We’re wrapping up our 50th year of business. Can you believe that? 50 years of perfecting our packing, catching flights, and exploring the uncharted. We’ve had quite the adventure, and much of that is thanks to people like Meagan Coates.
Meagan is one of our beloved brand ambassadors and the Director of Product for Trek Travel. She’s also one of the luckiest people on Earth.
“My personal and work life are so aligned. I love experiencing the world actively and learning about other cultures, and that happens to be what I do for work.”
She gets to enhance both her own life and other people’s lives through travel, and she’s a firm believer that travel makes you a better person.
We couldn’t agree more.
The Beginning: A Lifetime Of Adventures Ahead
Meagan has always had a deep interest in travel. “I started traveling as a kid. Mostly road trips with my family. But things really clicked for me during my first trip to Europe.”
At 15, Meagan’s dad planned a father-daughter bonding trip overseas, and, well, it left an impression. “My brain and my heart exploded. It was like history class come to life.” That trip shaped her: rebuilding family relationships, setting the foundation for her education, and inspiring a lifetime of learning and exploration.
“I studied Spanish because of that trip. I got my degree in Spanish and Latin American studies purely because I wanted to travel more.” She moved to Guatemala for her graduate thesis, and from there, the rest is history.
Travel Trajectories: An Obsession With Adventure
Safe to say, Meagan is thoroughly obsessed with seeing the world. “You can get on an airplane and change your entire perspective. Tourism is such a key to having enriching experiences and doing good in the world.”
Her adventure trajectory found her living in Luxembourg with her husband, conveniently located in easy reach of much of Europe. “I got on the train every weekend to explore, and I was able to see every surrounding country: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain. I was so centrally located.” The only thing to make this adventurer’s life even better was starting a career at Trek Travel.
The Professional Years: Sharing Experiences
In her role as Director of Product for Trek Travel, Meagan’s actual job is to travel all over the world and experience the trips she curates for others. “What’s so interesting about planning experiences of a lifetime for other people is that it’s so personal. Before working in travel, I never considered all the things that go into building those trips and making sure people get exactly what they want out of the experience.”
There are so many fine details that go into planning and executing the perfect itinerary. And as a result, Meagan and her team maintain incredibly high standards when it comes to travel. “There’s so much nuance and lots of training for our guides. We always work really hard the first day of a trip to assess where people are at. We look for their fitness levels to coordinate activities. We look for those who are there for the wine. There are a lot of standards in place to make the trip a memorable one.”
Her Approach: Leaving Room For Spontaneity
While her work adventures follow more exacting standards, Meagan likes to keep things a little more casual in her personal travel approach. “I’m a planner, but I like to leave room for spontaneity. It’s the stuff that’s not in the itinerary that becomes the special part of the trip. You can’t create those moments ahead of time, so you have to be open to them.”
So, she’ll plan. She’ll read and research and get her schedule together and note the touristy things travelers aren’t “supposed” to do... and when she arrives at her destination, she’ll often do them anyway. “Sometimes the 'touristy' things are still part of it, in my opinion. It’s a part of the experience. I know I’m doing it, and I enjoy it anyway.”
Her travels go deeper than experience. They bring her new worldviews and learnings. “Every place I go, I come home learning something new. But it’s deeper than learning something from a book.” On a trip to Japan, Meagan went into the experience knowing to expect impeccable food and design, but she came away learning about the harmony of the Japanese culture. “Japan represents harmony, and it’s so embodied in the place and the people.” And she takes it a step further. She brings those tidbits home and thinks about how to apply them in her own life. And while not every place has some Earth-shattering takeaway, there’s always something to absorb. “The farther afield you go, the more significant the experience is.”
The Logistics: Gear and Goals
Meagan, to put it simply, has done a lot of traveling. And she has no plans to stop any time soon. “We’re trying to visit all the US national parks with our kids. We’re checking off park number 20 this year.” That’s Congaree National Park in South Carolina, if you’re wondering. “We want to ski in Japan. And I haven’t had much experience with Africa yet, so I’d like to see more.” Not to mention her extensive travels for work. “I’ll get to visit Patagonia with Trek Travel this year, I’m really looking forward to that.”
And all this travel naturally makes Meagan an experienced packer. “I never check a bag. I will not check a bag. I once fit an entire Moroccan rug in a carry on.” She doesn’t use wheeled luggage either. Hands free. Carry on. No exception.
Her go-to packing list:
“Everything goes in packing cubes, organized by activity or style – some cubes I’ve had for 15 years! I usually fit four pairs of shoes in my duffel, and I’ll bring a personal item. What kind depends on the trip.”
The only thing missing from her packing list these days is her first-ever piece of Eagle Creek gear. “I had this bright purple Eagle Creek side bag that I got in middle school. I covered it in pins from all my travels, and I had that bag for years. I think my mom still has it, actually.”
Meagan’s journey has been an eventful one – one that’s got much yet to be written. So, we’ll leave you with her final packing recommendation:
“You should always pack your curiosity.”
