Krista’s Journeys
June 2026
Growing up in the wide-open spaces of Texas, Krista developed a love of travel early. As she puts it, “going anywhere might take you a couple of hours.” Long car trips with snack breaks are cherished childhood memories, and where Krista's enduring fondness for Slim Jims began.
When Krista was three years old, she ate a peanut butter cookie and became violently ill. It was discovered that she has a potentially life-threatening nut allergy so severe that it can be triggered by simply interacting with surfaces nuts have touched. Later, she also developed a gluten intolerance, which added another level of complexity to her diet. For some, these restrictions might feel limiting, but for Krista, they just became something she needed to manage.
A degree in psychology led Krista to a career working with children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. A rewarding career, it also reinforced her belief that her food allergies were simply something to be managed, especially compared to the challenges others faced. She certainly didn’t let them limit travel, researching food options ahead of time and making a plan.
Wait until I retire to travel… are you kidding?” Krista set a goal to visit all 50 states, “dragging” her husband along on some trips but doing many solo. While Krista's husband enjoyed the cruises they took together, he did not share her more extensive travel goals.
By the time she stopped working in 2010, Krista accomplished her 50-state goal and wanted to explore more.
Not long after, Krista began volunteering with the American Cancer Society, meeting patients and survivors. This experience, and her brother's serious motorcycle accident, underscored how fleeting life and good health can be, kicking Krista’s desire to travel into high gear. She set a new goal to visit all seven continents.
Rather than wait for a travel partner, Krista decided to set out on her own. While researching online, she found Women Traveling Together. Unlike some new to WTT, she didn’t find traveling with new people to be intimidating. Girl Scout camp, college, and taking a cruise were all situations where she didn’t know anyone at first. As Krista says, “You know you won’t click with everyone, but that’s true of any new place you go.”
In 2018, she joined her first WTT tour to Italy, where she met women she clicked with and still keeps in touch – and travels with – today. Krista values the travel experience, but it’s the wonderful women she’s met and the friendships she’s made that she treasures most.Krista stepped foot on her seventh continent in 2024 when she visited Antarctica with WTT. On every trip Krista has taken, there are moments she’s overwhelmed with feelings of awe and gratitude, thinking, “Wow! I’m really here. I am so blessed!"
Krista will be on our Alaska Overland Adventure tour in June, her 14th WTT journey. Passionate about travel, Krista vows to keep going. “I want no regrets when I do get to the end of my travels.” To an outside observer, traveling the world with a life-threatening nut allergy and gluten intolerance might sound stressful. Krista sees it differently. Her restrictions haven’t limited her life; they’ve simply shaped how she moves through it.
Our Promise to You
It doesn’t matter which tour you choose.
You’ll find your people and make memories that last a lifetime.