Dottie Bond

For a thrill-seeker such as Dottie Bond, the key to happiness is shedding the hectic D.C. lifestyle whenever possible.

“On the weekend, I try to get out of the city and go play somehow,” Bond said.

{mosads}The Dallas native is a lobbyist for international trade, agriculture and nutrition issues at The Russell Group who loves shaping policy in Washington, but she also revels in getting out of town.

“It’s a great way to totally recharge away from D.C.,” she says of her getaways. “Some people say that traveling takes a lot out of you, but it definitely fills me up and gives back more than I ever spend, energy-wise.”

She’s been to Iceland, Chile and Norway, and traveled the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian railways. She has eaten guinea pig in Ecuador and, in a few weeks, will revisit Peru, spending time in Lima before backpacking across the Cordillera Blanca mountains.

In December, Bond added a new explorer to her life: A German Shepherd/Labrador mix named Romulus — after one of the mythological founders of Rome, she says, not the “Star Trek” character.

“When I get the chance, I’m outside,” Bond says. “As with anyone in D.C., it’s about trying to develop a routine — when you can get something in.”

Romulus dutifully wakes her up at 6 a.m. every morning and she makes sure she can fit in a run before going to the office. She’s also taken him backpacking alongside wild ponies in rural Virginia, and plans to go on a hike with the canine companion and some friends soon.

As far as beauty, Bond keeps her makeup simple, splurges on keratin treatments for her hair and notes it’s important to smile a lot.

While food policy may be Bond’s forte, that doesn’t mean it translates to her home life.

“There’s 85 million other things that I’d rather be doing with my time than cooking something that’s only half good,” she says, but admits that she can “grill a mean cheeseburger.”

— Megan R. Wilson