ABOUT
Travel Between Courage and Comfort
Welcome, wanderer! I’m Colleen Lanin — also known as Colleen Travels Between. Together, let’s explore the space between courage and comfort, nature and cityscapes, education and play, healthy and indulgent, home and away.
If you’re seeking doable adventures and deserved indulgences, you’re in the right place. Think: pedaling through a bustling city one day, then unwinding at a luxury spa or sipping something tropical by the pool the next.
“We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.”
— Brené Brown
From Scaredy Cat to World Explorer
I’ve built a career around travel and world adventures, but I am not a naturally daring person. Before I boarded a plane to move to France for my junior year of college, my dad admitted he once worried because I “seemed to run from the world.” Yet there I was, running toward it.
My love of travel began a few years earlier during a whirlwind family trip to Europe. In a Paris subway station, I announced I’d live in France someday — and I did. After a year abroad in Montpellier, I backpacked through Europe on a shoestring, much of it solo. Travel has been a priority ever since.
I wasn’t born brave, but travel has taught me that the more I push myself, the more myself I become. I spend much of my time outside my comfort zone, especially when I’m traveling. But I have also learned that familiarity and relaxation are necessary ingredients for travel and life.
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear.”
— Mark Twain
How This Travel Blog Evolved
Before becoming a full‑time travel creator, I worked as a financial analyst, cocktail waitress, retail store manager, and marketing manager for a hospice. This winding path ultimately led me to where I belong, in the world of travel content creation.
Motherhood didn’t stop me from exploring the world with my husband and two children. When a friend asked for advice on traveling with her baby, I wrote a guide that grew into a book, The Travel Mamas’ Guide. When I landed a literary agent, she encouraged me to start a blog, and I launched TravelMamas.com in 2009 to help parents travel with their children.
As my kids and my audience grew, I expanded into adult-focused travel. Now, TravelsBetween.com brings everything together, providing travel tips and destination guides for everyone curious about our world. Because travel is for all ages and stages.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
— Saint Augustine
Published Work and Media Features
In addition to blogging, I’ve contributed travel and lifestyle articles to outlets like TODAY Travel, Parenting Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Expedia, and more. I’ve been featured on national TV and radio programs and invited twice to the White House as one of the most influential travel bloggers.
Here are a few highlights:
- TODAY Travel & NBCNews.com – Regular Contributor
- Parenting Magazine & Babytalk Magazine – Cover Story: 18 Tips for Traveling with a Baby
- The Orlando Sentinel & The Chicago Tribune – Walt Disney World vs. Disneyland
- Starter Story – How I Started a $15K/Month Family Travel Blog
See more examples on my Work With Me page.
Where to Find Me
I may not be nomadic, but I travel as much as I can. I’ve lived in California, Minnesota, and Southern France. Today, when I’m not facing my fears on an ATV, floating in a fabulous hotel pool, or asking too many questions on a group tour, you’ll find me at home in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. I live with my husband, our two grownish kids, and a couple of adorable rescue dogs.
Looking to collaborate? Explore brand partnership opportunities and review past campaign results to see how we can work together!
Want to say hello? Contact me or connect with me via Instagram and Facebook.
