Kids to Know: Isabella Cooley
Why wait to travel the world when you’re older? Why count down the months until summer break for a vacation?
Fourth grader Isabella Cooley attends school regularly, stays committed to activities she loves and also explores different countries throughout the year. Living a life of adventure, she shares her experiences in her book series “Let’s Explore with Isabella” so that other kids may develop a passion for travel too.
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At 10, you know more about the world than many adults will ever learn! Tell us about yourself, what you like to do, and how many countries you’ve visited.
Isabella Cooley: I love to cook foods like fish, vegetables and full breakfast meals. I also like to write, do gymnastics, travel and spend time with family. I have visited about 32 countries with my mommy.
What is it like to travel so much and how does it make your everyday life look different from other kids your age?
Isabella Cooley: Traveling so much is like an adventure every travel day. When I am in a different country, my life looks different from other kids my age because I'm able to still travel and do my virtual school work and be within a different culture at the same time.
Of all of the places you’ve visited, which country or place is your favorite?
Isabella Cooley: My favorites are India, Dubai, Bali, Iceland and everywhere else that I’ve been. I don't really have a favorite, all of them are favorites because they are all different, amazing and unique.
In addition to being an adventurous traveler, a skilled gymnast and a great cook, you are a published author! Please share details of your book series and what inspired you to write about your experiences.
Isabella Cooley: I love to teach kids about the world while sharing about my travels because not all kids get the chance to travel as much as I do. I want them to learn how to do it as well. This is what inspires me to write books.
What is your next book about, and what do you hope readers will learn from your writing?
Isabella Cooley: My next book “Let's Explore India With Isabella” is about me going to India twice and experiencing their different cultural way of doing things. I hope that readers will learn that you don't always have to do stuff at home in the U.S.A. in order to have fun, and that you can do stuff anywhere you go. There is a new place waiting to be explored.
Describe your favorite memory traveling with your mother.
Isabella Cooley: My favorite memory of traveling with my mommy is when we were in London and we went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros Museum and got to see all of the props and costumes from the Harry Potter movies. We also got to have Harry Potter high tea while reading my favorite book, “Harry Potter.”
TBPM: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Isabella Cooley: When I grow up, I want to be a traveling chef because I love to cook and travel. I want to continue learning about the world around me while still cooking because that is what I love to do.
What is a goal you have for yourself in 2025?
Isabella Cooley: My 2025 goal is to have fun, to write as many books as I can and to help teach a lot of kids in my mom’s nonprofit company so that other kids can learn more about the world like me.
What do you like most about growing up in Tampa Bay?
Isabella Cooley: What I like most about growing up in the Tampa Bay area is going to the zoo and being with my Tampa family. There is always something to do around town, plus Disney is under two hours away. I also like going to the outlet shopping mall and reading at our local Barnes and Noble bookstore.
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Originally published in the February 2025 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.