Whitney O’Halek is a travel writer, author, and entrepreneur who inspires others to live the life they want for themselves. After the death of her husband on a long-haul flight, she suddenly became a single mother to their six-month-old daughter and knew she needed to keep living despite the trauma of watching her beloved husband die in front of her.
Soon after this traumatic experience, Whitney started planning how she could create a life for herself and her daughter, Iris, that would be filled with happy memories along with the tragic ones.
When others expected her to move back in with her parents and assumed single-parent travel would be too difficult, Whitney focused instead on how to make it work anyway. She pivoted her travel writing brand from Quick Whit Travel to The Half Full Passport, restarted Elevation Journeys, her faith-based travel company in the Middle East, and partnered with fellow entrepreneurs to build the Nefiria dahabiya, a Nile cruise ship.
Her drive and determination, as well as her faith, have enabled her to pursue her dreams in the midst of deep grief and single motherhood.