The Gifted Traveler

22/07/2026

Someone asked me recently what was most memorable from this year’s trips. I didn’t have to think long.

It was standing on the rocks with our Maasai guides at Mara Bushtop, watching the light shift over land they’ve protected for generations.

You feel it immediately — the quiet strength, the intention behind everything they do. Young men move through a series of rites of passage before they’re considered ready to marry and provide for a family. Their connection to this land isn’t something they talk about, it’s simply how they live: protect it, honor it, pass the respect down.

This is why we travel. Not just to see a place, but to be changed a little by the people who call it home. 🇰🇪✨

Always a special thanks to Ashish at for creating life-changing journeys, both for me, and for my clients. Partnerships like these are what make my work so meaningful.

11/07/2026

I often hear people say, “We’re never in the hotel anyway, so why spend more?”

Sometimes that’s true.

But every so often, travel reminds us that where we stay matters for reasons we never anticipated.

Last year, after attending the FROSCH conference in Mexico City, I became quite ill and unexpectedly found myself in the emergency room. I had planned to continue on to Baja to spend time with my daughter and grandson, but instead I spent several days focused on recovering.

What I remember most isn’t the illness itself. It’s the kindness.

The hotel staff checked on me regularly, helped coordinate care, and made sure I had what I needed. In a city far from home, they made me feel looked after.

I’ve always believed great hotels are about more than beautiful rooms. They’re about service, comfort, and knowing you’re in good hands—especially when things don’t go according to plan.

Because sometimes, exceptional hospitality becomes part of the story.

A special thanks to for your wonderful care.

11/07/2026

The best part of luxury travel is rarely visible. Until it is.✈️

Fly La Première from Paris CDG, and the entire ground experience comes with it — chauffeur pickup, tarmac transfer, straight to the aircraft. No terminal. No lines.

At most other major airports, a private greeter meets you planeside — past security, past the wait — every time.

Departing? Customs and VAT can come to you.
This is the difference the right advisor makes.

23/06/2026

There are some hotels you enjoy, and then there are the ones you keep thinking about long after you’ve returned home.

I know it’s been a memorable experience if I only have one photo from the entire stay. It means I was present.

After the cold winds and gray skies of Normandy earlier this month, arriving on the Côte d’Azur felt like stepping into another world. Susie and I took the TGV from Paris, speeding through the French countryside and Provence before arriving at the sea.

From the moment we arrived at Cap d’Antibes Beach Hotel, everything felt effortlessly relaxed. The design had a distinctly 1970s California feel—warm, playful, and beautifully understated. Just outside our room, the Mediterranean sparkled. The water was surprisingly warm, little pedal boats drifted along the shoreline, and every few minutes one of us would turn to the other and say, “Oh my God.”

One lunch in particular still comes to mind: fresh burrata and peaches served in a hand-carved wooden bowl overlooking the water. (My one photo)

The spa treatment tents tucked among the greenery, the attentive staff, the sea air, the sunshine—it all came together to create the kind of place that reminds you why slowing down matters.

Some destinations impress you. Others stay with you.

08/06/2026

Saturday marked the 82nd anniversary of D-Day.

Like many Americans, I find myself reflecting on the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the young men who crossed the English Channel on June 6, 1944, knowing they were heading into unimaginable danger.

This year, those reflections feel especially personal.

Just a few weeks ago, I stood on the beaches of Normandy, walked through the battlefields, and visited the places where history unfolded. It was a powerful reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today came at an extraordinary cost.

For me, this journey was also a way to better understand my own family history.

My father, Dick Smith, and my Uncle Jesse Frye (first photo) were among the men who helped liberate Europe during World War II. They endured more than 300 days of combat, fought through the invasions of Salerno and Anzio, and continued across Europe to the liberation of Dachau.

Growing up, I knew parts of their story. But standing in these places gave me a deeper appreciation for what they experienced and what their generation sacrificed.

Travel has a unique ability to connect us to history. It transforms names in books into real people and distant events into something we can begin to understand. It helps us see not only where history happened, but why it matters.

Today, I am thinking of my father, my uncle, and the millions of men and women whose courage changed the course of history.

May we never forget their sacrifice, and may we continue to tell their stories for generations to come.

04/06/2026

I’ve been home for nearly two weeks now, but as we approach the anniversary of D-Day on June 6, I find myself thinking more and more about Normandy.

Some journeys stay with you long after you’ve unpacked your suitcase. This is one of them.

Over several days, we followed the path of the Allied liberators across England and France, visiting the places where history unfolded and where extraordinary sacrifices were made.

What made this experience especially meaningful was traveling with historian and bestselling author Alex Kershaw. has spent decades researching World War II and interviewing many of the men who fought in it. He is the author of numerous books, including The Bedford Boys, and leads small-group battlefield journeys that bring history to life in a way few people can.

He doesn’t simply recount dates and events. He tells the stories of the people behind them.

Standing on Omaha Beach while hearing about the young Americans who landed there on June 6, 1944, was profoundly moving. The statistics we learn in school suddenly became human stories of courage, sacrifice, and service.

Nearly eighty-two years later, those beaches remain remarkably peaceful. Yet it is impossible to stand there without reflecting on what happened and what was required of those young men who arrived on those shores.

As D-Day approaches, I find myself feeling deeply grateful for the generation that answered the call and changed the course of history.

Travel can be entertaining. The very best travel also teaches us, challenges us, and helps us remember.

This journey did all three.

12/05/2026

I’m off on another extraordinary journey with my dear friend Susie: London, Normandy, Paris, Antibes, Nice, and Èze, with many more stories and photos to come.

This journey is especially meaningful to me. My father served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was part of the forces that helped liberate Dachau Concentration Camp.

Traveling through these historic places with bestselling historian and the Friends of The National WWII Museum feels like a way of honoring his service and, in some small way, feeling closer to him.

We began in London, where Susie and I checked into the charming Covent Garden Hotel, one of my favorite boutique hotels in the city. Part of the Firmdale Hotels collection and designed by Kit Kemp, it is full of warmth, character, and thoughtful design.

One of the highlights of our stay was stepping aboard the Belmond British Pullman. With its beautifully restored Art Deco carriages, polished brass, crisp white linens, and champagne service, it felt like stepping back into the Golden Age of Travel.

Yesterday, our World War II “Victory in Europe” journey officially began with a private tour of the Churchill War Rooms, followed by visits to the Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast.

We ended our London stay with dinner at the elegant The Goring before crossing the English Channel to Normandy.

Onward to the next chapter.

07/05/2026

One of the best parts of what I do is helping people experience something they’ve only ever imagined.

Jill and Joe had a dream: to see the Northern Lights. So we built a journey around it.

Helsinki to Lapland. Private guides. Snow-covered forests. Husky sledding, reindeer farms, and nights set aside just for chasing the aurora. We balanced adventure with stillness, making sure there was time to enjoy the quiet, the landscape, and each other.

Every piece of this trip was designed to feel effortless on their end, and unforgettable in every way.

This is why I love what I do.

04/02/2026