feeling behind the 🎱? | HNHO - Casa Lucia | Highlight - an adrenalin fueled driving adventure through Norwegian Fjords

Dear Traveler,

In New England the sun is gone before 5pm.

It's cold, the sky is a cloudy grey and an unwelcome winter rain steals our snow and creates a layer of ice on the roads.

That's not exactly a great piece of advertising for visiting our home town. But it's a good reason to dream of other places!

(The reality is January can also have sunny, powder filled days, which we all are great at taking advantage of!)

Despite the weather, January has been a fun month even though I haven't traveled more than 8 miles from home! With all of the trips you and I are planning I feel as though I've been all over the world.

Yesterday as I started writing this note to you, I wrote an admission...

"I have not planned our family's summer or winter vacations for this year. I have not followed my own advice. I'm anxious about it and know options are dwindling by the day."

The issue was that I didn't know my kids plans for the summer - primarily their work schedule and where they will be next year and what their college calendars look like.

That makes planning a family vacation very challenging.

Did I feel behind the eight ball 🎱?

Yes.

I'm sure some of you have been in similar positions.

But magically that changed yesterday afternoon. With that clarity I initiated exploring options. Possibly Norway for this summer. Perhaps Costa Rica for winter break.

One of my partners in Norway shared a ridiculously cool experience - a "build your own adventure" concept. As much as I want to go on this adventure, it would be better for an adult vacation. So today I'm including it as this week's Highlight. If I don't do it, I hope one of you does!

Below you will see an article from The Wall Street Journal on what a $10 million vacation looks like. Although that's a lot more than your average trip, I enjoyed reading it for the inspiration. There are elements in a $10m trip that I also inject in your trips - just on a different scale :)

You'll also note an important and relevant article on a "fake review storm," where, with the help of AI, the travel industry is getting impacted. All the more reason to work with a trusted expert.

Last week I mentioned I'll be going to the Kentucky Derby this year - a bucket list experience for me. So I've been talking with friends and colleagues learning all about the Derby. I discovered one of my colleagues was the Director of Marketing for the Derby for 4 years and is a Louisville native. She has been a wealth of information!

If you've had the Derby on your list too, check out the articles below. In the coming months I'll share more details so you will be well prepared when you go. One tip - book your flights and hotels early!

Last week's most popular article was... The top 9 ‘must-have’ travel experiences of 2024, according to luxury advisors. If you haven't read it yet, it's full of inspiring ideas. My favorite - a slow safari.

There are so many inspiring articles this week! Including... the 50 best 2024 holidays, visiting Michelangelo's secret room in Florence, how to decide whether to stay on the Left or Right Bank of Paris (and many other Paris articles), the salacious secrets of Mustique (a favorite island of the rich, famous and royals), the best way to spend your birthday (alone on vacation), Kentucky Derby fashion advice and lots of ski articles.

You'll also find information on the world's best airlines for families, a Valentine's gift guide (tip - pair something tangible with a surprise trip!) and why you should plan your summer road trip now.

Warmly,

Mimi

Below:

• This week's highlight - an adrenalin fueled driving adventure through Norwegian fjords
• Hot New Hotel Opening - Casa Lucia
• Inspiration + Information

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