Well, hello there!

A woman with long red hair, wearing sunglasses and a white floral dress, standing in front of a painted wooden wall.
A young girl with curly hair sitting on a seat on an airplane, looking out the window at the countryside below, wearing light-colored clothing, white socks, and sneakers. A man, possibly her father, is seated behind her, holding a baby and looking in her direction.
A man with a beard and tattoos holding a young child in a kitchen, with a woman and part of a child's head visible in the foreground. The background shows wooden cabinets, a microwave, and a peach crisp mix poster on the wall.

  • The creator behind these accounts, Jessi runs the content coordination business, Southern Illinois Social Media, Certified Autism Travel Professional and owner of Shawnee Sensory Safe Travels, creator of Hello From Southern Illinois, as well as the Thomas Family Goes social media accounts.

    She has worked in a variety of industries, but enjoys content creation, community building, and promoting local the most.

    A Southern Illinois native, her family roots in this area date back to the mid-1800s.

  • Christian is an Internal Affairs Lieutenant for a department in the State of Illinois. In his childhood he lived in Arkansas and Indiana, Southern Illinois becoming his home in 4th grade. He is an outdoorsman who enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, and biking. He is normally the driver for road trips.

    Both Christian and Jessi have a love for animals, having a combined total of 5 pets in the home.

  • Olive is our toddler whose face is not shown on social media. She is a fun-loving child who loves big open spaces to run. Unfazed by animals and quite fond of food, Olive is always a fun addition to our travels.

  • The newest and final member of the Thomas Family Four, Caroline joined us this past June. She is one of the sweetest babies you can imagine, and has already attended TWO wine trail events!