Welcome to my blog! My name is Jill Schildhouse, but you can call me The Global Glutton.
Stop me if you’ve heard this story before: A woman wearing soul-sucking golden handcuffs quits her 6-figure management role at a Fortune 10 company to pursue her dream of traveling the world and writing about her adventures.
I know it sounds cliché; but that’s exactly what happened. You see, I earned my bachelor’s degree in corporate communications and spent 18 years working my way up the corporate ladder at several print and digital publishing companies. When I finally landed the coveted role of Editor-in-Chief of a travel magazine for a well-known brand, I thought I’d hit the jackpot!
During my time there, I was exposed to the magical world of “press trips” and visited some amazing destinations: Italy, France, Croatia, Monaco, Greece, the San Juan Islands, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Yellowstone National Park, and more. Let’s just say I caught the travel bug, big time! I also became a total foodie, incorporating my scrumptious meals into my articles — after all, what’s the point of travelling if you aren’t exploring the local cuisine?
Eventually, the 60-plus-hour weeks and new corporate policies limiting my beloved press trips began to turn my dream job into a drag. So I sought employment elsewhere, grudgingly climbing a few more rungs on that damn ladder at various companies, finally ascending to middle management at a Fortune 10 company. And I hated every minute of it — the mere 3 weeks of vacation per year felt like a cruel joke, the lack of flexibility and creativity were oppressive, and the small, brown cubicle became downright depressing. My ability to mask my misery was fading fast.
So I began beefing up my fledgling freelance side business I’d had for years (some of my more recognizable clients include Oxygen magazine, Reader’s Digest, The Vitamin Shoppe, The Rich Dad Company, Muscle & Performance magazine, Amazing Wellness magazine, and Amazing Lash Studio). I also happened upon an empowering book that resonated deeply with me on a flight home from Hawaii. The book served to further fuel my fire.
About six months later, a week before my 40th birthday, I finally got up the nerve to quit the corporate life. Once I felt I had my freelance business in a good spot (good enough to pay my mortgage and feed myself and my mini schnauzer, Mason), I turned my focus to starting the travel blog I’ve always dreamt of. And here we are.
I chose The Global Glutton as my alias, because I love ingesting every nuance as I travel around the world: cuisine, culture, architecture, the local community, markets, customs, and even creatures. I’m truly a glutton for all things global. And while it may be considered one of the 7 deadly sins, I can’t help wanting to devour all of life’s experiences in our short time on this planet! I hope you enjoy my blog and that it inspires you to chase your own dreams!