John McKenzie

Blogger, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Consultant, Entrepreneur, Environmentalist, Event planner, Explorer, Finance professional, Gay, Global soul, Promoter, World traveler, Writer/Editor

Originally from Kansas, I have lived in the Washington, DC area since 2000. I’ve had numerous roles at area nonprofits, from healthcare to state policy. My true passion is travel, and my mission is to cultivate, encourage and promote curiosity through travel. I’ve traveled extensively across all 7 continents and nearly 70 countries. I enjoy interacting with people from all cultures and find that the more I travel, the more connected I feel to the world. My areas of expertise with travel include solo travel, budget travel, cultural immersion, geography-related hobbies, and extreme/adventure travel. My services include freelance writing, small group meetups/trips, speaking engagements, and travel coaching. I volunteer with two non-profits: the Rockville Sister Cities Corporation and the Post Mark Collectors Club. I also assist small businesses with their finance and operations needs and grant management. I describe myself as a neurodivergent multipotentialite.

Curiosity and travel. Being curious is a muscle that needs to be exercised just like the body. As children, we allowed our curiosity to guide us, teach us, and entertain us. As adults, many people have lost that spark of interest. I want to inspire people to tap into their curiosity and break away from the rigid or society-induced routines to allow their minds and hearts to open and fully embrace what life has to offer.

Interacting with people different from us and our culture enables us to see the world with a fresh perspective. The more we are able to travel or step outside of our bubble or comfort zone, the more we allow ourselves to open up to new ideas. At the same time, we are able to see a pattern and recognize that regardless of where in the world we are, and despite our differences, we are actually all the same: we are humans that want to live our lives, have a community or family, love, be loved, be ourselves, and be happy. If more people were able to see this and harness the power it brings, we could bring about world peace. Organic cultural exchange fosters inner growth and purpose, which has the power to transform society into a more peaceful one.

Connecting People, Event Planning, Finance & Operations, Grant Management, Travel, Travel Planning

Connecting people from different communities together. I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in various different fields/communities, and I think that I can probably find someone who knows how to help someone else I know.