For some travelers, visiting a destination isn’t just about what they can experience, but about the specific goals they set out to achieve while there. Bruce calls it Accomplishment Travel—a term he coined to describe the one-of-a-kind adventures of his friend and fellow journalist Jackie Caradonio.

The daughter of a hotel general manager, Jackie grew up in hotels, but it was at childhood sports camps where she started developing a travel style all her own. Whether it was tennis, equestrian, or cheerleading camp, Jackie always set out to learn something new, improve an existing skill, and compete with others and herself. Today, she applies that same goal-oriented approach to her travels as an editor, writer, and photographer for Departures (former travel director), Robb Report (former senior editor), Travel & Leisure, and many other top publications.   

Accomplishment Travel can encompass everything from physical feats to deep cultural dives. Jackie’s favorite example of the former is the time she ran the Lewa Safari Marathon—an especially challenging race for a first-time marathoner. The route cuts through the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya, starting at 5,000 feet and featuring some 7,000 feet in elevation gains. Endurance wasn’t the only challenge she faced, however—the race was delayed because a lion killed an impala on the route. The thrilling setting and course attracted some of the world’s most famous runners, and Jackie found herself running alongside the likes of Eliud Kipchoge, who holds the world record for fastest marathon.  

On the more cultural side of Accomplishment Travel, Jackie discusses a trip she took to Jordan to research women’s issues. As a Western woman, she typically would not have been allowed unchaperoned visits with other women without a male present. On this particular journey, however, she found herself in Wadi Rum with a woman chaperone and visiting with women and families in rarely touristed regions of the country. She was surprised at how liberal thinking has started to trickle out into these more remote regions, including women expressing the desire to start a career and not get married. It was a behind-the-curtain view of the country’s women that few get to see.

Jackie also talks about trips to Cape Town to become an expert on contemporary African art, to the mountains of Malibu to complete an extreme fitness program, and much more. She discusses the next destinations she has her eye on—from Amangiri’s Camp Sarika in the Utah desert to Angama Safari Camp in Kenya. Wherever the destination, she says that setting out with specific goals can make travel more meaningful not just for the participant, but for the places you visit and the people you meet. 

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Learn more about the podcast: https://www.curtco.com/travelthatmatters

Hosted by: Bruce Wallin

Produced by: AJ Moseley and Darra Stone

Music by: Joey Salvia

A CurtCo Media Production