Hey Reader, I’ve been at this travel thing for a while. But despite visiting dozens of countries, I'd like to remind you that I was a newbie once, too. And by newbie, I mean it. The first time I traveled to Africa, I felt so confident, but I was quickly humbled. I couldn't take local currency out of the bank, so I ended up trading my dollars with some guy literally in an alleyway. My first night, I ordered soup that was so spicy, tears were running down my face. And somehow, the next day I...
12 days ago • 1 min read
I'm so happy you opened this email Reader. Because it's the last day of July, and I'm doing a really quick flash sale. Like...really quick. I love giving back to the Windward Circle - people like you who make my job fun and meaningful. So for the next 48 hours (from when this goes out), I'm giving you 100% off my cruise planning services. Yes, you read that right. I will help you plan your cruise for free. Why? The world of cruising is changing fast - forget mega-ships, icky buffets, and...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I ate my first arancini (deep-fried Italian rice balls) at a long farm table, as the sun went down over the olive fields. I'd never had one before, because I can't eat gluten, and nobody makes them gluten free. My farm host Chiara invited me to dinner, and went to the trouble of making a special batch for me. We stayed at that table for hours after the food was gone, laughing with Chiara and a couple of Swiss tourists in four languages, none of which we shared completely. I have...
26 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Have you been watching the World Cup? If not, maybe you have seen this goofy Norwegian taking the internet by storm? (That's Norwegian soccer star Erling Haaland, and he's a delight.) Thanks in part to Haaland, Norway beat Brazil (!) to be in the quarterfinals for the first time ever, in their first World Cup in 28 years. It's safe to say that Norway is having a moment, but it goes beyond their successes in the World Cup. Norway is also a European destination without the heat...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! I'm in London this week and loving it! I've been here with some other travel professionals, hosted by the wonderful Melià Hotels, a Spanish brand that has hotels all over the world. I've been hearing so many wonderful travel stories, I wanted to share some of my own: My first trip abroad was doing an internship in Ghana with a nonprofit in the middle of nowhere, living by myself. To say I had culture shock is an understatement...I survived on packaged noodles and walked 30 minutes...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! We all spend too much time on email, so I wanted to give you something that's easy to read and a good use of your time. Ready? You might think fuel prices are causing people to rethink their travel plans - and domestically, that's true. But international travel is not slowing down: 44% of Americans are planning trips - up from 41% last year. I've been hard at work finalizing client trips this week, and I am loving every single itinerary. I'm SO excited for my clients to enjoy some...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey there Reader, This week has been a whirlwind of Seattle sunshine, planning my clients' trips, and the steady jackhammering of our utility workers fixing the water lines on our block 😆 But the coolest thing that happened this week? I was featured in a blog post on one of my partners' blogs! You can read "The Best Summer Vacation Ideas for Every Type of Traveler in 2026" right here from my colleagues at Flytographer! My contributions? I talked about Croatia for sun-seekers as well as...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader. This week, despite my resistance, I’m finally testing out some paid advertising. It’s hard to hand a big corporation my hard-earned dollars, and I don’t like it! But I keep thinking about being able to help more people have the trips they deserve, and knowing I might reach the right people is getting me through it. Which reminds me of this popular piece of advice in the travel world. "Travel should get you out of your comfort zone." Which begs the question…is that really true? To...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there Reader, happy Friday! I spent way too much time this week trying to ticket a client's flight to a small town in Croatia...only to finally just do it over the phone this afternoon, lol. I know you can relate. Sometimes you just need a real, live person who knows how it's done. My whole reason for opening up my computer every day is to help you have trips that leave you genuinely enriched and perfectly taken care of. So I've compiled a big-but-not-overwhelming list of 42 tips for your...
5 months ago • 1 min read