Hey, I’m Julie! I’m originally from Maryland but currently stationed in the Hampton Roads area finishing up my twilight tour in the Navy. It has been a wild ride and I have met so many amazing people through different duty stations from Japan, North Carolina, Virginia and deployments all over the world. Some of my fondest memories are of the time I spent with the Marines outside doing anything from landing helicopters to teaching combat lifesavers. I have always enjoyed being outside and in the water from an early age. I fell in love with the outdoors on a hike with my husband when a mama bear and her three cubs casually walked past us. Since then, I have gotten outside and specifically to the mountains as often as possible. Hiking has brought me a sense of peace and freedom but also an opportunity to really connect with my kids. I also enjoy cycling, kayaking, paddleboarding and camping.

I was born and raised in Metro Detroit and to be completely honest I did not consider myself someone who would ever be ‘outdoorsy’ enough to apply to be an ambassador for a hiking group, but moving to Guam changed all of that!

My husband Ryan and I got married July of 2019. Ryan is in the Coast Guard and was stationed in Guam from 2018 to 2020. He convinced me that after 3 years of long-distance dating that we should get married and I should leave everything I know to move to an island in the middle of the Pacific with him. I’m happy to say it’s the best choice I ever made!

I joined Military Wild in Guam and because of this amazing group I fell in love with the island and all of its beauty. We loved it so much we decided to island hop right over to Hawaii, where I get the opportunity to be an ambassador for our Hawaii chapter.

Hobbies for me involve being around the water. I have an inflatable kayak and some great snorkel gear. I love to scuba dive and do open water swims. Land hobbies include just about any sport I can figure out how to play!

Indoors I like boxing, cooking, puzzles, Hawaii Five-0, telling stories about my crazy Italian family in Detroit, and calling all my friends and family in Michigan.