ABOUT ME
Meet Kara
Hi, I'm Kara — a primary care physician, travel researcher, and lifelong student of the world.
I'm board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, with a Master of Public Health and a fellowship focus on pediatric and adolescent care from the University of Minnesota. I currently practice primary care Med-Peds in New York City, with a particular focus on lifestyle medicine, adolescent, women's, and LGBTQ+ care. Somewhere along the way, my patients started coming to me for more than checkups: burnout, depletion, even relationship advice (funny, since I'm single). I think that says something about how I show up for people, in medicine and in travel planning alike.
I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and have since called Minneapolis, Minnesota, Brooklyn, New York, and — for a formative six months studying abroad — Sydney, Australia home. I've traveled to more than 50 countries across every continent except Antarctica, always slowly and intentionally, chasing the everyday moments that make a place feel alive. I'm also a repeat visitor by nature — I'd rather return to a place three times than check it off once, because that's how you actually get to know a place.
I'm affiliated with Coastline Travel, a Virtuoso host agency, and work alongside travel advisor Travis Dedmore of Travisli Lux Travels.
Outside of medicine and travel, you'll find me on a yoga mat, cooking my way through a new cookbook, exploring this vast city where I live (Knicks in 5!), out in nature, or spending time with the people (and cats) I love.
ABOUT BLOSTMIAN TRAVEL
Thoughtfully designed support for the intentional traveler
Blostmian Travel is a boutique consulting service tailored toward travelers seeking meaningful, thoughtful travel experiences.
Think of me as your personal advisor, guide, and partner in designing that trip you’ve always wanted to take, but have felt too overwhelmed to plan.
I won’t try to push you toward pricey all-inclusive packages just to make a sale. Whether you’re seeking destination research, detailed itineraries, full-service trip planning, or support traveling with a medical condition, I’ll listen to your needs and give you personalized support to help you travel comfortably, confidently, and safely.
My approach
I use my skills as a physician — listening closely, paying attention to the details, thinking ahead — to offer research and support that helps thoughtful travelers feel prepared and inspired.
I work with you one-on-one to bring you curated travel insights, recommendations, and support based on your needs, your vision, and your comfort level.
Over the years, I’ve also watched health concerns become barriers — keeping people from the trips they’d been dreaming of, or leading them to settle for less than what was actually possible. That experience has shaped a new and growing part of Blostmian’s work: travel support for those whose health is part of the planning equation, and for those navigating the world of medical care abroad.
I’m here for the traveler who’s curious, kind, and ready to experience something meaningful, but could use a trusted guide behind the scenes.
My story
I’m Kara, a physician, lifelong traveler, and passionate travel researcher. My love for travel was sparked by a trip to Kenya in college — a place so different from what I’d known that it shook me in the best way.
Since then, I’ve traveled to over 50 countries, slowly and intentionally, seeking out the human connections and everyday moments that make a place feel alive.
This work is deeply personal to me. Over the past two decades, I’ve helped my mom grow more confident traveling off the beaten path to discover fewer tourist traps, more memorable experiences. I saw how transformative it was for her, and I knew there were others like her out there. Like Jeannie, my friend’s late mother: a warm, curious, and down-to-earth woman who deserved travel that honored her pace, her comfort, and her spirit of discovery.
I’m devoted to helping thoughtful, curious travelers plan meaningful travel experiences that honor their style, comfort, and pace. And for those whose health is part of the equation, I bring the added lens of two decades in medicine as a primary care physician.
Whether it’s chatting with a cafe owner about the book I’m reading or joining a cooking class in a tucked-away kitchen, I travel to feel the heartbeat of a place, and I want to help you do the same.
WHY BLOSTMIAN?
Blostmian is an Old English word meaning to blossom, to bloom.
I love the word Blostmian because it carries both beauty and rootedness. It represents something “foreign,” but not borrowed or appropriated from another living culture.
For me, Blostmian speaks to women in the second act of life — whatever that might look like — stepping into a season of blossoming.
A few years ago, I heard coach and podcast host Shirin Eskandani talk about the symbolism of flowers in the Iranian New Year, Nouruz. She spoke of blossoms as a reminder that our beauty comes not from perfection, but from the mix of light, love, and messy soil that makes growth possible. That idea stayed with me.
A flower’s beauty depends on all its parts:
🌱 The soil — our experiences, including the challenges and mistakes we’d rather forget, which ultimately nourish us.
🌿 The stem — the strength and resilience that hold us upright, connecting our roots to our bloom.
🌸 The blossom — our innate beauty, our unique presence, the us-ness we bring into the world.
Blostmian is about honoring all three. Travel, to me, is one of the ways we nurture that process. It gives us the space to ask: How do I want to grow? What will help me blossom next?
That’s the heart of Blostmian Travel: journeys that are thoughtful, comfortable, and deeply connected — honoring both the blossom and the soil that makes it possible.
Authenticity: Emphasis on experiences that reflect a place’s true essence, beyond the sites most tourists tend to visit.
Ease and Trust: Alleviating the overwhelm that comes from having too much information or too many options.
Modest Luxury: A travel style that nurtures the body and spirit—nothing flashy, always thoughtful.
Connection: Prioritizing making meaningful connections with locals, with culture, and with yourself.
Core Values
