Travel has been in my blood since childhood. My grandparents traveled to Europe for months at a time, and I grew up in awe of my grandmother's stories and photos. I hung on her every word, poring over her photos and listening to her stories, imagining the adventures behind them. I collected seashells and vowed that one day I would see the world for myself. Curled up with Pippi in the South Seas, I did exactly that in my imagination, and I never stopped dreaming.

In my twenties, I turned that dream into a career, starting in sales at Delta Air Lines. When my children were young, I brought my work closer to home, doing corporate and leisure travel sales in my hometown. Later I started my own travel business, Celebration Travel CB, and eventually found my calling in destination weddings. Today I specialize in river and ocean cruises, escorted tours, destination weddings, group and family travel, and bespoke travel experiences.

My hope is to inspire my clients to make memories, and come home with stories of their own.

Charlene Barlow is a Certified Global Travel Advisor and River and Ocean Cruise Specialist with Celebration Travel CB, and a Certified Destination Wedding and Travel Specialist, designing destination weddings, cruises, escorted tours, family vacations, and bespoke travel experiences.