We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Plante. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to connect sober women through luxury, adventure, and wellness and build community through shared experiences is because of the profound impact travel has had on my personal and spiritual growth.

I was exposed to different cultures at a young age. As a little girl, I spent a few years in Hiroshima, Japan, where I was first introduced to what it meant to live in a different country. I later lived with a family in an exchange program in Germany and have traveled solo to many countries & continents.

In my 20s, I studied abroad in Australia, drove down the coast in a van, went skydiving in New Zealand, traveled to Fiji, rode a camel at the pyramids, backpacked through Europe, and explored Central America solo.

While I experienced many cultures, countries, and experiences throughout my 20s, there was one underlying theme that I wasn’t able to shake for a long time—not feeling like I belonged. I had a great job and a lot of friends, but something was missing.

So I did what any young adult would do – I drank alcohol. Like, a lot of it.

And I drank well into my late 20s, to the point where I was making myself sick and doing things I wasn’t proud of. When I stopped drinking in 2019, I knew zero people who didn’t drink, but I knew deep down inside myself that I had to make this decision.

During the first few years of my sobriety, I felt isolated and lonely, and of course, I continued to travel because it was and is my passion. My first solo sober trip was to Isla Mujeres to swim with the whale sharks, but this time, it was different because I was not drinking. Drinking is an easy way to fit in and get to know people. At the time, I discovered it wasn’t as easy to make new friends without it.

Since then, I’ve had to teach and train myself how to connect without alcohol, and through this, I have discovered how much I value deep connection, which is what I’ve been looking for all along. Don’t get me wrong, I love to be sarcastic and silly, but when time and space allow, learning about people and their experiences, stories, and beliefs fulfills me.

Traveling has taught me that true connection and coexistence come from experiencing the world and its diverse cultures. Feeling like I can make women feel less lonely, whether they’re on day 1 of the sobriety journey or sober for 10 years, keeps me excited about the future and the connections I’ll make.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After graduating college, I worked for a Fortune 500 company for nearly a decade before deciding to pursue my passions. It was something I thought about for a long time, but honestly, I didn’t have the confidence or the support system to put it into place. Eventually, I got introduced to the travel industry and was instantly hooked. I was like, wait I can actually do this? I dove right in as a travel advisor.

As I started pursuing my passion, I quickly realized how many sober women wanted to travel but weren’t prioritizing it. They were afraid of going alone. Or getting scammed. Or they were too busy to take time to plan it. It might even be that they love their friends, but don’t want to be around them when they’re drinking too much on vacation.

Finally, after multiple years of unsuccessfully looking for sober trips for women, I decided to create my own – a dream trip that I would want to go on, where I could connect with like-minded women who wanted to explore the world without alcohol.

In 2025, we are going to Costa Rica in January (dry January) and India in late March. I’m also working on two other trips in the second half of the year that I’m getting super excited about. (!!!)

As a travel advisor, I create high-end, luxury trips and love encouraging clients to travel with intention so that they find fulfillment after their trip. I offer guidance around intentional travel to show what a successful trip looks like. Whether it’s connecting with a partner, exploring a new culture, or putting their Duolingo skills into practice, my clients have an idea of how they want to feel during and after their trip.

I’ve recently started a Sober Travel series, where I’m highlighting domestic and international locations for fun things to do that are good for your soul. They include establishments with non-alcoholic options, beautiful parks for exploring, and even local spas that offer wellness treatments. If I learned anything from sobriety, it’s that when we take better care of ourselves, everything else falls into place.

What sets me apart, in addition to offering bespoke travel recommendations, is offering women the chance to explore the world with other high-vibe women. I know there are so many women who want to travel, but they have obstacles standing in the way. That’s why I’ve taken care of every detail of the planning process for them.

Often, group trips are jam-packed with activities, while our trips are intentional, allowing plenty of time and space for women to be by themselves. I know there’s a mass movement of solo travelers, and after doing solo travel for about a decade, I’m ready to invest my time and energy with like-minded women.

Many women can struggle to find connection, so I want to surround them with inspiring women while giving them luxurious and local travel experiences.

On these trips, you can expect to laugh, cry, try new things, and celebrate how truly beautiful it is to be alive. We’ll talk about dreams, relationships, and life, all while being surrounded by women who want to see you succeed.

Plus, we have sober dance parties – it doesn’t get much better than that!

I’m offering the ultimate girls trip, which, in my experience, is all we need.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Just one? 😛

Before I stopped drinking, I was overweight, unhappy, and disconnected. I was just on autopilot. I was watching Netflix all night, barely sleeping, eating horribly, and wasn’t involved with my community.

I woke up on New Year’s Day in 2019 with a gnarly hangover and said the same thing I had said many times: “I’m never drinking again.” This time, it stuck.

I honestly had no plans to make it this far (5.5 years). I was shocked at three months and in disbelief at six. After nine months, I ran my first marathon. It was the happiest I had felt in years, and the most in love with myself I had ever been.

Later that year, I attended a personal development conference, where I met other like-minded men and women. I also found some in Kansas City. After 18 months, I finally was like, “ok, this is a thing. It’s a damn good thing.”

It didn’t happen overnight, and I had a community of people who helped me change my mindset. If you’re feeling like you want more out of life, I’d love to help you find your way.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

This is the hardest question because I love reading!

The Alchemist is all about the journey of life and finding your purpose. This book taught me to enjoy the unknown and embrace every beautiful event that happens along the way.

“There is only one way to learn…It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

While David Goggins is somewhat controversial, his book, Can’t Hurt Me helped me while I was training for my marathon. Tears would stream down my face while listening to that book during a run. To this day, I’m still not sure if I was crying because I was tired or I was so moved.

Can’t Hurt Me is all about the idea that you can harness the power of your mind to truly change simply by observing the stories you tell yourself.

“Doing things – even small things – that make you uncomfortable will help make you strong. The more often you get uncomfortable, the stronger you’ll become, and soon you’ll develop a more productive, can-do dialogue with yourself in stressful situations.” – David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me

I am a lifelong learner, and I’m forever dedicated to this process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michelleplante.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/michelleplantetravels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/michelleplante
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-plante/