Skip to Content

About Me

Hi, I’m Areta and I love to travel.

Travelgressing is my travel-focused blog that features travel tips, guides, reviews and news.

What is “travelgressing”?

The basic meaning of the latin root “-gress”is “to step.”  In conjunction with “travel,” “travelgressing” to means “moving towards travelling.” I coined the term “travelgressing” to represent my constant search for my next great trip!

Travelgressing is a general travel blog which features travel news from around the world as well as my tips and recommendations.

My Background

I was born and raised in Richmond, BC, Canada. I went to school at the University of British Columbia and received an Undergraduate Degree in Cell Biology & Genetics + Chemistry as well as a Master’s Degree in Health Administration.

My first big trip was when I was 20 years old. Two other friends and I spent the summer backpacking in Europe where we visited the major cities and enjoyed our major trip away from home.

Since then, some of my favourite travel memories include visiting the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns; climbing the Great Wall of China; seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre; exploring the national museums in Washington, DC; being in the middle of Times Square in NYC; feeding kangaroos and holding koala bears in Australia; and taking in the beauties of the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon and Monument Valley.

While travelgressing.com is very new, I have been blogging since 2010 and took it up more professionally since 2014 with my food-focused blog, foodgressing.com.

Aside from blogging and being an influencer, I do freelance food photography. I currently reside in Vancouver, BC with my husband, two young sons, and dog.


Places I have Been To

Canada: Vancouver, Victoria, Tofino, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Banff, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal

China: Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Hong Kong

USA: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, Boston, Washington DC, Philidelphia, national parks in Utah & Arizona, Puerto Rico, Baltimore

Europe: London, Paris, Brussels, Zurich, Frankfurt, Rome, Venice, Milan

Australia: Cairns, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Surfer’s Paradise, Sydney


Bucket List Items Checked Off

  • Visit the Great Wall of China
  • Explore the Forbidden Palace
  • Visit the Great Barrier Reef
  • Hold a Koala Bear
  • Ride the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls
  • Stay in a 5 star hotel in Hong Kong
  • Ride a gondola in Venice

Places I Want To Visit Soon

  • Tokyo
  • Prague
  • New Zealand
  • Marrakech
  • Portugal
  • Greece
  • Taiwan
  • Costa Rica

Thank you for taking the time the learn more about me. If you’re a brand and would like to work together, feel free to reach out for collaboration opportunities. I am @travelgressing on social media or shoot me an email at [email protected].