5 Minutes With Jessica van Dop DeJesus of DiningTraveler.com

For McCool Travel’s 53rd travel profile, I am pleased to present Jessica van Dop DeJesus. I have met Jessica at two traveler gatherings in Washington, D.C. and am really impressed with Jessica and her brand. I mean, how awesome is the name Dining Traveler? I have used this pun before—but Jessica is going places. Since rebranding to Dining Traveler over the summer, I am seeing her work in many more places. Look for Jessica on Food Network or Travel Channel in the future (my prediction).
Jessica van Dop DeJesus’ bio:
“Jessica is a travel and food blogger with her blog, The Dining Traveler. She is an analyst for the Marine Corps during the day, a Major in the US Marines Reserve on weekends, and she blogs in between. She spent most of her post college years living abroad in places like Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Belgium. She also writes about travel and food in español for holacuidad! a entertainment site by Telemundo. She lives in Washington, DC. ”
Let’s learn more about Jessica van Dop DeJesus, the Dining Traveler!

Jessica van Dop DeJesus
Jessica Van Dop DeJesus

Jessica van Dop DeJesus

Hometown…
Guayama, Puerto Rico & Rochester, NY
Always in my luggage…
On every trip I must bring my camera, an extra battery for my phone, and I keep an extra charger in my luggage at all times just in case!
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…

  1. Brussels—as I lived there for 6 years
  2. Thailand—truly reminds me of Puerto Rico
  3. New York City—most of my friends from college live there

A favorite travel memory is…
Landing in Australia for the first time in 2003. As a kid growing up in Puerto Rico, I would watch nature shows about Australia and dreamed of going there. It was amazing to see the Great Barrier Reef from above. I went on a work trip, it took everything not to cry in front of my colleagues!
3 favorite travel brands…

  1. SPG—one of the most diverse portfolio of hotels
  2. Kimpton—every single one of their hotels looks unique
  3. Tumi—very expensive yet durable luggage. I have a little blue carry-on that has seen 6 continents and it’s still kicking!

3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…

  1. I try my best to travel off season to get better hotel/flight deals
  2. Whenever possible, flexible flight search (+/- 3 days)
  3. Always accumulate as many points as possible

3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…

  1. Going out dancing (always meet interesting people that way)
  2. Eating
  3. Drinking
Jessica Van Dop DeJesus
Jessica van Dop DeJesus

8 word (or less) travel mantra…
“Try everything at least three times.”
My favorite non-travel website…
Epicurious. Has the best recipes!
most memorable souvenir…
A painting I bought in Brussels from the artist Genevieve Petit before leaving.
favorite cheap eat…
Mamma Roma Pizza in Brussels

recent discovery…
Culebra, a beautiful island off the coast of Puerto Rico
I am fortunate to have met…
My husband, Martin who shares my passion for food and travel. He was on business travel in Brussels and I was living there as an expat. We fell in love, traveled a combined 70k miles during our courtship, and now we’re married.
I would like to meet…
Wendy Perrin. Grew up reading Conde Nast Traveler!

Jessica Van Dop DeJesus
Jessica van Dop DeJesus

Thank you very much, Jessica. May all of your travels be enjoyable and memorable.
Follow Jessica van Dop DeJesus and Dining Traveler on FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterest, Google+, and DiningTraveler.com


Check out McCool Travel’s previous profilesMcCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Previous 5 Minutes post: Pola Henderson.


Follow McCool Travel on FacebookTwitterInstagram, PinterestFlipboardLinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and Bloglovin.

Sharing is caring!

2 thoughts on “5 Minutes With Jessica van Dop DeJesus of DiningTraveler.com”

Comments are closed.