I was outside at one of my favorite cafés yesterday, and the guy behind me had his phone to his ear.

Except he wasn’t the only person who could hear what he was listening to.

It sounded like that feature on the New York Times app where you can hear an article read aloud; it was in American English, and I heard snippets about “economy” and “Gaza.”

And it was loud.

I kind of turned around and looked at him, but he was pretty absorbed. I had my headphones in because I was busy editing a Reel over an Aperol spritz, so I just kind of let it go, even though I could still hear it, and it was still annoying.

After a little while, two French women sat down at a table nearby, and within a minute, they were asking him to turn down the volume. Inside, I was thinking, “Ha, so French,” but outside, I was trying to catch her eye to mouth “Merci!”

And then I was kind of annoyed with myself.

If I hadn’t been distracted and wearing earbuds, I normally would have passive-aggressively turned around and given the guy a look about ten times, hoping he would get the hint and TURN THE PODCAST THE F— OFF.

Which, as we all know, rarely works.

Instead, these women politely asked for what they wanted—and they got it. No drama. No fuss. They just asked.

Huh. That doesn’t seem so hard, does it?

In my job, I rely on requests. The more my clients tell me about their needs, interests, and preferences, the better I can make their trip.

But a lot of us (especially women?) have a hard time asking for what we want. Iñigo might disagree, but I’m definitely one of them (see the beginning of this email).

Meanwhile, I have no problem asking for things on behalf of other people. Can you relate?

When it comes to travel, if you have special requests, you need an expert to execute them.

As a professional, when I’m doing the asking on behalf of my clients, I get them things they could never get on their own—things like the best guides, exclusive access, and VIP treatment at hotels.

→ Always wanted to take a cooking class in an Italian villa? Sounds amazing, let’s set it up.

→ Super-interested in Art Nouveau architecture? Let’s build your trip around that.

→ Like to sleep with extra pillows? Don’t wait until check-in—let me tell the hotels ahead of time so we can make sure you get them.

→ Need a helper to push your elderly parent in a wheelchair so they can take the bucket-list trip they’ve always dreamed of? That’ll make or break the trip for them.

(BTW, these are all things I’ve actually arranged.)

Whether you want a full-service, don’t-worry-about-a-thing trip, or just a killer itinerary with top-notch hotel bookings (including extra perks), I can help turn your travel vision into reality.

So, tell me, Reader, what’s the trip you’ve been wanting to take but haven’t yet?

Because those French women reminded me that it’s worth it to ask for what you want. And when it comes to travel, asking an expert means you’ll get it—and then some.

Ready to make your travel dreams come true? Set up a call with me. I’d love to help you plan something unforgettable.

• As someone currently living in France without air conditioning, I found this article to be quite interesting.
• This Architectural Digest post has me dreaming of returning to India.
• I’ve been living in this dress lately—not too tight, not too loose, not to thick, not too thin, can be dressed up or down … it’s the Goldilocks of dresses. It may even may even make it into my suitcase when I’m packing AGAIN next week!

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