Meet Jillian McNeilly
LOCAL FOREIGNER’S TEAM OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
This post is part of our series celebrating our Independent Contractors and Hosting Program. The Local Foreigner's Hosting Program provides a platform of systems and support for independent travel advisors.
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National Treasures
Jillian McNeilly’s home is neat, warm, and welcoming – her aura and her environment project a sense of organization and calm. But scratch the surface, and a lifetime devoted to adventure reveals itself. Raised by national park ranger parents, Jillian’s upbringing was filled with intrepid travel – annual three-week visits to the Grand Canyon, road trips that crisscrossed the US, and two separate stints living in National Parks in Florida. In addition to exploration (and lots of hiking), her parents emphasized the importance of reading, which nurtured her sense of curiosity.
After college at the University of Florida, she took that curiosity to the classroom, teaching Cultures and World History in Houston as part of Teach for America. Her experience in the classroom led to getting a Principal Certification and MBA at Rice University, and years as a Charter School Co-Founder and school leader.
“I want to help other people see parts of the world that they’ve been told are inaccessible or impractical, especially once they have kids.”
-Jillian McNeilly
hitting the gas
In 2015, Jillian and her husband relocated to Abu Dhabi and suddenly, if Emirates or Etihad had a flight route to a destination, it was on the travel table. This adventurous spirit led to visits to 51 countries, from the jungles of Bali and Thailand to Greece and all over Africa. “The more we traveled, the more I started to return to places I loved. I have booked a safari 12 hours in advance – more than once. I like a combination of classic experiences and adventure, but the travel moments I like best are those that are rare – the ones that make you say, ‘I cannot believe I am doing this right now.’”
As her family grew, the passion for exploration didn’t slow down. “In 2021, the world was empty, and we really hit it hard – Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Azerbaijan – always with a five- and two-year-old in tow. No one else was traveling, so we had the Masai Mara to ourselves – we had dinner with the lodge owners, with the pilots, and this was when the switch finally flipped and I realized I wanted to do this full time, to help other people see parts of the world that they’ve been told are inaccessible or impractical, especially once they have kids.”
“There are only so many windows for family adventure as kids grow up, and I want people to know that you can do it now – you can go to Africa with a two-year-old and five-year-old – and I want to help you do it.”
cool kids
Like a good teacher, Jillian did all her homework before diving into the travel industry. “During training, the Local Foreigner team liked to tease me for being such an enthusiastic student, but that’s because I trust the process. The only way I was going to start my business was with the Local Foreigner - the systems are what make us successful. I feel really strongly about organizations and teams that help people get really good quickly, and that's what The Local Foreigner does.”
Jillian excels at planning adventures for families, but she’s also keyed into what makes a grown-up getaway special. “I’m working on a South Africa trip for clients right now that’s just about wine. They’re doing the big wineries, but they’re also going to meet the cool kids of South African winemaking and have dinner with the owners of these small vineyards.” And she’s raising a different kind of cool kids herself – her 5-year-old son already has 20 different stamps in his passport. “Most of the traveling I have done, I have done with a baby on my back. So, when I recommend you go somewhere as a family, it’s a place I have taken my family.”
Given her background in education, it’s no surprise that Jillian’s mental calendar lines up with school breaks – “Spring Break is around the corner, and of course summer creeps up so quickly after that. There are only so many windows for family adventure as kids grow up, and I want people to know that you can do it now – you can go to Africa with a two-year-old and five-year-old – and I want to help you do it.”