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Meet Our Asia Travel Team

Dedicated to excellence in travel


We're an owner-managed small company and a team of experts with a passion for our region of the world. The exceptional quality of service that defines Asia Transpacific Journeys is a direct reflection of the knowledgeable, experienced, committed people who work here.

Along with our Asia Travel Specialists, we believe that travel propels us outside of ourselves, beyond our previous understandings, to embrace new ways of imagining, new ways of seeing. Contact them when you are ready to Journey Beyond the Ordinary™.

Marilyn Downing Staff, Founder & President

Marilyn is the founder and driving force behind Asia Transpacific Journeys. She earned degrees in environmental biology and sociology before setting off on worldwide travels, and a stint living in Thailand where her company was born over two decades ago.

She is the veteran of far-flung adventures that span three decades and the most remote corners of the region, fueled by an abiding love of trekking and traditional tribal cultures. An accomplished photographer and engaging speaker, she's a frequent expert lecturer at museums, universities and conferences.

Accounting

Donna Galland, Chief Financial Officer

Donna displayed a knack for numbers early on, which was honed with a B.S Degree in Accounting from CU – Boulder. She crunched digits for Moguls Mountain Travel as Controller and at a Boulder law firm as Financial Manager before seizing the accounting reigns at Asia Transpacific Journeys. She has her brown belt in Thai kickboxing, so keep your hands out of the till.

Heather Crouch, Accounting Assistant

Heather was born under the shadow of a giant Paul Bunyan statue in Brainerd, Minnesota. Her early journeys took her to San Diego where she earned a B.S. in Finance and met her future husband in a class studying multi-variable calculus.

Although she hasn't traveled the world as extensively as some of her colleagues, Heather looks forward to visiting some of the beautiful and exotic destinations frequented by many happy Asia Transpacific clients. She is an avid runner, and recently completed two marathons, including the New York City Marathon. In winter you'll find her on a quest for champagne powder in the Colorado Rockies.

Jessica Durham

Jessica Durham, Accounting Assistant

After growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Jessica embarked on her first travel adventure by heeding the call of the West and moving to Boulder. Here her love of the outdoors flourished. She can regularly be found hiking, biking and snowboarding in the local mountains, when she’s not checking off new states on her extensive travels around the US.

Jessica discovered her natural affinity for numbers managing restaurants and is excited to put her skills to use in the accounting department at Asia Transpacific Journeys. Inspired by her colleagues' tales of the Asia/Pacific region, in the future she hopes to direct her penchant for travel eastward with a snowboarding trip to the peaks of New Zealand and Japan.

Airline Travel

Simone Farbus, Air Travel Manager

This year Simone celebrates 18 years as Asia Transpacific Journeys' Travel Agency Manager, marking over 32 years as an international travel agent. Her favorite travels include a visit to Cambodia's Angkor Wat, a sunrise climb to the top of volcanic Mount Bromo, Indonesia, a camel caravan in Morocco, bazaar browsing in Cairo, and viewing the Taj Mahal at sunset.

Simone delights in getting you the best fares to our corner of the world so you can create memories of your own.

Janene Digregorio, Air Travel Specialist

Janene has been in the travel business for over 25 years. She's a Colorado native whose travels have taken her to far-flung places throughout Europe, Central America, South America and Africa.

Cherished memories include awakening at dawn in Botswana to find a wild elephant walking out of the jungle towards her. When not exploring she may be found cooking for friends and family and hiking around the Flatirons with Cocoa, her chocolate Labrador.

Marketing

Jan Bachmann, Administrative Coordinator

Jan’s introduction to Asia began with a 4-month world trip with her brother visiting Thailand and India in 1983. Upon returning to the U.S., she attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel HIll, earning a graduate degree in library science.

After a short stint at the University of New Mexico, she moved to Switzerland and worked at the Hauptbibliothek Universitaet Zurich-Irchel for over 12 years. During these years abroad, she travelled extensively throughout Asia – Indonesia, the Philippines, and most recently to Nepal, where she trekked to the Annapurna base camp. Currently she is happily settled in Boulder where she enjoys hiking with her 9 year old daughter and commuting to work via bike.

Kim Mitchell, Manager of Technology and Interactive Marketing

Striking a rare right-brain/left-brain balance, Kim holds an M.S. in Information Systems, a B.S. in Marketing. When she isn't pedaling her way through grueling road bike events, she can be found snowshoeing and Nordic skiing throughout the Rockies.

She's lived in Germany, Argentina and Italy, and traveled through many countries in Asia, in a quest for the perfect plate of Asian cuisine.

Jennifer Raines, Marketing Coordinator

Jennifer's fascination with foreign cultures, both old and new, led her to study Anthropology and Classics, earning an honors degree from the University of Colorado.

Inspired by a semester abroad in Rome, she continued to delve into the interplay between contemporary culture and the past as an archaeology research fellow in Bulgaria. Intrigued by the region, a few years later she quit her job and returned for a several-month foray into the Balkans, sparking her interest to explore further eastward. At home, Jennifer can be found cooking, hiking, watching Anthony Bourdain and indulging in juicy armchair travel books.

Kate Robinson, Graphic Design Coordinator

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, Kate’s inherent love of art, music and travel was cultivated by her family of prominent artists, musicians, and inventors. Her drive for exploration was initiated by frequent trips to the Caribbean and Canada throughout her childhood years and was further fueled by a teenage trip to Europe.

After graduating from the University of Colorado with her B.A. in Painting, Drawing and Graphic Design, Kate spent some time in San Diego and discovered another passion of hers—surfing. As part of the Asia Transpacific Journeys team, Kate continues to fine-tune her design skills and investigate the corners of the world she hopes to explore next. In Kate’s spare time you can find her painting, practicing yoga, trail running and dreaming about getting back on her surfboard.

Operations

Kirsten Louy-Nasty, Chief Executive Officer

Kirsten grew up in our nation's capital, dreaming of places far and away. She landed in Papua New Guinea to participate in a grassroots organization studying women and small businesses. Kirsten created and received the first Cultural Studies Bachelor of Arts at Keene State College in New Hampshire. Her travels have taken her throughout four continents.

Trip Coordinators

Lesa Clarkson, Trip Coordinator

Lesa circumnavigated the globe during a semester in college, and earned a degree in International Business from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She then spent two years in Japan working for the Ministry of Education.

Extensive journeys throughout Asia followed, including two stints in Bhutan. Her first-hand knowledge of the region makes her a superb resource when crafting trips.

Tamara

Tamara Grivicic, Trip Coordinator

A native of Croatia, Tamara is now a Boulderite through and through. After receiving an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of California at Davis, where she garnered multiple academic awards and scholarships, Tamara found herself drawn to the health and environmentally conscious culture of Boulder.

In her off time, you can find Tamara practicing yoga and Pilates, biking around town, cooking up healthy meals, getting involved in community development projects and, of course, traveling.

Emily Lumia, Trip Coordinator

Emily's cosmopolitan interests were nourished from a young age living in Massachusetts, beginning with multiple visits to Boston’s museums and concert halls. Her love of learning and exposure to new ideas continued through language classes in school (she speaks German, Mandarin Chinese and Italian), international films, avid reading, and travels to Ireland and Italy to visit her extended family.

While earning degrees from the University of Colorado in English Literature and Art, Emily found employment working for a small film company and a media non-profit before joining Asia Transpacific Journeys. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, painting, playing viola, drums and guitar, and discovering new hobbies like blacksmithing and rockhounding.

Jordan Smith, Trip Coordinator

A native North Carolinian, Jordan knew from an early age that she wanted to spend a great deal of time abroad. During her senior year at James Madison University, she finally got that chance and spent a semester in London, absorbing the history and arts of that metropolitan city and much of Europe as well.

Upon returning to Virginia, she completed her Bachelor's degrees in English Literature and Dance. With her travel bug still piqued, she then spent a year living in Australia and took some time to travel through much of South East Asia before returning to the States. Now a Colorado resident, Jordan can be found racing down the slopes, exploring new trails with her puppy or planning her next big adventure.

Katie Weiland-Landgraf, Trip Coordinator

Katie holds degrees in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin. A love of travel and different cultures was indulged in a year abroad studying in Costa Rica, soaking up its culture, and exploring its eco-systems.

A self-confessed music junkie, she's a fixture at local bluegrass venues and jamband concerts. An abiding love of animals has defined Katie since childhood: she's been a dedicated vegetarian (and sometime vegan) since the age of 12, and is an impassioned supporter of animal rights. Weekends will find her hiking through Boulder's beautiful foothills with her English bulldog and American terrier.

Final Documents Team

Jenni Cochran, Documents Coordinator

Stemming from a family of seasoned travelers, Jenni spent her early years bouncing between her native Northern California, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. After receiving a degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado, she packed her fly rod and moved to New Zealand, where she discovered her affinity for adventure travel.

Before settling down in Boulder, she spent a few years exploring the far reaches of Asia, including Indonesia, Bhutan, Thailand, Siberia, Mongolia and India. After work, you can find her chasing trout in the backwaters of Colorado or recreating delicious Asian meals in her kitchen.

Lindsay Koehn, Documents Coordinator

While studying Sociology, with an emphasis on criminal justice, at the University of Colorado, Lindsay’s love for art, travel and other cultures led her to embark on a semester-long journey to Canada, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. Inspired by her experiences abroad, her desire to further explore the world flourished.

After graduating, she began postgraduate courses at the International Sommelier Guild (ISG), where she later received her Sommelier certificate. She now aspires to amalgamate her love for oenology and ambition to see the world. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, wine tasting and indulging in quality time with friends and family.

Andrea Lusk, Documents Coordinator

A Colorado native, Andrea's adventuresome spirit was ignited by an iconic journey across Europe, which planted a seed that grew into her insatiable appetite for travel. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Andrea was drawn to a work abroad program in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand, opening her eyes to the Asia/Pacific region.

Via San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, Andrea eventually found her way back to Colorado, settling in Boulder. As a member of the Asia Transpacific Journeys Team, Andrea is excited to continue her world education and pursue her next great adventure. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys food, wine, reading, being outdoors and spending time with her husband, friends and family.

Amanda Phillips, Documents Coordinator

Amanda’s innate interest in foreign countries and international relations led her to study Political Science and Classical Studies as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado. A semester abroad in Spain opened her eyes to the thrill of discovery first hand and she caught the travel bug.

Before finding her way to Asia Transpacific Journeys, Amanda studied with a UN Ambassador to Pakistan and worked with politicians at the local and federal level. She sees her love of politics and travel as constants in her future. When not at work, Amanda can be found enjoying the plethora of outdoor, cultural and political activities in and around her hometown of Boulder.

Max Smith, Documents Coordinator

Exploration for Max began on the hill behind his house, building forts and climbing trees. He has since traveled to places as far afield as Spain and China, as well as to less coveted destinations closer to home, working in lumberyards and kitchens.

Books were Max's preferred mode of discovery while earning his degrees in English Literature and History from the University of Colorado. But now, as part of the Asia Transpacific Journeys team, Max fuels his desire to learn by delving into the wealth of knowledge and new horizons available to him. When he’s not at work, Max can be found skiing the nearby mountains or catching a flight to somewhere far way. He's also a casual climber, gamer, writer and moviegoer.