5 Minutes With Lacy Colley Yamaoka

For McCool Travel’s 39th travel profile, I am happy to present Lacy Colley Yamaoka. She is yet another fascinating travel personality I met through Twitter travel chats, particularly #SeeTheWorld. Lacy combines public relations, sales, and social media expertise into freelancer life from—get this—Anguilla (the Caribbean, if you did not know!). Her online home is theexpate.com.
“My passion for modern media stems from the idea we are more connected than ever, which ironically allows for simpler lives. The idea behind expâté is to stay connected with others wanting to learn more about traveling and the expat lifestyle. Also sharing tips on health and self-discovery.”

lacy colley yamaoka
Lacy Colley Yamaoka

 

Lacy Colley Yamaoka

Hometown
Originally I’m from Odessa, Texas although grew up mostly in the suburbs of Dallas.
Always in my luggage…

  • A scarf that doubles as a travel blanket
  • Eagle Creek packing cubes
  • Bose noise cancelling headphones

3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
Austin, Whistler, Hawaii as all three were once home.
A favorite travel memory is…
Riding on an overnight train in Romania and told to get off at 2 am as the train track just ended! Travel plans that go awry always make you look back, laugh and appreciate the experience.
3 favorite travel brands…

  1. American Airlines – I grew up under their wings. My father has been with the company for 25 years and still going strong.
  2. Viceroy Hotels – my husband is hotel manager of Viceroy Anguilla here in the Caribbean. We are hoping to cover their nice spread of destinations on the map, with the Dubai locale at the top of the list.
  3. TripAdvisor – I never go anywhere without reading reviews – the good, bad and the ugly!

3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…

  1. Travel solo at times, it’s freeing and you get to know yourself better.
  2. CapitalOne Venture card—no foreign transaction fees, miles, and the purchase eraser option.
  3. Keep calm and carry-on.

3 ways that I have fun while traveling are…

  1. Stepping outside your comfort zone with adventure.
  2. Exploring local cuisine.
  3. Splurging on fabulous hotels.

8 word (or less) travel mantra…
Live your story first, then Instagram it!
My favorite non-travel website…
Retailmenot.com – you can seriously score savings everywhere online with their coupon codes (including travel)!
most memorable souvenir …
A Turkish pouf from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. My husband said it would end up as a dog pouf, and he was right, our fur baby has great taste!
favorite cheap eat …
Pho – the dive spots are the best!
recent discovery …
Bulletproof coffee – I’m digging it.
I am fortunate to have met …
Brad Packer, my former boss at Four Seasons Hotels – he had a bigger impact on me than he will ever know.
I would like to meet …
My twitter followers and those I follow. All in one room, without iPhones, ha!

lacy colley yamaoka
Lacy Colley Yamaoka

Thank you very much, Lacy.
Follow Lacy on TwitterInstagram, Pinterest, and TheExpate.


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: Suzanne Wolko.


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