An Introduction from the Onli Traveler

At age 19, I took a year off after two years of college. Unsure about what to do, I worked for 9 months for a moving company, saved up my money, packed a few clothes into a backpack, got into my ‘65 Plymouth Valiant with two friends, drove across country, and boarded a flight to London. For the next five and a half months, I travelled, hitchhiked, wandered, and explored Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. My wanderlust and love of lightweight travel was born!

I went back to school, got an MBA, and eventually ended up traveling to many portfolio companies that were part of an investment fund. Over the years, I attended countless Board meetings, trade shows, new product introductions, planning meetings, and acquisition discussions. I also travelled extensively with my family, as we all loved adventure vacations, and my wife Holli and children Kyle and Kate love travel as well. (My daughter took a job in China and my son served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine after graduation, so I feel proud to have raised two kids with a broad view of the world.)

One night, I was traveling late to a board meeting in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on a small regional jet with cramped seats and almost no overhead space. I was already traveling light with only a backpack, but it wouldn’t fit in the overhead. I said to myself, “I wish I could just zip it in half, and then it would fit!” Instead, I gate checked it and waited on the frigid tarmac in Sioux Falls, in January, for my bag. The idea for Onli Travel was born!