Jenny O’Connell

Expedition Leader

Ask her about cultural immersion and she'll tell you about throwing a frisbee on top of Mount Olympus, playing music with homeless men in Australia, and dancing the Kpanlogo with a Ghanian dance troupe. Ask her about close calls and she'll tell you about a motorcycle marriage proposal, the tiny piece of Africa in her left leg, and fighting off an army any invasion with a broom. Ask her about her Global Explorers experience and she'll tell you about working with inspiring young people, eating tarantulas in Cambodia, serenading airport security guards with a ukulele, and wrangling a llama to put a pancake on its head in the Andes of Peru. Ask her about travel experiences that changed her life and she'll tell you about all of them.

A keen sense of curiosity, adventure, and spontaneity informs the way Jenny travels and embraces the world. She believes deeply in the power of nature and travel to inspire creativity and growth, and feels strongly about making these opportunities available to people  from all backgrounds. Originally from Albany, NY, Jenny currently makes her home in San Francisco, where she works with young people in the outdoors to help them realize their potential as caring, empowered global citizens.

Jenny's favorite pastimes include singing the blues, playing ultimate frisbee, organizing flashmobs, river rafting, and salsa dancing. An aspiring writer and avid adventure lover, Jenny dreams of riding a horse through a drive-thru, rafting the Zambezi River, and walking across Finland to the Arctic Circle. "Wow" is her favorite word and "yes" is her second-favorite word because it often leads to "wow."