Aloha and Bonjour!

This is Mary and I fell in love with world travel in 2004 when I took my first flight to Nepal to visit my son who was volunteer teaching in Kathmandu.

I was solo, suddenly single after a 20-year marriage, and ready to rock my freedom to discover the world. What happened?

Asia opened my eyes to a new life: new money, new religions and new people who I’d never have met in Palo Alto, California, down the street from Steve Jobs, where I lived.

Oh yes I’d taken swank trips to Hawaii, Grand Cayman, and Bora Bora. And thought staying in luxury accommodations was the only way to enjoy a vacation.

But now I saw solo travel in a blinding light of authenticity.

You could explore the world and do it without paying $200 to $500USD per night for hotels.

You could travel solo in countries that were far less costly than the USA. And have a magnificent time living more like a local.

Solo travel was a choice I made in my heart for my future.

So after traveling in Nepal and India with my son and teaching photography to the faculty of the Nepal Youth Foundation (my first volunteer project which was exhilarating) I went to Bali solo and experienced the thrill of discovering this mystical island on my own.

Being in Nepal, India, and Bali changed my life!

My freshly opened eyes saw the world as radically different than when I left California.

I returned back to Silicon Valley 2.5 months later with fresh eyes and a new mantra:

Leave the USA every year by New Years Day.

Next journey was a six-month solo overland exploration through South America.

Solo Travel was a priority and my life revolved around it now.

I started at age 49 and I’m still going strong at age 67.

Grateful to be teaching photography worldwide, shooting, writing books, and eating in the countries I’ve explored; some of them multiple times.

Do you want to solo travel?

You’re invited, travel with us (only 4 to 6 people) and be thrilled to have your own room, see exotic beauty, and eat the best food in the world.

Make friends with cool people and have the time of your life because we’re here to live our days with gusto even when things don’t go perfectly.

My mantra now is: stand up, dust yourself off, and keep going!

You’re Invited to Travel with Me

Mary Bartnikowski founded her award winning photography business in 1985 in Palo Alto, author of 5 books, video creator, (over a million views on YouTube) 

Mary has led programs at Apple, Stanford University, Intel, University of Hawaii, and worldwide.

She has photographed the Dalai Lama in India, wild rhinos, CEOs, families, and 725 weddings in Silicon Valley.

She has had 11 one-woman exhibitions in Palo Alto and San Francisco, her photographs have been purchased by art investors globally.

What does she love?

Eating unidentifiable food in exotic countries, and spontaneous road trips with her son, Wolf.

Do you want help planning your next escape?

You’ll get one one-on-one guidance on creating a new lifestyle abroad or leaving your home for a week to a year.

Do you need a branding portrait but hate having your photo taken?

Book a session with me, an award winning photographer for 39 years and you’ll get incredible photos of yourself.

My secret power is making your photo shoot fun and I’ve even photographed the Dalai Lama. 

Consultation and speaking requests:

[email protected]