Solo Episode | Season III Intro & The Beauty of a Loose Plan

I really believe in travel. I believe in a gorgeous itinerary, staying in lovely places, eating beautiful food, meeting extraordinary people. I also believe in happenstance, serendipity, in the value of getting lost, of getting turned around, getting in a taxi, ‘cause there’s a conversation that can only be had with a taxi driver who isn’t trained how & when to talk to the American guest. I believe in being a little uncomfortable, I do! I actually believe in not having a plan every waking moment of every single day. Not knowing where you’re going to dine that night, and so glad about it because there was a cute little place you walked past earlier, peaked into the window, got giddy about returning that night. A giddiness that just doesn’t come from reading the itinerary and seeing it there. A giddiness that can only come from within you. And not from god forsaken Instagram. Trust me when I say this. But somewhere along the way I started washing all that from travel for people. I started orchestrating perfection. And I had to take a long hard look at that. Can I continue to orchestrate perfection for travelers. Yes. Do I want to continue to orchestrate perfection for travelers? No.As humans we need on a biological level, healthy tension. If everything is easy, there’s actually discord. Counterintuitive, but it’s very true. I remember the first time I traveled abroad. It was to Florence, Italy. I have a bit more money than I did back then, you probably do too. Hostels served their purpose. They make us appreciate the boutique hotel now. But I had a paper map, a small suitcase, a camera, and nothing else but a loose plan. As my agency turns 14 next month, that’s the energy I’m playing into. I’ve built a reputation the past 14 years, a taste level & style. I’ve built strong reliable networks of access and hospitality in every nation on earth. That is the capital travelers will come to me for. Travelers can google, or get their AI to answer a travel related question, even generate an itinerary … but their AI doesn’t have inherent taste, style, and network within that. People will come to me – and to you if you’re a travel professional – for who they know us to be & for the people we are made to know because it’s our job to know. Everything else is fluff.That’s the energy. Beautiful itineraries for travelers … to a point. And that point is probably further back than it has been. Healthy tension. Discord. Intentionally. But you’ve trusted me. Keep trusting me. The rest is up to you.