Jessica van Dop DeJesus grew up with the best of both worlds: the tropics of Puerto Rico and the nature of upstate New York. She has spent most of her adult life abroad, first as a United States Marine Officer, then as a graduate student, and subsequently as a civil servant. Whether is business or leisure, she loves to travel and discover new cultures. Work has taken her as far as Okinawa, Japan a
nd leisure has taken her to exotic locales such as Casablanca, Morocco. In 2006, she left active duty military service, became a weekend warrior, and moved to Brussels to pursue her MBA. Given her experiences, she has been fortunate to view the world in many different angles. She has fed elephants in Thailand, hugged Koalas in Australia, fished in Dakar, sang schlager songs wearing a Dirndl in Munich, and loved every minute of it. Currently on her bucket list includes more discovery of the new world, especially South America. In 2010, she began to chronicle her adventures on her first blog, Adventures of a Puerto Rican Girl in Brussels. She shared her adventures in travel, cooking, loving, and running. In 2012 she was ready for a new adventure: to return to the United States after seven years of the expatriate life. The blog has evolved from Adventures of the Repatriate to The Dining Traveler. On her current blog she shares stories of travel, food, and life in Washington, DC.
