EMILY ORGIAS, GUEST EXPERIENCE DIRECOR
EMILY'S STORY
Emily began her travel career in the educational student travel industry, inspired by her first solo travel experience–3 months studying abroad in Senegal at the age of 20.
She has worked with hundreds of groups large and small, from first-time flyers to confident world travelers, ensuring that each detail is diligently planned to provide a carefree trip and great memories to last a lifetime.
Travel has been instrumental for Emily not only to developing deeper awareness of other places, communities, and their experiences, but to self discovery and empowerment. Spiritual travel experiences have helped her understand and connect with her truest, most authentic self. Emily is passionate about travel because she has seen firsthand that it can create unique and transformative opportunities to interact with new perspectives and re-imagine what’s possible.
Family vacations in Grenada, home to her Afro-Caribbean roots, led Emily to realize her passion for sustainable tourism. She sees the extensive harm that insensitive tourism poses to her father’s birthplace as it continues to intensify seemingly to no end, and the deep personal and collective pain it can cause. She is hopeful, however, that responsible travel can become the “new normal”.
Emily believes that people of color have a leading role to manifest this change, to redefine tourism based on the terms of local communities and reclaim it from out-of-touch, foreign organizations. She loves being a part of the Soul Life Travel team to provide travelers with amazing tour experiences that they can feel good about!
EMILY'S Q&A
What’s the best local dish you’ve tasted?
There’s nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a Batido (fruit smoothie-like drink made with water or milk). A fresh fruit, in season and harvested at prime ripeness, is heavenly delicious and the flavour can even be unrecognizable from what you find in a grocery store thousands of miles away. Some of my go-to’s are papaya and mango. These options may not seem the most exciting since they are commonly exported, but trust me, you have not had a Real One until you’ve had it fresh and ripe off the tree!
What’s your most vivid travel moment?
On a solo trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, I visited the ancient Maya city of Uxmal. With no permanent sources of water, the city built advanced and complex designs right into the architecture of their buildings to collect, channel, and administer rainwater. Likewise, they had various rituals, activities, and events to call for and celebrate this essential resource. After learning this in the Information Center, I stepped outside and into the city. Within minutes, the skies opened and it began to rain–starting softly, growing into a downpour, then slowing at the same steady pace. Just a few other people were around, far in the distance, so I was practically alone. Awestruck and fully at peace, I witnessed the remains of the Uxmal people’s brilliant rainwater management system in action, followed by a stunning rainbow and sunset. It was such a spiritual experience and the timing was serendipitous!
Where would you love to travel next?
Marino Ballena National Park is calling me. Ballena means “whale” and it’s an obvious name for this area, where many species of whales visit to rear their calves and Punta Uvita juts out into the Pacific Ocean to actually form the shape of a whale’s tail. From the first time I saw an overhead photo of this majestic scenery, I knew I had to go! I am drawn to the ocean and know I could spend many serene hours seaside at Playa Uvita, walking along the “Whale’s Tail” (possible only during low tide), learning about marine life, and enjoying water activities.
Take a peek
EMILY's Favorite Destinations
