Marion McDonald

St. Augustine once said, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page." My life changed when I left home at the age of 16 to spend a year in the Southwest of France, and I have been subscribing to this philosophy ever since. After earning my degree in international studies and spending seven years on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC., I returned to my home town of Memphis. I could not get the travel bug out of my system, and after briefly working in special events at a local nonprofit, I decided to take the plunge and pursue travel fulltime.

Over the years, I have had the great fortune of experiencing the world a little bit at a time, from camping on the Alaskan tundra to cave-rafting in New Zealand. Now I am sharing my passion for travel with my children, and it is my hope that by exposing them to new cultures at an early age, I can have a positive impact on the way that they view the world in the future. I truly do believe in the idea that "borders divide and travel unites."

As an independent associate of Brownell Travel, one of the oldest and most respected agencies in the United States, I am pleased to be able to offer my clients exceptional travel experiences. Founded in 1887, Brownell Travel is a premier member of Virtuoso, the top travel consortium in the world. Thanks to our relationships with the finest global partners, we are able to provide our clients with exclusive amenities, rare experiences, and privileged access. I am proud to be part of such an illustrious team of travel professionals, many of whom have been recognized as the top experts in their fields by the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure magazines. As an associate of Brownell, I am able to draw upon the resources of some of the most knowledgeable and well-traveled advisors in the industry. If I have not personally visited or sent clients to a particular destination, chances are that someone at my agency will have "been there, done that."

Now let me share my passion for the world with you. I speak fluent French, excellent Italian, and a little Spanish, which serves my customers well when planning customized European vacations. My personal experience with my own three children (from airport diaper stations to toddler ski school to babysitters in Paris) qualifies me as a family travel specialist. I work diligently to save my corporate customers thousands of dollars, especially on international business travel. Over the years, I have shepherded my clients through countless flight cancellations, airline strikes, terrorist attacks, severe weather situations, and even more extreme crises like earthquakes and train derailments.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your plans, and I may be reached at the phone and email address. Thank you for letting me help you create memories that will last a lifetime!