Meet Romie Williams | Founder of Roaming with Romie

We had the good fortune of connecting with Romie Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Romie, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My work-life balance has definitely transformed over the years, and the shift in lifestyle due to COVID played a major role as catalyst. Before COVID, I didn’t have much of any kind of balance. I worked most of the time, and then spent time traveling and doing fun activities with friends. This left very little time for me to rest and spend time with myself. COVID slowed down my pace and I was force to reckon with myself and rest. I’m extremely thankful for it. Now, I actually schedule periods of rest so that I don’t succumb to working all of the time and burning myself out. Rest has become just as much of a priority as work.

What should our readers know about your business?
I specialize in providing cost-efficient, culturally-centered travel experiences. I have worked with individual clients in planning their trips. When I plan trips for clients, I prioritize curating an experience that is unique to them; one client’s trip to a destination will look different from another client’s trip to the same destination. This is because I include a client’s personal interests in tastes in developing an itinerary and when choosing accommodation.

In addition to private consultation, I will begin offering public group trips to destinations all over the world. What will set my group trips apart from other group trip operators is that my trips center around a cultural and historical context. When traveling, I find it imperative to learn about the history and culture of the destination. To me, it’s only respectful to do so. In addition to honoring the space you’re in, you also learn about the world, and that continues to expand your understanding. Because of this, my itineraries always include educational activities and interacting with locals. This is what I am most proud of about my brand.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So I actually love having friends in town and showing them around town. There’s so much history, beauty, and fun in Atlanta…and let’s not forget the food! Like I previously mentioned, history and culture is important to me. Part of this itinerary would include important sites regarding Atlanta’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and in Black history in general. Sites would include Auburn Ave., Martin Luther King’s childhood home and the MLK Center, The Atlanta University Center, and the Civil Rights Museum. I would also include a visit to Centennial Olympic Park to commemorate Atlanta’s role in hosting the 1996 Olympics. The CNN center would have the be on the list, of course. Outside of some of these must-see places, we would eat, drink, and hang out in various neighborhoods in the city. I personally love the East Side of Atlanta, but the West side has a lot of cool spots as well. I love East Atlanta Village, Little 5, Inman Park/Cabbagetown, Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, the West End, and West Midtown.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I truly believe in the adage “It takes a village to raise a child.” So many people have poured into me over the years, and I would be remiss to not acknowledge them. I want to shoutout my parents, all of my former teachers, The Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, and the Ryan Cameron Foundation.

Website: roamingwithromie.com

Instagram: roamingwithromie