There are trips that are beautiful. There are trips that are complex. And then there are trips that change you.
The most meaningful journey I have ever designed began not in a luxury hotel or at a destination showcase, but years earlier during my tenure at the American Cancer Society.
When I made the decision to change careers in 2015 and step into the travel industry, one of the families I had come to know through my work reached out to me. The husband and father had been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. They had three young children. And they wanted to create one unforgettable family memory together.
They asked me to plan a trip to Paris and London. That they trusted me with something so significant, especially during a time of profound uncertainty and emotion, is something I will never forget.
Designing a Trip That Meant Everything
This was not about checking landmarks off a list. It was about creating moments their children would carry with them for the rest of their lives.
In Paris, we planned time to wander the city together, to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, to linger in cafés, and to experience the magic of simply being somewhere beautiful as a family. We added Disneyland Paris, because sometimes joy should be uncomplicated and full of wonder. They stayed at Villages Nature, where the children could run, play, and just be kids.
In London, we selected a lovely apartment style hotel that allowed them space and comfort. Privacy mattered. Flexibility mattered. The ability to feel at home, even abroad, mattered.
The Weight and the Gift of Trust
Planning travel always carries responsibility. But this was different. Every transfer, every hotel choice, every pacing decision carried emotional weight. The goal was not luxury in the traditional sense. It was ease. It was comfort. It was removing stress so that their energy could be focused entirely on being together.
When you know time is limited, every detail matters more. That this family asked me, during my early days in a new career, to design a trip that would become part of their legacy is something I still hold close.
Why This Trip Shaped My Career
That journey reinforced for me that travel is not just about destinations. It is about meaning.
It is about helping families pause life’s chaos and uncertainty long enough to create something beautiful. It is about designing experiences that become anchors in memory.
Today, when I plan milestone travel, multi generational journeys, or trips during significant life transitions, I think about that family. I think about the responsibility and privilege of being invited into someone’s most important moments.
Travel, at its best, gives families stories to hold onto when everything else feels uncertain. That Paris and London trip was more than an itinerary. It was a gift of time, joy, and connection and it remains the most meaningful trip I have ever designed.
