Part pragmatist, part nostalgist, and wholehearted enthusiast of the irreverent, Jeralyn Gerba grew up in a house filled with books – history, fiction, science, reference – that stoked her curiosity for people, places, and things.

She started traveling when she finally made enough money from summer jobs to do so, and, while based in New York City for university, she also studied art history in Italy, politics and society in South Africa, and food culture in Louisiana, among other things.

She started writing about art, culture, nightlife, food, and items people make by hand, and figured out that she was happiest when comparing and collecting those observations with others. She was hooked on visiting cities until she started hiking volcanoes, swimming in lagoons, and bicycle riding through rustic, unpaved lands.

These days, her favorite destinations are places on the verge of change – probably because they are a visceral reminder that nothing is static, provide an opportunity to capture transformation in the making, and force her to embrace the unknown. For Jeralyn, travel feels the best when a challenge is met with a breakthrough and a homemade snack on the other side.