Hi! My name is Anderson. I grew up in the beautiful foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Knoxville, TN. My love for traveling began in pharmacy school. During my last year, I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to work a rotation at a hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

I lived there for a month— pharmacist by day, adventurer by weekend! I traveled all over the continent to swim in the Great Barrier Reef, to meet some Quokkas on Rottnest Island, to explore the city market in Tasmania, and to navigate the magnificent Great Ocean Road. At the end of my rotation, my husband Michael met me in Sydney, and we flew to New Zealand and explored both islands for 10 days. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever encountered. Such. A. Dream.

I knew I would never be the same after that trip and so my love of traveling began. Since then, we’ve continued to travel both in and out of the US. We’ve experienced the most spectacular places and extraordinary people. I have learned that my life grows richer and deeper with every passport stamp. I can’t wait to help you plan your next adventure

Most memorable travel experience to date? In the summer of 2019, I planned a trip to Italy for Michael and I and six of our closest friends. Highlights of the trip were dining in a Michelin-star restaurant in Positano at La Sponda inside the iconic Le Sirenuse Hotel, a vineyard dinner and wine tour in Tuscany, and a pasta-making class in Rome. It was truly an unforgettable experience! 

What makes a hotel stand out to you? I am a sucker for design and architecture. Beautiful boutique hotels are my “stay of choice.”

What attracts you to travel somewhere? A fancy hotel? The culture? The culinary? Natural beauty? History? Michael and I are total foodies. We love planning most of our trips around food, and I try to find the best or hottest restaurants in the area. From Charleston to New York City, and so many in between, we’ve found both the local hidden gems and the most iconic hot spots of these top destinations. While we love city life, we totally embrace renting a car (even in the hillsides of Provence, France) and driving to see all the natural beauty around us! We also enjoy investing in experiences such as cooking classes, tours, sailing, etc.

Go-to Karaoke song? If I HAD to karaoke… which I would need 10+ drinks to do so…. I’ve always said gunpowder and lead.

“Outsourcing the trip planning to someone else allowed me to feel like I was truly on vacation. Anderson had recommendations I wouldn’t have known about and I’m so glad we trusted her to go with them because some of the things she recommended in place of what I originally had envisioned were the best parts of our trip.”

The Fernandez’s | France, Spain, Switzerland

“Our Upannaway experience was absolutely incredible! From start to finish, Anderson was not only by our sides, but one step ahead of us, thinking of experiences and plans that we would never have come up with ourselves. As a lifelong Type A personality, I never thought I’d enjoy handing the reins of planning a trip over to someone, but Anderson made it so incredibly easy and fun! We’re honestly not sure how we’ll ever travel without her again! We would 12/10 recommend working with Anderson and Upannaway. They were not only amazing to work with in planning our trip but checked in regularly throughout our travels to make sure everything was okay.”

The Senders| Australia + New Zealand