We are so excited to announce that Kelli Ellis has joined Explore More Family Travel as our Client Engagement & Support Specialist. Yay! She’s been helping me for a while now, so I thought it was time I introduced her!
I met Kelli 4.5 years ago on a very small lunch tour of a Rastafarian home near Negril, Jamaica. We were staying at different resorts at the time but realized we were both heading to the same resort to celebrate birthdays – Kelli’s husband, Joe, and I have the same birthday! What are the chances? Since that trip, our remote friendship has grown as we have realized how much we have in common, which of course includes travel!
Like me, she was not sure how her passion for travel would work with young children. However, she took her firstborn, Russell, to Punta Cana when he was only 8 months old and was sold on family travel! Russell took more fights in his first three years of life than she did in her first 21! Next up, she’ll be doing her first international trip with two kids to Puerto Vallarta in January. I can not wait to follow along on her journey. Kelli is passionate about showing her children the world and working for Explore More will ensure that her goal becomes a reality!
Kelli’s outgoing personality and love of travel make her an ideal match for our new Client Engagement & Support role. She will be tasked with keeping our social media and events exciting for our followers and clients. Her experience with non-profit compliments Explore More’s Giving Back Pledge. Her most important role will be taking care of clients’ needs after the booking process is complete. We will work together to ensure that all necessary tasks are complete but also to do the fun stuff that keeps clients engaged and excited about their trip.
MEET KELLI
Kelli’s most important job is being a mom to two adorable toddlers, Russell & Rudy. She is originally from Michigan and a graduate of Michigan State University, but her family relocated to Ohio last year. Her absolute favorite things are the water, travel, and kids which makes her the perfect fit for Explore More! Prior to becoming a mom, she was an event planner for the American Cancer Society. She also teaches swim lessons and water polo on the side (she’s basically a mermaid)! Kelli loves to to help people make the most of their vacation and is always finding the most unique and “off the beaten path” experiences!
GLAMPING ADVENTURE
We had so much fun glamping with friends at Emberglow Outdoor Resort over the 4th of July holiday weekend. The resort is the perfect place to camp with kids. Plenty to keep the kids entertained while still getting that feeling of being away. There is a community pool, fire pit, picnic area, playground, and jump pad. On Saturday nights, they set up a blow up movie screen for movie night. During the day, they set out sidewalk chalk and bubbles for the kids to play with.
You can also choose your accommodations here – traditional tent camping, treehouses, pods, tiny homes, yurts, and renovated campers. The campers even have wine glasses and a Nespresso machine so it is definitely a glamping experience! It is less than 2 hours from Charlotte but I think it is a great place to visit from anywhere in the Southeast.
WANDERLUST INSPIRATION
Phone cameras have come a long way in the last 4 years! This is one of the only photos of Kelli and I from our trip to Jamaica back in 2017 (with our husbands and my sister and brother in law). We absolutely loved our stay at Rockhouse. It was perched over the cliffs of Negril and we could swim right off our balconies. I love that we met before we even stayed at Rockhouse on a culture and culinary tour. She gets what Explore More is about, a desire to connect with the culture of the destination in a fun and engaging way.
Isn’t travel amazing? A random meeting over 4 years ago has now led to working together in the industry that brought us together in the first place!
Here is Kelli’s husband, Joe, showing off as he jumps from the edge of the cliff outside of their room!
