“I really like to unite humanity through traveling.”
Jeannette Ceja
Travel Journalist Jeannette Ceja was destined to see the world. At six months old, she had her very own passport thanks to her parents who are from Mexico. They always enjoyed taking her on family trips and vacation, which was just the beginning of Jeannette’s journey.
“I’ve known since a young girl that my purpose was to unite the world through travel,” Jeannette said.
On social media she encourages people to “Jet Set with Jeannette,” as she travels from place to place, educating people about different cultures and promoting unity. As a child, she was always fascinated with international news. Jeannette eventually found herself tuned into the Travel and Discovery channels as well. By the time she was in middle school, she fell in love with the idea of exploring the world.
“I started my first travel journal when I was 12 years old and I just never stopped.”
Jeannette, a graduate of UCLA College eventually combined her love for traveling with her journalism skills. To jump start her career, she found herself at every travel conference to learn about the industry to help her grow as a journalist. That’s when she noticed that there weren't many people who looked like her in the travel industry. In her own opinion, there wasn't enough “diversity or inclusion,” so she decided to focus on that, highlighting unique stories around the world.
“Traveling is a great way to learn about different cultures and share your own experiences,” said Jeannette who also finds time to work with the non-profit, Travel Unity. “The organization aligns with my purpose and career as a travel journalist.”
To date, Jeannette has traveled to 60 countries. Some of her favorite destinations include Egypt, Cuba, and India.
Unfortunately, the pandemic slowed her down a bit but it hasn’t stopped her.
“In March, when I got back from Egypt, I self quarantined and things just started to close down in California,” Jeannette said.
That’s when she decided to get more creative to encourage people to explore. The Orange County native, now looks forward to writing a book, producing and hosting a traveling show, as well as a podcast in the near future. Of course the plan is to also see more of the world and travel to places such as Tel Aviv, Kenya, Jamaica, Ireland and Ethiopia post the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I'm just excited to be a voice for women, and people of color within the travel industry and even outside the industry. I really like to unite humanity.”
On a personal level, Jeannette set a goal to travel as much as she can before marriage and children. “When that season comes, I can enjoy that part of my life and transition into doing more things behind the scenes,” said Jeannette who helps women find their voice whenever she’s booked for a speaking engagement.
To help women find their voice, she often suggests penning a few questions. “When you wake up, what is something that makes you excited? What is something you would do even if no one paid you to do,” Jeannette shared. “Follow that and keep following it.”
Below is a snippet from Ceja’s interview: