Meet Marissa.
I’m Marissa, th
e founder and creator of ThumbsUp Travelers. I love to hike, run, take photos, and see the world. I also love chocolate ice cream! I have a compulsive desire to take silly ‘ThumbsUp’ photos around the world, and have talked my loving husband into doing it with me. Thats Love!
Go Green!
I grew up in the mitten state of Michigan, and went to college at Michigan State (Go Green, Go White!) I always loved travel, but I didn’t realize how much until college. Junior year I did a study abroad trip (The Real World: Benelux) and a backpacking adventure with my best friend Melissa, which was my first trip to Europe. It was pivotal in making me realize my true passion for travel. Every new place I saw, new hostel I stayed in, and new photo I took, I became more and more in love with travel and seeing the world! From then on I was never the same.
Nomadic Lifestyle
Since college I have been living a bit of a nomadic lifestyle. My excitement for new opportunities has given me incredible experiences and homes all over the US!
- I moved to the desert of Arizona with my best friend Kimmie and ended up living there for 3 years.
- I moved to Hoboken New Jersey (home of the Cake Boss and Frank Sinatra) to be with my love and now hubby. I got to work in the epicenter of the best city on the planet: New York, and overlook the Rockefeller christmas tree.
- I trekked it back out west to Utah for a summer to rejuvenate, hike and plan my wedding
- And finally made it to the real west coast- California, where the sun is always shining and there’s always an amazing glass of red wine in hand.
All of these experiences elevated my passion for new experiences and seeing more of the world. I believe travel allows you to figure out who you really are, and makes you a better person. I cant wait to travel around the world!
Meet Josh.
I’m Josh. My story will seem very similar to Marissa. I guess that’s one of the many reasons why we are married. We are so much alike!
I’m really older than I sound!
I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan (where the town slogan is ‘Yes there really is a Kalamazoo’). That may be a lame town slogan but it is my hometown and where many of my family members live. It is also home to the best beer on the planet – Bells……if you don’t believe me try a Two-Hearted IPA or an Oberon!
My love for travel began as a kid when we would take family camping road trips across the United States. My role in the family vacations included all of the planning, accommodation coordination, etc. This was the olden days, before the internet so it included going with my Grandparents to the local AAA store to get printed information about states that I wanted the family to visit including campground books and maps. I would pick out the route we would go for the trips. Pick out the campgrounds that we would stay in. Call the campgrounds and make reservations and pick out a few tourist attractions along the way. This began when I was 10 years old. I would pretend to have a deeper voice (that of my father) so I would be taken seriously. Most of the time it worked – suckers!
Grown up travel…well kinda grown up…
The intense passion for travel continued once I graduated high school and took on an international flair. I traveled to Eastern Europe in Hungry, Romania, and Ukraine where my sister and I taught high schoolers english. From that point on, each summer I would go somewhere internationally. I studied abroad in Shanghai, China where my classmates and I were the most immature in all the country of China. The highlight of my college experience was taking a 2 1/2 month backpacking trip with my friend Nate and sister Sarah for 3 weeks. We hit up every country (and bottle of beer/wine) humanly possible for a grueling 16 country trek through Europe. We allotted very little money for the trip and prioritized accordingly (as a 22 yr old would)…Booze, Booze, transportation, accommodations, and oh yeah food in that order. Eventually I took an expat assignment to China until the automotive industry sunk as fast as the Titanic.
As Marissa mentioned, we have lived in many amazing parts of the US since I came back from China in 2008 including New Jersey, Utah and California. I made the big career switch from automotive to the med device industry but my passion for travel and adventure has never left me. I’m older, married to an amazing woman who feels the same way I do so why not…break the mold and see the world. Come along with us on our amazing adventure. I would say once in a lifetime but that would imply that we would only do this once…2ThumbsUp
What’s Up with the ‘ThumbsUp’?
Marissa: In college my friends and I started the ThumbsUp as a funny expression. It caught on, and I couldn’t stop. I became known for my ThumbsUp pictures as I traveled, and it became my signature move.
Josh: Because my wife said so
