Having grown up in Germany, Juana has a true “love affair” with Europe.
She spent most of her childhood and teenage years traveling through the countryside aboard a high-speed train or riding in the back seat of her Dad’s car. Juana took her first solo trip to Thailand at age 18 where she backpacked through the country for two weeks. Bitten by the travel bug, she has since visited countless destinations in Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Thailand, and Jamaica, and loves to go off the beaten path when exploring new destinations.
Juana started her career as an accountant in Germany and eventually turned her love for traveling into a fulltime job. After her move to America as a young woman, she spent most of her time in event management and catering sales at Chicago’s prestigious Langham Hotel, augmented by many years in hospitality and operations for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Having cruised the quintessential barging routes of Southern Burgundy and the Canal du Midi in 2018, she now brings her personal love of travel, attention to detail, and impeccable customer service skills to the Barge Lady team.
In her free time, Juana can be found enjoying long walks with her Labrador, Tyson, along Chicago’s lakefront, or volunteering as a Big Sister through a local “Big Brother/Big Sister” program. A self-proclaimed “foodie”, she enjoys gourmet cooking in her home kitchen, and can often be found dining out at the newest restaurants around town.
“I live and breathe hospitality, and take great pleasure in meeting and exceeding expectations on all levels. As the newest Barge Lady, I look forward to sharing my longtime love of travel with our guests!” – Juana