Justin "Jack" Kavanagh grew up in County Wicklow, the "Garden of Ireland," where youthful weekends were spent hiking on the Wicklow Way or cycling to the ancient monastic site of Glendalough. He studied English literature and philosophy at University College Dublin before leaving his homeland to work in London, Tokyo, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. He began his career in journalism at the Irish Press in Dublin and has gone on to write widely on travel, culture, current affairs, and sports for National Geographic Traveler, The Globalist, The Independent, and In Dublin magazine. He is currently the leader of National Geographic Expeditions' Ireland: Tales and Treasures of the Emerald Isle tour.