Being a Virtuoso Advisor has benefits. As Virtuoso Advisors, we are able to join communities within Virtuoso, we pick ones we share a passion with. One of the communities I have chosen is the Sustainability Community. I have a growing interest in our planet which I suppose started when I was a Girl Scout or Brownie! I try to incorporate sustainability practices in my own life as much as possible. In our Virtuoso circle, Jessica Hall Upchurch (JHU) is the ambassador of Sustainability, the Vice-Chair & Sustainability Strategist for Virtuoso. Rather than write this week, I'd like to share an interview with Jessica, as she shares how purpose driven travel can make the world a better place. Over the past two years, your family has embarked on a series of holidays with companies committed to sustainability. Has this changed your view on travel? JHU-We quickly realized how positive we felt about taking a vacation connected to a greater purpose. Sustainable travel has enhanced each of us individually and as a family – the experiences are deeper and more meaningful. Our two boys were particularly inspired to learn about different ways they can help protect the planet. They’ve told us that they like going to places that are committed to sustainability more than those that are not. Is sustainable travel the new normal for the Upchurch clan? JHU -Unequivocally, yes! It’s phenomenally fulfilling and delightfully fun – in fact, traveling with this mind-set feels like we’re weaving a web of connectedness with people across the planet who love to travel, care about nature, and want to give back in positive ways. What do you hope your kids take away from these experiences? JHU-How we humans all live on one planet, breathing the same air, desiring the same basic needs, and wanting love for our families. And how they can undoubtedly do their part, with joy and ease, to make the world a better place. Tell us about your recent family trip to Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico with Ted Turner Expeditions. JHU-If you like nature, you’ll love this place. Vermejo is more than half a million acres of wilderness that Ted Turner has restored and protected. It’s like having a national park to yourself. They organized a surprise Champagne picnic for us on a rock outcrop overlooking a valley where the buffalo really do roam and the deer and the antelope graze! We’d go back in a heartbeat. Our boys also really enjoyed the fishing, target shooting, and archery. How is Vermejo helping lead the way? JHU-For the Turner family, there’s no stone unturned, no question that can’t be asked, no answer beyond reach when it comes to creating a more sustainable future for our planet. They have restored entire ecosystems, helped bring the American bison back from the brink of extinction, and are demonstrating how a great vacation can go hand in hand with caring for our planet. Is sustainable travel here to stay? JHU-Absolutely! This is increasingly evident, as we read and hear about it almost daily in the travel media. There’s immense good to be done – how fortunate we all are to be a part of it. Given the images of a globe recovering during the pause in travel, I think it's caused us to realize the impact that humans have on the earth more so than if the pandemic had never happened. The time is now to do what you can in your little corner. Take little steps and soon those habits solidify and you can add another initiative. It takes a daily commitment and consistency. We'll get there and we can include more conscious choices in our travel as well! “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” ― Jacques Yves Cousteau