My name is Jenna, and I started Olivia Goes Global as a way to experience all the beautiful things this world has to offer. In 2015, my brother’s untimely death sent me on a journey through the valley of deep despair. Losing someone I loved so much caused me to question everything I believed, even the very meaning of life.

My brother and I were polar opposites but we were very close. He pulled me out of my comfort zone and showed me the world through his eyes. He loved creative people and live experiences—music, sports, arts and the like. But above all, he loved people. My brother lived his life determined to find the beauty in others, making everyone around him feel welcomed and accepted.

Today, his absence is felt by a community, not just a family.

My brother was in his thirties and still had many dreams that were left unfulfilled when he died. It wasn’t fair and I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how I would go on—or if I could go on. Faced with an unsure future, I had to rethink my entire approach to life. My brother’s life was taken from him and he didn’t have the opportunity to live out his dreams like I did. My own life was a gift and an opportunity that not everyone is granted. I wanted to find a more meaningful way to live life while also honoring the impact my brother had on me. During this time of introspection, I found that the things that gave me life were discovering new things and learning from the people who did them well.

That’s why I started Olivia Goes Global.

Olivia Goes Global is more than just an e-commerce site with a collection of interesting things to read and do. It’s the documentation of a life-long pursuit of learning. It’s a travel log of one girl who has experienced some of the worst things in life and is now determined to experience the best and share it with others. It’s a place where dreams and reality intersect; where beauty transcends beyond one person’s acts and becomes a cultural standard.

Olivia isn’t a person, it’s a community that realizes everyone is family.

Olivia means life and resurrection. It’s a name that invokes the idea of giving life and extending the proverbial olive branch. We take that sort of thing seriously.

Here, we believe in the joy of discovery. We believe in having the determination to learn, explore, and experience all the good that life has to offer. We believe in living a life without borders. And ultimately, we believe in sharing the passions, dreams, and stories that give us life.

That’s my story and that’s the Olivia Goes Global story.

Come, sit at my table. Now, I want to hear yours.