About
One Adventure Away
OAA offers itinerary design and travel planning services, brought to you by two deeply experienced travelers.
About Kate
A wild Kate in her natural habitat… leading friends around Florence, Italy.
(photo credit: Radford Creative)
Well hello! I’m Kate, the founder of One Adventure Away, and I’ve been traveling for years, starting my international adventures in 1992. My first trip was with my family, and we took two weeks exploring Italy on the classic “Grand Tour” path of Rome, Florence, and Venice. I was a snotty kid back then who didn’t bother to learn a word of Italian, yelled in slow, exaggerated English at Italians when they didn’t understand my non-yelling English, fancied myself a “vegetarian” when really all I ate was cheese and French fries, and crammed five pairs of shoes and at least four dresses I never wore into my carry-on. (Even back then, my very well-traveled Dad insisted on carry-on. He was not wrong.)
In 1997, as a student at Seattle University majoring in history focusing on the European Renaissance & Reformation, I got the opportunity to do a mini-study abroad on a newly formed program that focused on the Italian Renaissance… specifically art history and philosophy. That summer was life-changing. I traveled alone for the first time into a foreign country with a year of Italian language under my belt, and I’ve never looked back. I came back to that Seattle University study abroad program as a graduate assistant for the next six summers, and my love of Europe, travel, and helping people find their joy in both was born.
In 1999, when I became a jr. web developer working at a little start-up just north of Seattle, I became determined to one day manage Rick Steves’ website. What could be more perfect than marrying my love of travel with my new-found love of designing, developing, and managing websites? Literally nothing. Not one single thing. Every few months for the next 13 years, I scoured the Rick Steves website, looking for a web producer job. Finally in the spring of 2012, there it was… the job I’d been waiting for. Luckily for Rick, he hired me, I overhauled the website, and I’ve been working in his tech department every since. Working for Rick Steves’ Europe has exposed me to the smartest, most adventurous travelers I’ve ever known, and I’ve gotten the chance to visit places and have experiences I never would have dreamed of.
In the meantime I’ve traveled to a whole host of European countries, learned the hard way about smart packing, the best modes of transportation depending on the country, where to stay, how to interact with locals, and how not to be that snotty kid from 1992. Along the way, I’ve helped countless friends and relatives plan their European adventures, which is how OAA was finally born.
I’m glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to help you on your way to your perfect travel moment.
About Chaney
Chaney discovers the world’s cutest horse ties, also in Florence. On the same trip.
I’ve been a compulsive traveler since I met my husband, a three-passport wonder who was the first to explain to me that yes, sometimes people leave the country every year, and sometimes even more than once a year! (He now wonders if he has created a monster.) I’ve marked 21 countries off the list so far, punctuated by repeat visits to my favorite “easy” destinations of London and Hawaii. I feel like travel makes me a better version of myself - more open, more adventurous, more confident, more curious, and less risk-averse.
I met Kate when I moved from San Francisco to Seattle to serve as Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at Rick Steves’ Europe. Although I moved on to become a consultant during the pandemic, Kate and I remained bonded by our shared passion for well-planned travel, well-managed website development, and well-designed tattoos. My travel passions are history, archaeology, food, wine, city culture - and above all, learning.
My love of travel is matched, if not surpassed, by my love of organizing and optimizing the travel - which is where you come in! In addition to planning for particular destinations, I’m delighted to advise on savvy use of loyalty points and frequent flyer miles; packing tips; and the best bags, clothes, and gadgets to make your trip as hassle-free as possible.