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About Us

Welcome to ReflectionsEnroute!

Jim and Corinne travel experts.
As travel junkies, we’ve been to over 90 countries together, and we can’t help but take some iconic selfies like this one on the equator in Uganda.

We are Corinne and Jim, an American couple who slow travel around the world. We’re currently living in Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam but we’ve been lived in many countries around the world.

Luckily we are trained school teachers, which gave us the opportunity to live in these countries Japan, Germany, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands as teachers of American military children. We did this for over 20 years.

Living in these far-flung places has allowed us to learn to travel and explore to our heart’s content. We’ve traveled together to over 90 countries. We’re not truly nomadic, yet, but we’re close. We use HCMC as a base, but we still are on the road for a good portion of the year. We like to think we get the best of both worlds with a solid home base to return to while still living large out in the big wide world.

We love to design our own travel. During our available time we fill up our travel with road trips, one or two-week country explorations, African safaris, and weekend breaks to new cities, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and other local treasures. For some of the details about where we’ve been and what we’ve done, visit our Places page.

Jim and Corinne traveling through Eastern Europe.
Expert at road trips, we’ve even done them in far flung places like Botswana, Turkey, Borneo, and pictured here, Romania.

Travel Philosophy

We have traveled the globe riding horses, camels, elephants, electric bikes, automobiles, vans, trucks, trains, float planes, jet aircraft, boats, and ships. Our travel philosophy focuses on the journey as part of the adventure while keeping the budget low and the experience quality high. While we are traveling we want to see it all, do as much as we can, and eat as many local foods as our stomachs can handle.

See It

Much of traveling is taking in the iconic structures and places in the world. There’s no doubt that when we are in Paris, we seek out the Eiffel Tower, or when we are in China, the Great Wall. 

However, seeing it is much more than getting to those global icons to us. In the city, it includes preparing for the day, and visiting markets and parks. Outside of the city, it’s seeing the beauty of the backcountry, the way people live in the towns and villages, farming and agriculture, just getting a glimpse into everyday life. 

Do It

Seeing it is just not enough. The things we remember most are when we’ve done something or met somebody in a place. Spending time in someone’s kitchen where we’ve had a cooking lesson, visited a specialty museum, road-tripped through the mountains, or done something fun really cements that locale in our memories. 

Eat It

Food is a big part of our lives at home and while we’re traveling. So it makes sense to seek out the local dishes and the best local restaurants, and delve into the cuisine of the country to help understand the culture.

As we travel, we make it a point to learn about everyday food and special foods. We take cooking lessons where we learn about the people and the dish we are making. We try to bring home some world-inspired recipes from each place that we can incorporate into our meals in order to remember our time and tastes of that place.

Jim and Corinne try foods all over the world. Here they are eating soba in Nara, Japan.
It’s all about the taste! With extensive research, we seek out the best local foods and restaurants when we are visiting a place. We love it all, like this soba restaurant in Nara, Japan. 

ReflectionsEnroute showcases the amazing places we’ve been. We do this by providing information on places to go, things to see, what activities to do, and highlighting the amazing local dishes we’ve tried.

Through our writing, photography, and videography, we aim to inspire everyone on how to get out and travel (DIY) regardless if they are married, single, have children, or are on a luxury or tight budget. With our travel guides, itineraries, road trips, and practical tips, we do our best to provide you with current information at the time of publication and perform routine updates to keep our articles as up-to-date and as complete as possible.

Jim and Corinne on a rope bridge in Japan.
You can’t understand an entire country by just hitting the capital city. We love to get out into the backcountry and hike, camp, and meet the locals in smaller, out-of-the-way places. Here we are in Shikoku, Japan on a rope/steel bridge.

We believe anyone can find a way to get out and see the world and discover new things about themselves and the world they live in. Travel opens the eyes and the mind to new things, new ideas, new tastes, and new experiences.

Work With Us

Traveling is not only about the destination, but it is also about meeting new people, making new friends, and creating collaborative partnerships. We actively seek out new opportunities to bring our travels to our growing online audience (nearly 200,000 across a variety of social media outlets).

We have partnered with private organizations, official tourism offices, and private individuals around the world. Our goal is to make all travel and any destination accessible through trip planning, reviews, press or fam trips, and social media takeovers.

Jim and Corinne traveling through Norway.
It’s key to enjoy all weather travel. What’s better than experiencing Norway in the snow?

Take a look at our disclaimer and privacy policy pages for more information. If you are interested in working with us or have any questions about our website or policies, please email us by using the contact page, and don’t forget to ask for our Media Kit.

Jim and Corinne travelign in Madagascar.

We love traveling to places that most people only dream of going, like visiting the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar.

Marika

Saturday 30th of September 2023

Love your pic in Madagascar- boababs in Namibia looks different

Corinne Vail

Tuesday 3rd of October 2023

Hi Marika! It was so nice meeting you and Betsy. I love a good Baobab tree...next time I'm in Namibia I'll definitely check them out. Keep in touch! Corinne and Jim

David Fleming

Tuesday 5th of September 2023

We LOVE your blog! Our conversation on the train was SO helpful! We’ll be following your adventures!

Corinne Vail

Wednesday 6th of September 2023

Hi David and JoAnn, We loved talking with you on the Deutsch Bahn train ride as well. You give us faith that more people will go out and explore! Thanks for following along!

Erica Chatman

Wednesday 17th of February 2021

This week I am posting an article on my blog about a time when I was disappointed in myself for not being more adventurous. It got me thinking. Was there a time when you weren't brave enough to try something and wished that you had? On the flip side, has there been a time when you experienced a feeling of triumph and were super proud of yourself for having tried/attempted some activity, trip, food, etc.? You can email me privately if you prefer. Would I be able to quote you for my post?

William Henderson

Wednesday 18th of March 2020

Wow. Just wow. Your blog is equal parts amazing and inspirational. My wife and I have a great deal in common with you and your husband: similar age, the love of travel and a borderline obsession with great food. We are both retiring in the next 2 years and hope to replicate some of your travels in the years to come, staring with the Pacific islands and Eastern Europe. I would like to thank the both of you for sharing your experiences (and recipes!).

Corinne Vail

Wednesday 18th of March 2020

I'm glad. Please email us if you have any questions and good luck!

Corinne Vail

Tuesday 17th of February 2015

Stella, Yes! Personally, I think traveling with kids is better than without kids. Some might argue, but you truly get to know so many more people that way! Good luck!