Leader of the Pack: Cristina Luisa of Portland

This month we welcome a new city chapter to the community. Portland Travel Massive kicks off their inaugural event July 31. In this month’s Leader of the Pack series we meet Cristina Luisa, co-organizer of Oregon USA’s latest meet-up for online travel professionals.

What is your connection to the travel industry?

I am a travel addict. Hence the name of my travel blog, Chronicles of a Travel Addict. I first started blogging in 2011, but I didn’t get serious about it until 2013. Since then, I have become more and more involved in the travel industry and getting to know its different facets. My main ambition is to connect my two passions: travel and writing.

When or how did you first get involved with Travel Massive?

I first got involved in Travel Massive in the winter of 2012. I had just started my Twitter account, and a travel vlogger asked me if I was going to Travel Massive that month in San Francisco. I had no idea what this meet-up was, or what to expect, but I grabbed one of my travel-loving friends, and we headed on up to El Rio in the Mission. From that point on, I was hooked!

Why did you decide to organize Travel Massive meet-ups in Portland?

After traveling last year throughout Taiwan and Southeast Asia, I was left with travel withdrawals. I went to the meet-ups in San Francisco to help me transition back to “normal” life while connecting with other travelers. When I moved to Portland two months later, I was shocked to find out that there was no Portland chapter of Travel Massive. In such a progressive city as this, how could that be true? I immediately approached Erika to change this. I wanted a forum for like-minded people in the travel industry to network, share their stories, and making meaningful connections. Also, I wanted to meet inspiring people who shared my passion- in other words, find my tribe! I am so stoked and honored to be a part of this amazing community of travelers and global citizens!

Favourite go-to travel sites or blogs?

For booking flights, my first stop is always Kayak. I go to National Geographic, AFAR and Matador to discover different places to go. My favorite sites that show destinations from the travelers’ points of view are Travel Dudes and Tripoto. Though I follow a multitude of travel blogs, my recent favorites are Bren on the Road, Bemused Backpacker, and my chapter co-host’s site, Wonderlust Adventures.

Favourite travel app for travel to Portland?

The travel app I use the most in Portland is PDX Bus, so I can navigate using the city’s public transportation. When I want to see what’s going on in the music, art, or nightlife scene, I use Head Out, an app sponsored by the Willamette Week newspaper. When venturing overseas, I still stick with old fashioned Lonely Planet travel guides, as I often leave my phone behind.

You’re launching the first ever Travel Massive meet-up in Portland! Can you give us a sneak peek into your plans or the kind of meet-ups you have in store for Portland Travel Massive?

We have a few tricks up our sleeves, but we will be starting out with outreach, networking, and guest speakers to talk about travel.

Why should people attend Travel Massive in Portland?

To meet inspirational, established, motivated individuals in the travel industry, or hear some quirky travel stories! We’d love to meet you and learn about your perception of this vast, curious world. We also started a Facebook page to connect the community in Portland.

If you could book a ticket tomorrow, where would you go?

Barcelona, Spain! This was ironically the first country I ever wanted to visit, and many countries later, I still haven’t even been to Europe! I miss being in a Spanish-speaking country, and would love to eat some tapas, sip sangria, listen to Flamenco, and admire Gaudi’s architecture. 

Leader of the Pack is a monthly series that profiles organizers of Travel Massive meet-ups around the world. You can follow Cristina on Travel Massive.