Melissa is a British/Canadian, born in Uganda, who has always had a passion for travel, languages, and the visual arts.

In 1999, she took off on her first solo female trip to Asia, Africa, New Zealand, North & South America, which affectionately earned her the name, by her loved ones, Indiana Joan (after her grandmother who preceded her).

In her 20 and 30s, after getting her degree in the U.K., she explored the great cities of Europe.  She traveled for work to London, Paris, Madrid.

Never afraid to jump in… For a  cultural immersion, and to learn the languages, she lived with families in Florenze, Italy; Salamanca, Spain; Paris, France. She hiked through the Venezuelan Amazon, sleeping in hammocks, and exploring the Angel falls.  She trekked the Annapurna trail in Nepal, meeting displaced Tibetan refugees. She hopped on multiple boat trips to Dhal lake in war torn Kashmir. She loved her skydive in New Zealand, seeing sloths in Costa Rica, gorilla trekking in Uganda, and organizing fundraisers in Africa. 

“I had a pull to see different countries, to understand how other people lived, what beliefs they had, what the landscape looked like. I came home deeply enriched and transformed. Staying in touch with people from different cultures  brings a form of connection and worldliness that is meaningful and empowering.

Not everyone is content with the status quo, sometimes you must go beyond your limits to understand where you truly belong.”

Melissa has been a globe-trotter from an early age having grown up internationally with a father who was a Director at MI6 and a mother is an artists and a retired Brit/US History Professor, born in Egypt. Melissa calls both London and Vancouver her home.