Your Vacation Should Be About You

Why do I ask so many questions about you before I start planning your vacation? Because every traveler is different. I want to know what you enjoy, what excites you, how you like to spend your time, and what matters most to you once you're actually there. For one person, it's wine. For another, it's outstanding dining. Someone else tells me all they really want is a balcony view and a cup of coffee while the world goes by. Every one of those answers matters — and it changes what I recommend.

Say you love photography and history. A river cruise on the Danube or the Rhine can be an incredible fit — waking up to scenery outside your window, exploring centuries-old cathedrals and castles, stopping at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, camera ready for sunset over the water.

And here's the thing — that same river cruise can be just as much of a fit for a foodie, if I put you on the right line. Sailing the Rhine or the Danube with a line like AmaWaterways, Uniworld, or Avalon isn't just about the scenery outside your window; the onboard dining can be outstanding, and you're docking daily in towns known for their own markets, wine, and local specialties. It's one of the rare trips where the destination and the dining are both the main event.

For a foodie who'd rather stay land-based, I might point you toward a destination known for exceptional cuisine, wine, chocolate, or bustling local markets instead — a vacation that's as much about what's on the plate as what's outside the window.

I fall into this camp myself. Once I'm home, I love trying to recreate the dishes I fell in love with while I was away. Those bites bring the memories of the trip right back — one dinner at a time.

Or maybe you're happiest in motion — cycling through the countryside, hiking, exploring a destination on foot, finding the path less traveled. That traveler needs an entirely different itinerary than the one built around a balcony and a coffee.

There isn't one perfect vacation. There's only the vacation that's right for you.

When we talk through your interests before I start researching, I can look past just finding a destination or a good deal. I can build a trip around your travel style — the things that will make you and your travel companions genuinely excited to be there. Your vacation should reflect what makes you happy, not what's popular, and not necessarily what worked wonderfully for someone else. That's a lesson worth repeating: the vacation everyone else loved isn't automatically the right one for you.

The sunset you almost missed. The tiny restaurant you found wandering through a village. The perfect photograph. The glass of wine overlooking a vineyard. The castle you never imagined you'd see in person. The meal everyone's still talking about years later. Those are the moments you remember and the stories you tell — and they're exactly why I believe planning should start with getting to know you, not with a destination.

What's one interest, passion, or experience you'd love to build your next vacation around? Tell me — I'd love to hear what makes you excited to travel.