Meet Julia: The Woman Behind The Website
The Cure for Curiosity was established in 2015 by me, Julia, a travel addict who wants to help travelers like you move beyond the highlights and learn how to travel thoughtfully, whether you have a week or a year.
Hi, I’m Julia Williams, the Founder of The Cure for Curiosity.
After traveling to 100+ countries, I’ve learned that great travel isn’t about ticking off bucket lists or collecting passport stamps. It’s about curiosity, intention, and understanding the places you visit.
3 Things You Should Know about Me
I believe in living life to the fullest.
I believe in working hard to get what you want.
I believe there is always a solution to every problem – you just have to find it.
What I Believe about Travel
Travel is a skill you can improve. It’s not about having unlimited money or time or even picking the perfect destination. It’s about making thoughtful choices that fit your life and priorities.
Great travel happens when you:
- Stay long enough to understand a place, not just see it
- Choose curiosity over checklists
- Walk more than you plan (you notice more)
- Use local transport to see how places actually work
- Talk to people, locals and other travelers
- Travel intentionally, not performatively
I’m not interested in just Instagram spots or “doing” destinations. I care about connection… to places, to people, and to yourself.
You’ll Find This Site Useful If:
- You’ve traveled before and want to go deeper.
- You’re comfortable abroad but still learning how to travel well.
- You want honest perspectives, not just highlight reels.
- You care more about understanding a place than proving you were there.
- You’re ready to travel more thoughtfully.
If you’ve been to the “easy” destinations, like Paris, London, Italy, and you’re wondering what comes next, you’re in the right place.
What You’ll Find Here
Destination guides that go beyond “top 10 things to do”
Travel philosophy on curiosity, intention, and understanding
Practical frameworks for planning trips that fit your life
Honest assessments of what works, what doesn’t, and why
Real talk about long-term travel, budgets, and trade-offs
Help Curious Travelers Learn to Travel Well
Most people don’t need to travel more. They need to travel better. With thoughtful planning, honest insights, and a willingness to slow down just enough to notice more, you can turn trips into experiences that stay with you long after you’re home.
Travel is within your reach. You just need to learn how to approach it with intention.
Ready to get started?
Traveling to 100+ countries isn’t done quickly… and it shouldn’t be!
The understanding comes from returning, staying longer, and being willing to change your mind about places.
My relationship with travel has evolved over decades:
1999 & 2000
Spent summers in London, England. First taste of international travel and living abroad.
2006
Studied abroad in Valencia, Spain for 4 months. Learned that slowing down reveals more than rushing through.
2008+
Corporate life with vacation travel. Used limited time off strategically for international trips.
2015 – 2016
Quit my job, backpacked around the world for 13 months. Learned what long-term travel actually costs (financially and emotionally).
2017 – 2018
18-month road trip across the US while working remotely. Discovered you don’t need to go far to travel deeply.
currently
Continuing to travel thoughtfully. Balancing short trips and longer journeys, always following curiosity.
How 100+ Countries Taught Me to Travel
It Starts with Curiosity
I didn’t grow up wealthy or adventurous. I grew up in the Midwest with parents who happened to work internationally and brought the world to our dinner table. Guests from Scotland, Australia, Japan. Summers in London as a teen. A Mediterranean cruise. I got hooked early.
Travel Takes Sacrifice
Studying abroad in Valencia meant working two full-time jobs—80-hour weeks—to afford the travel I wanted around Europe. Later, leaving my corporate job for 13 months of backpacking around the world meant facing fear and uncertainty. Every big trip required a trade-off.
Long-Term Travel Isn’t What It Looks Like
That 13-month trip taught me that travel isn’t an escape. It’s exposure. To discomfort, loneliness, growth, and perspective. I loved it and learned a lot from it. I came back knowing more about the world and more about myself.
Ways to Blend Work and Travel
After returning, I couldn’t settle back into “normal” life. So I went remote, spent 18 months road-tripping the U.S. as a digital nomad, and eventually started my own marketing firm to build the flexibility I wanted. Travel doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
The Goal Isn’t More… It’s Better
100+ countries later, I’m less interested in adding stamps to my passport and more interested in understanding the places I visit. Staying longer. Walking more. Talking to people. Letting curiosity guide me instead of checklists.
Want to Learn More? Here are 10 fun facts about me.
I have traveled to over 100 countries on 6 continents.
I have my advanced scuba diving certification, allowing me to see the world from a whole new perspective. I have also dove the Blue Hole in Belize.
I am a half Ironman. That’s right, I have completed a 70.3 Ironman (1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, 13.1 miles of running) and multiple half marathons.
I pay for all of my own travel. Really. I wrote about my budgeting if you’re curious.
I’ve been to some of the highest and lowest places on earth – Mount Everest Base Camp (x2!) and the Dead Sea.
I have visited all 7 of the New Wonders of the World, including the Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Petra in Jordan, Machu Picchu in Peru, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the Colosseum in Italy, and the Taj Mahal in India.
I was mugged at knife point by a gang in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and stole my purse back. (Thank you Ironman training for my running getaway!) I do not recommend. Here are actual safety tips.
I have gone sky diving over the islands of Fiji, paragliding over the Dolomites in Italy, and hang gliding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
I am an avid hiker, having hiked the Inca Trail, the Lost City in Colombia, to Mount Everest Base Camp, the W Trek in Patagonia, and more!
I have my MBA (Masters of Business Administration) and a full time career in marketing.
