Jen & Staci

A lot of times, being an adult sucks. But then again, sometimes it doesn't. Because sometimes, as an adult, you can wake up and say, "I think I'll book a flight to Paris today."

That's what Staci did, and she knew Jen would be down to join. The two have a kindergarten-born friendship spanning 24 years and a shared passion for travel, art, fashion, food, and laughter. The pair grew up together in Baltimore and stayed close friends while Jen attended the Maryland Institute College of Art and Staci attended New York University. Following college, Staci returned home to pursue a career in journalism and publishing, and Jen moved to New York to pursue a career in graphic design and animation.

In the fall of 2013, the pair set off for Paris and Barcelona and decided more trips had to happen stat. 

  • Jen regretfully didn't study abroad during college and has spent every year since graduation trying to make up for that mistake. Although she loves her job working as a Creative Director, her passion is traveling. She loves documenting trips in her travel sketchbooks and taking pictures of everything from historical architecture in Europe to calving glaciers in Alaska to wild animals in Africa.

    Jen is also an avid runner and tries to explore places by foot and bike as much as possible. She's so glad to have a lifelong friend like Staci who shares her passion for travel, art, fitness and, most importantly, food!

    To keep up with Jen, check out her portfolio here and photos here. She has Twitter but like everyone else is abandoning it because yikes.

  • If Staci didn't travel, her Instagram would basically consist entirely of pictures of her two cats, Beau and Edgar. Wanderlust has run deep for Staci for as long as she can remember. In 2005, she made her first transatlantic trip to study abroad in Florence, Italy. While there, she explored much of Italy and visited London, Amsterdam, Athens, and Santorini. One of her only regrets in life is not cutting class that sophomore year to visit Paris - a situation she rectified in style with Jen!

    To keep up with Staci, check out her art here, meet Beau and Edgar on Instagram, tumbl for her here, or shout her a tweet here.

FAQs

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FAQs 〰️

WHY "HASHTAG JETLAG?"

S+J: Why not?

HOW DO YOU KNOW EACH OTHER?

S+J: We've known each other since kindergarten where we bonded over a shared love of a good set of markers and bombass Barbie clothes. 

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATIONS?

J: Good food & drink is a must. I also prefer places with a good art scene, lots of history, and fun accents. 

S: For a long time after college, I was all about the beach trip, feeling like decompressing was top priority. Beach trips are still awesome, but it's time to get out and see the world! Paris was calling my name, and I never know where I'll head next!

WHY DID YOU CREATE THIS SITE?

J: To be perfectly honest, I was having a particularly slow week at work and was inspired by my friends' travel blogs (Ride & Ramble & Frequent Wanderer). I am a compulsive photo taker and Staci is a talented writer, so it seemed only natural to turn our hobbies into a site. Now that We’ve been doing it for 10 years(!) its a great way to look back on our travels and provide recommendations to others.

S: When Jen asked, I said "hell yes!"

WHAT CAMERA DO YOU USE?

J: I almost only use my trusty iPhone 14 built-in camera to take pictures. I often use the app Afterlight to edit. I also have a Canon D900. It's pretty fantastic.

S: I too use my iPhone 14 with nothing but a dash of Instagram.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION?

J: This is really tough! I have to cheat and say two places. I love a good culture-centric European trip, but there just isn't anywhere else in the world that compares to Alaska. The fact that you need either a boat or plane to access a lot of the state makes it unique. This trip marked the first time I'd seen glaciers in person as well as whales and seals in the wild. I felt more connected to nature here than I have anywhere else. 

I have to agree with Staci and say that my second favorite place is Paris. This is the only city that I've traveled to that felt instantly familiar. The food, the art, the people - everything about Paris felt like home.

S: I can't pick just one! Going to Israel was like going to a home I never knew I had which made it special in a way that no other place I've been to has been yet. But Paris...I long for Paris.

DO YOU ALWAYS TRAVEL TOGETHER?

S+J: Nope! Paris + Barcelona in 2013 was our first trip together, and we realized this had to happen more often because we are travel soulmates.

WHERE TO NEXT?

J: A belated honeymoon in South Africa!

S: Mulling over a weekend getaway in Nicaragua!