope continued to grow. Highlights include:
A girls’ trip through Charleston and Savannah in 2021
Extensive multi-state road trips in 2022 spanning Oregon, California, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, New England, and beyond
International planning throughout 2022–2023, including the Mexican Riviera, a Republic of Ireland road trip, 16 days through Greece, Montenegro, Italy, and England, and time spent in France’s Loire Valley and Paris
More recent travels include the Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah, multiple California trips, Victoria, British Columbia, Leavenworth and Seattle, Washington, a cross-country journey to Pennsylvania, and a week-long cruise to Mexico
What sets me apart is not just where I plan, but how I plan. Every itinerary I create is deeply intentional—built around pace, beauty, and emotional experience. I believe travel doesn’t have to be extravagant to be transformative. Sometimes the most meaningful moments come from a quiet overlook, a winding back road, or a sunrise that makes you pause and breathe.
One of the guiding phrases in my life and work is:
“Grow through what we go through.”
That belief shapes everything I create. Travel, to me, is not about escape—it’s about restoration, perspective, and growth.
I’m most proud of building a creative career rooted in authenticity. After everything my family and I endured, creating beauty, safety, and inspiration for others through travel feels deeply meaningful. I don’t just plan trips—I help people reconnect with themselves, with nature, and with the joy of being fully present.
“Travel isn’t about how far you go—it’s about what you become along the way.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck has played a role in my life, but not in the way people often imagine. I’ve experienced both deeply unfair circumstances and unexpectedly beautiful moments of timing—but neither defines the whole story.
Some of what I faced early on was undeniably bad luck—situations no one chooses and no one deserves. But what shaped my path far more than luck was resilience, choice, and the people who showed up at pivotal moments. I learned early that waiting for things to magically align wasn’t an option. I had to build, protect, and create intentionally.
The “good luck” came later—in the form of rediscovering my voice, my creativity, and my confidence. It came through supportive relationships, opportunities that arrived because I kept going, and a willingness to say yes even when things felt uncertain.
In business, I don’t rely on luck—I rely on consistency, intuition, and experience. Every itinerary, every story I share, and every collaboration I choose is rooted in purpose. Travel taught me that you can’t control every road closure or weather change, but you can decide how you respond and what you make of the journey.
“Sometimes the detour becomes the destination.”
Looking back, I don’t see my life as lucky or unlucky—I see it as layered. Each experience, even the difficult ones, refined my perspective and strengthened my ability to create meaningful work. I truly believe that growth often comes disguised as challenge, and that the most beautiful paths are rarely the easiest ones.
Pricing:
- Base Rate for Signature Custom Itinerary – Please message for rates
- Experience Curation: Elevated Experience Design – Please message for rates
- Packages available, please message for rates and more details
- Pre-curated Itineraries/Guide, printables – numerous options available on website
- Reusable Travel/Journal promps as well as maps & other resources – multiple options available on website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stampsinmypassport.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stampsinmypassport1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stampsinmypassport1
- Other: https://benable.com/Stampsinmypassport
