Unveiling the Story Behind Kayla and Golden Light Adventures

Hi! My name is Kayla Britton, and I am a travel agent and the owner of Golden Light Adventures. I am excited to be able to start this blog to document my adventures through my travels, grief, relationships, and life! 

So, let’s get to know me a bit more and my journey to starting Golden Light Adventures. 

I am a wife. 

I met my now husband, Bo, in 2012 at Marketplace Grill. We were both servers and struck up an instant friendship. After about six months we decided to go on a date and the rest is history! We’ve been married for almost 10 years and love traveling together. 

I am a mother. 

Our son, Augustus “Gus”, was born on October 29, 2016. As everyone says, our lives were forever changed the moment he was born. 

I had a relatively quick, unmedicated birth and Gus was born at 3:30 am on October 29. There will be time for my birth story another day!  

Gus was always the best/happiest baby/toddler and kept us on our toes daily. 

On June 14, 2019, we received news that would change our lives forever. 

I am a momcologist. 

On June 14, 2019, at 2.5 years old, Gus was diagnosed with stage IV high-risk neuroblastoma—a form of cancer. I will go into detail about his diagnosis in another blog post but for now, just know that this date changed our lives. 

Gus went through 18 months of standard protocol for stage IV neuroblastoma treatment. We took Gus in for his final scans on January 6, 2021, and were devastated to find out that he had relapsed. His cancer was back and his prognosis went from a 50% chance of survival to a 0% chance. 

Gus fought relapsed neuroblastoma for another year and a half. During this time we went all over the country chasing clinical trials to find a cure hopefully. His cure. 

I am a bereaved parent. 

After 3.5 years of fighting this nasty disease, on November 23, 2022, Gus’ heart beat for the last time. 

My journey through grief has been shattering. There are some days where I don’t know how to make it one more second and others where I find joy. 

I am a travel agent. 

Enter being a travel agent. During Gus’ battle with cancer, our family took vacations any chance we could! We traveled a lot for Gus’ treatment, and we always made those times feel like vacations as best we could. One of Gus’ favorite places to go was Walt Disney World. We used a travel agent when we went and I remember my husband telling me that I should look into being a travel agent since I seemed to enjoy it so much. At the time, I knew there wasn’t a way I would be able to add anything else to my plate (trying to keep my son alive was enough) but I knew that eventually that would be something I would love to try. 

A couple months after Gus died my travel agent posted on her social media account that she was hiring! I thought this would be the best time to try to jump into the business. I also loved the idea of being able to spread Gus’ light and smile throughout the process to other families. 

I know how precious memories are and I want to be able to help create them for everyone. 

Golden Light Adventures 

I started Golden Light Adventures in January 2023 and have never looked back. 

Gus completely inspires my business. Gus would always tell you that he wanted to share his smile so it is my goal to share his smile through helping families create memories. 

Last but not least… 

I am a daughter of God. 

My faith is the most important part of my life. When Gus was diagnosed with cancer I wasn’t sure how we were going to make it but with strength from God, we got through it. Then, after Gus died, once again, I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive. But, once again, with strength from God, I am still alive. These are blog posts for another day but just know that God has 100% held my family up through all of our trials. 

I KNOW that Gus is in Heaven. 

I KNOW that Gus is happier than any of us here on Earth. 

And, I KNOW that I will see Gus again. 

God keeps his promises to us. His character is unwavering, and I am genuinely so thankful. 

So that’s me! 

A very brief overview, but an overview nonetheless. If you made it this far in this post, thank you for being here -  I am excited to be able to blog about my adventures through my travels, grief, relationships, and life! 

To quote one of my favorite movies of all time: 

“I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.” -Jack from Titanic :) 

Here’s to trying to make the days count! 

Thanks for coming along on the adventure with me. 

-Kayla