get to know the world via jenzia
I'm Jenzia — a New York City native, writer, and editor who's passionate about making travel more accessible for anyone who thinks it might be out of reach. Through World via Jenzia, I share practical advice on everything from stretching tight budgets to navigating solo travel as a woman of color, all based on my real experiences across 20+ countries and 45+ UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- 100+ Flights Taken
- 10+ Time Zones Crossed
- 5+ Active Volcanoes Hiked
- 20+ Jet Lag Recoveries a Year
- 12+ Currencies Used
- 1 Bronx Girl Gone Global
my story
from the bronx to bylines and boarding passes
Growing up, my only real taste of “travel” was the long subway ride to school, sometimes stretching over an hour as I watched one neighborhood turn into the next outside train windows. I grew up in and out of public housing, where my best chance of seeing a site like the Colosseum was on the Discovery Channel. Travel felt like something other people did, a luxury that required resources I just didn’t have.
This started to change for me in college, where I hustled for scholarships that would fund my degree and my first trips abroad. As a 2017 Gilman scholar in Florence, Italy and a 2019 Americas scholar in the Dominican Republic, I learned that with the right planning, research, and a little creativity, those “impossible” trips were actually doable — even for someone like me.
Visiting Athens, Greece in 2017 during my study abroad.
Eight years later, visiting the same spot in 2025.
After graduating with the travel bug, I spent several years as a journalist covering everything from music to entertainment to streaming. I quickly realized corporate media wasn’t for me, so I took the plunge to become a freelancer. In that time, I lived abroad in Spain, boated around Mediterranean islands, cruised past ancient tombs on the Nile, camped out in the Sahara, and hiked the jagged peaks of the Alps, among many other adventures. As of 2026, I’ve visited over 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites across more than 25 countries and counting.
2021
Working as a staff editor in Midtown Manhattan
2022
My first trip abroad to Croatia after quitting my office job
2023
Coordinating my first group trip to Jordan as a freelancer
2024
Exploring Guatemala while living with a host family
2025
Living in Sevilla, Spain and celebrating Feria in the spring
2025
Checking a hike in the Dolomites off my bucket list this summer
2021
Working as a staff editor in Midtown Manhattan
2022
My first trip abroad to Croatia after quitting my office job
2023
Coordinating my first group trip to Jordan as a freelancer
2024
Exploring Guatemala while living with a host family
2025
Living in Sevilla, Spain and celebrating Feria in the spring
2025
Checking a hike in the Dolomites off my bucket list over the summer
These days, I continue to work remotely with the freedom to explore and run this blog. Through all my experiences — the magical sunrises and missed flights, incredible connections and uncomfortable situations, trips where everything clicks and ones where nothing goes right — I’ve learned that travel can make us better people and stewards of the world, but only when we’re honest about what it really takes. World via Jenzia is where I share all these lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope they can help make your own journey easier and more meaningful, too.
work with me
from writing to content creation and speaking engagements
I spent several years in digital media building the writing, research, and content strategy skills that shape every story I create today. Eventually, I chose to redirect that experience toward something I’m genuinely passionate about: travel content for people who work hard for their adventures. Now, I bring the same journalistic standards I learned in newsrooms to every brand partnership, speaking engagement, and creative project I work on. If you’re looking for a collaborator who combines editorial rigor with real talk about what it takes to travel, let’s connect.
• Ambassador Roles
• Affiliate Marketing
• Content Strategy
• Social Media Campaigns
• Co-Created Itineraries
• UGC Packages
• Podcast Appearances
• Webinars & Workshops
• Panels & Conferences
• Community Building
• Traveler Recruitment
• EF Ultimate Break Alumna
Past work featured in
MY TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY
intentional travel for real people with real budgets
I’m a deep-dive traveler who believes in returning to places I love, practicing languages that open doors, and bringing the same editorial commitment to travel advice that I brought to newsrooms. Quality over quantity, connections over checklists, and always with the understanding that travel is a privilege that requires intentionality. Every recommendation comes from personal experience or thorough research. Every guide acknowledges that good travel takes planning, patience, and sometimes more money than we’d like — but also that it’s worth every sacrifice when done right.