Unpopular Opinion: I Don't Really Care What Your Friends Like

GASP. Did I really just say that?

You bet.

I really, definitively, don’t care what part of London your sister thinks you should stay in/which resort your best friend says you HAVE to go to/which river cruise line Uncle Joe sailed with ten years ago.

YOU should feel free to go ahead and care about those opinions as much as you want to. They’re from people who love you and want you to have an amazing trip. Which is a thing to adore and be grateful for. It’s human nature to want to share great things you’ve experienced with people you love.

I, on the other hand, am not currently planning a trip for your sister, your best friend, or your Uncle Joe.

I’m planning a trip for YOU.

I have a process carefully crafted to ensure my partners and I are building a trip that will appeal to your desires, fuel your dreams, and meet your needs.

Your loved ones have likely been to London/that resort/on a river cruise only once. My partners? That’s all they do. They’re experts in their chosen destinations, so they know the ins and outs like no one else.

They know which section of London is popping with great new restaurants and shopping. That resort your friend loved so much? They know it’s recently changed management and they’ve had a lot of service-related complaints about it lately. They know why river cruise line X is a better choice than river cruise line Y for wine tasting, but also why the reverse may be true when it comes to off-the-beaten-path cultural experiences.

That’s their job - complete and total mastery of whatever area of the world they’ve staked a claim to.

MY job, on the other hand, is to be the expert in you - that’s why I ask so many questions on my Plan A Trip form that might seem irrelevant at first glance. Not only am I using that form to weed out potential clients who won’t be a good fit, but I’m trying to glean as much as I can about you so I can, in turn, craft the best itinerary possible. One where you’ll feel like every component was chosen just for you (because it was).

So feel free to pass along your sister/best friend/Uncle Joe’s recommendations; I’m happy to take a look at them.

Just be aware that, unless Uncle Joe’s accompanying you on your honeymoon, his preferences may not be reflected in the final itinerary.