Guiding You Through Off-the-Beaten-Path Journeys
Our Story
WE'RE BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY
Our first travel planning experience was taking a group of friends living in the USA to Kingston, Jamaica. They wanted to see and explore the island. But they expressed that they were tired of the usual all-inclusive hotel scene. They wanted to enjoy the island like a local person would and still have a great stay. So, we connected with a few friends living in Jamaica to plan a truly authentic Jamaican experience. At the end, our guests had connected to the local scene, explored several parishes, and enjoyed a celebratory party hosted with our local friends. We saw what was truly possible when people got a chance to enjoy their vacation through authentic local connections.
That was 2019. Since then, the TML team has planned and executed several group destination travel events in the US and Jamaica, and Africa. Our clients love that we’re a one-stop curator of authentic and inspiring group travel experiences. And we’re expanding destinations. We’re building local connections in all the destinations we want to visit to continue our unique adventures through the lens of locals. We’re excited to introduce you to authentic travel where you can enjoy your favorite destinations with new eyes.
Planning travel for people who truly appreciate local connections, want to have fun, and desire to elevate their travel experience.
Mission and Values
A Company Defined by Our Values
At Through My Lens, we believe that going off the beaten track doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or adventure. We specialize in authentic local adventures, steering clear of overdone tourist attractions. Our curated experiences are designed to create memories that last a lifetime.
As a company, we are defined by our commitment to amplifying inclusive travel experiences worldwide.
Our Mission
To explore destinations through the lens of locals. We create memorable, accessible, off-the-beaten-path travel experiences for wander-lovers and globetrotters by connecting with locals, so our clients feel right at home.
Human Wealth
We connect with each person individually because they matter.
Humility
We avoid ego and self-importance so we can make genuine connections.
Unity
We are dedicated to equity and inclusion across gender, identity, race, experience, age, and religion.
Compassion
We’re interconnected through a shared human experience. We avoid judgement.
I am Sharon.
I came to this country with twenty dollars and three borrowed flannel shirts, in an Atlanta winter, which tells you everything about how much I knew. I am Jamaican. I have lived in Harlem for twenty-six years. I spend my days in private banking, which is where I learned that the numbers do not lie and neither should you.
Through My Lens started by accident in 2019, when two friends asked me to show them Jamaica the way I know it, not the way the brochure knows it. We had the best week of that year. People kept asking me to do it again.
Seven years later I still plan every trip myself. I walk the hotels. I meet the guides. I know which rooms are the good ones. And I still travel with every single group, because the whole point is the room, and you cannot build the room from home.