What We Do
Group or family travel sounds fun, until the planning begins. Coordinating schedules, budgets, preferences, accessibility needs, and personalities can easily take dozens of hours. Often, one person ends up carrying the emotional and logistical load for everyone else, trying to make decisions that keep the peace while still creating a memorable trip.
Traditional travel advisors work on a commission basis that requires them to prioritize vendor partnerships. We work on a fee basis that gives us the flexibility to recommend the best options for you regardless of the vendor.
We prefer to speak with each traveler in the group to learn about their expectations and wishes for the trip. We believe everyone has preferences, opinions, and needs that can be accounted for.
This approach gives each traveler a voice and removes the burden of knowing and planning for everyone’s needs from any one group member. We take each traveler’s input seriously when we plan your next journey.
Our Values
Person-Centered Travel - We meet the needs of travelers of all ages and abilities by considering their unique physical needs, sensory differences, dietary restrictions and allergies, language skills, and other specific preferences.*
Sustainable Travel - We help travelers make choices that benefit the communities they visit and reduce the impact on the environment that can come with travel.
Connected Travel - We help travelers connect to themselves, connect to their fellow travelers, and connect to the world.
*We take seriously the needs of individuals who may experience discrimination in some travel destinations based on their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical abilities and will do our best to provide information about destinations that are known to be dangerous or unwelcoming to individuals with such identities.
We demonstrate our values by completing trainings and joining likeminded organizations that offer resources we can share with our clients.
Meet the Journey Unburdened Team
Brieanne and Janell met in grad school for public health and have been friends for nearly 20 years. Their mutual love of travel and helping people connect inspired them to create Journey Unburdened.
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Travel Planner & OwnerSince childhood I have been fascinated by different cultures and places. My family’s National Geographic magazine subscription gave me an endless source of new people and far off lands to learn about. I even fantasized about becoming a globetrotting photographer for the magazine.
Instead, my career path led me to public health, where I have worked for years to help develop solutions to health-related problems facing the people of North Carolina. This work has honed my skills in listening and helping people come to consensus for a solution.
Always a planner, I have satisfied my wanderlust over the years by curating detailed itineraries for family trips. I’m at my happiest learning about a new place and finding those lesser-known details. My husband and two sons indulge me happily in those adventures. Together, we have explored up and down the East Coast, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Iceland, Italy, Panama, and Peru, to name a few. Check out the map in the next section to see other places I’ve traveled to.
I am a Certified Travel Associate, Certified Accessible Travel Planner, and Certified Autism Travel Professional.
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Travel CoachI’m a group coach and global health leader who thrives on creating spaces where people can connect in meaningful ways whether that’s around a table, in a meeting room, or halfway across the world.
I grew up in South America and Africa and for the past 20 years, I’ve worked in public health leadership across the globe. My work has taken me from Australia to Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka to France, and countless places in between. I’ve taken a special interest in improving group dynamics, organizational leadership, and team development. I learned early on in my career and in traveling that if everyone feels like they have a voice and that their voice matters, the outcomes of whatever we might be doing will always be better!
Because I’ve lived the realities of both personal and group travel, I know the hacks that make trips smooth and the tricks that make them meaningful. I’ve led and traveled with groups that span cultures, ages, genders, and political perspectives. I want to help design experiences where everyone feels included, seen, and connected and everyone takes ownership for the experience.
Our Travels
Between the two of us, we have seen a lot of the world. For the places we haven’t been yet, we love to learn more and are happy to help you plan your journey there.
Australia
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Cambodia
Canada
China (Janell spent a summer here)
Colombia
Croatia
Cuba
Czechia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Denmark
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Georgia
Guatemala (Janell lived here)
Greece
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan (Janell lived here)
Kenya
Places we have lived & visited
Kyrgyzstan
Malaysia
Malawi
Mexico
Moldova
Mozambique
Myanmar
Netherlands (Brieanne spent a summer here)
Nicaragua
Norway
Oman
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Singapore
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkiye
Ukraine (Janell lived here)
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
Vietnam (Janell lived here)
“I haven’t been everywhere - but it’s on my list!” - Susan Sontag
““Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
— Mark Twain
Contact Us
Are you ready to start planning your next journey? Do you want more information about our services? Click here to complete a short questionnaire and indicate which service you are interested in. Completing the questionnaire does not commit you to any payment.
If you have questions about our services or what might work best for you, you can reach us at travel@journey-unburdened.com or 919-348-9423.