The combined travel experience of our staff makes us experts in our field.  It helps us select the best and most practical products to make your journey more comfortable, safe and rewarding.  We rely on travelers feedback, so please let us know what products you found most helpful.  .....And don’t hesitate to ask us.

Petra Rousu, born and raised in Germany and the owner of The Savvy Traveler, has traveled in over 50 countries. Coming from Europe, she is very knowledgeable about European countries and cultures. Petra started and operated 13 travel stores for a large organization before opening her own stores. Years of experience have helped her in selecting the best and most useful travel products. She continues her passion for travel as much as her time allows.

Penny Todd, is a registered nurse involved in ongoing medical missions to Africa. In her travels she has tried many of our products and helps us select the most practical items available. She has traveled much of Europe and has a special passion for Scotland, her ancestral home. Penny has also perfected the art of packing a suitcase and is now teaching thousands of travelers how to choose a wardrobe and pack in a carry-on suitcase that can take you just about anywhere.

Florence Chan relocated to the town of Edmonds after spending 8 years in Boston. Born in China, Florence immigrated to the United States at the age of 5 and grew up in San Francisco. Florence’s traveling days started while she was in college, spending entire summers bumming around Europe in typical student fashion best described as “adventure on a shoestring budget.” Sleeping on trains and staying in youth hostels, she explored every European country covered under the Eurail system. After graduating from college, Florence spent 8 years working as a Fleet Planner for a charter airline. Using her airline travel benefits, Florence expanded her area of exploration to include Hawaii, New Zealand, and destinations in Asia, as well as returning numerous times to Europe. Her more recent adventures, still on a shoestring budget, include 2 big camping trips to the far north. Twice within the last 5 years, she and her husband have taken one-year sabbaticals to travel into the wilds of the Yukon and Alaska, living for months in a tent, kayaking glacier-fed lakes, hiking the tundra and sleeping atop permafrost! Yes …. true lovers of the cold, Florence and her husband, once spent Thanksgiving in Iceland followed by a Christmas “polar camping” in northern Quebec. “It was so cold my toothpaste froze”, Florence claims, but the experience of sleeping in an igloo and dog-sledding across a frozen lake was an adventure not to be missed!

Jerry Freeland has lived in several locations including New York, California, and now in Washington. Her travels have taken her to twelve European Countries, South America, Africa, Asia (including Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand), Mexico and the Philippines. Her favorites include The Galapagos Islands, Kenya, as well as Paris, London and all of Italy. Self-planned and group travel have given Jerry much insight into the nuances of travel both domestically and abroad. She loves to share her experiences and hopes her experiences can enhance your upcoming travel adventures.

Silke Harper, a native of Germany, is the bookkeeper for The Savvy Traveler. She keeps the office running smoothly with her attention to detail. She holds a degree in Music from the Conservatory in Cologne and was a soloist at both the Wuppertal Opera and the Hagen Opera before moving to Seattle with her husband, where she has been the German language coach for several productions at the Seattle Opera. Silke has traveled extensively in Europe and North America and loves especially Italy and Hawaii.

Alexandra Rousu, has traveled extensively for her young age. As the daughter of the owner she has traveled to Europe since she was 6 weeks old and has continued her travels throughout the years to many different countries. She just returned from her 19th trip to Europe and is planning her next adventure to the Middle East. She recently completed her business degree with an emphasis in project management and consumer behavior and is now managing The Savvy Traveler in Renton. She is bilingual with German being her second language. Her visual display skills and travel experience are great assets to the store.

Anita Bennett was born and raised in the Channel Islands of England. She had toured much of the United States and lived in many different cities. Her extensive retail experience and customer service skills are a valuable asset to the store and our customers. She is extremely knowledgeable in putting together travel wardrobes for any types of travel. She’ll answer all your packing questions with great solutions and suggestions.

Heidi Haskins is passionate about local volunteer work with animals and homeless shelters. Her trips to Europe with her choir has broadened her horizons and motivated her to explore more places throughout the world. Her cheery personality helps her engage with customers and advise them with products and clothing. She excels at learning about new product and has become our resident expert in luggage.

Nicole Robinson is the self-proclaimed cruise queen. Having taken over 15 cruises she is able to help you pick out the perfect wardrobe from casual and dressy clothing to the must-have motion sickness tools. She comes to us with an extensive background in retail and has a passion for helping people. She has lived in Canada, Germany and various states throughout the US. When she isn’t helping customers get ready for their exciting adventures, she loves spending time with her family.

Moria Beck has traveled the world as department store buyer and continues to share her passion for travel. With an extensive background in buying, Moria is our resident fashion advisor at the Renton location. Born and raised in Seattle Moria is an avid Husky fan and attended the University of Washington where she received Bachelor’s in communication and advertising.

Lindsey Wayman is a cruising and travel guru! She has lived and traveled throughout most of Europe. Her travels have taken her from Cuba to Alaska and everywhere in-between. She has worked on and off for The Savvy Traveler for the past 10 ten years, bringing an energetic and spunky element to the savvy team. She is currently a senior at Whitworth University finishing her degree in elementary education. Her next adventure will be to teach elementary children in Arusha, Tanzania! Among her many endeavors, Lindsey worked for a prominent cruise line and has done extensive cruising!

Lori Beltz Izen was born and raised in fabulous Las Vegas and attended the University of Nevada, Reno. Lori has traveled throughout Asia. She makes her home in South Issaquah where she lives with her husband and four children. She has spent the past 15 years volunteering her time in the Issaquah School District. She is thrilled to be part of the Savvy Traveler Team and very happy to be working in the community she loves.

Kristi Sunderland is a native Washingtonian, currently residing in South Issaquah. She graduated from the UW and has spent the past 18 years raising her two sons – the oldest recently heading off to rival WSU. Kristi is the co-author of ‘Happenings… a guestbook of sorts’ and the owner of Keepsake Handprints, her home-based business for the past 14 years. Kristi has recently found time to discover a passion for travel and adventure. She is blessed to call London her second home and is thrilled to be discovering the ins and outs of the UK and Europe.