One of my favorite questions to ask people is simple:
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
The answers are rarely practical.
They’re dreams.
“I’ve always wanted to see the tulips in bloom.”
“I want to stand atop the Cliffs of Moher.”
“I’d love to ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.”
“I’ve always dreamed of seeing the pyramids.”
For most people, travel begins long before a plane ticket is booked. It begins with a photograph, a movie, a painting, a milestone, or a dream they’ve carried for years.
The challenge isn’t deciding where to go.
It’s deciding that someday deserves a place on the calendar.
In many ways, Coordinated Escapes began with a trip to Italy.
My partner Scott had never been to Europe. We were traveling to Florence for his boss’s destination wedding, but I knew I didn’t want the experience to be limited to simply flying in, attending the event, and flying home.
Instead, we turned it into a journey.
We began in Venice, wandering historic streets, crossing bridges, and exploring the city with a local guide. That evening, we stopped at the iconic Hotel Danieli. Scott ordered his signature Vesper Martini, and I enjoyed a glass of Veuve Clicquot Rosé.
Over the years, that has become our travel tradition.
No matter where we are in the world, we seek out beautiful hotel lobby bars and spend time reflecting on the day’s adventures.
The location changes.
The ritual stays the same.
Those moments have become some of our favorite travel memories—not because of the cocktails, but because they remind us to slow down and fully appreciate where we are.
The wedding brought us to Florence, but it was everything around the wedding that made the trip unforgettable. Years later, those are still the moments we talk about.
That trip taught me something I still believe today: the most meaningful journeys aren’t built around flights, reservations, or even destinations. They’re built around experiences and the people you share them with.
The first time I visited Paris, I was determined to see the Mona Lisa.
And yes, I saw her.
But what stayed with me was everything around it—the grandeur of the Louvre, the masterpieces stretching across entire walls, and the realization that some places are far more powerful in person than they could ever be in a photograph.
Travel has a remarkable way of transforming something familiar into something deeply personal.
What begins as a photograph, painting, television series, or lifelong dream suddenly becomes a memory of your own.
One of the things I love most about travel is that there is no single right way to experience the world.
Sometimes the journey begins with a milestone.
A honeymoon.
A retirement celebration.
A destination wedding.
A graduation.
A milestone birthday.
A long-overdue trip with friends.
Sometimes it’s a family adventure. Other times, it’s a solo traveler finally taking the trip they’ve postponed for years.
But the desire is often the same: to create memories that last long after the journey ends.
Today, I help travelers plan everything from family adventures and milestone celebrations to destination weddings, honeymoons, luxury cruises, rail journeys, and bucket-list experiences worldwide.
Some dream of Amsterdam during tulip season. Others want to explore Egypt, embark on an African safari, or finally take the bucket-list journey they've imagined for years.
The beauty of travel today is that it can be designed around the way you want to experience the world—not the way someone else thinks you should.
What many travelers don’t realize is that some of the most memorable experiences happen between the highlights.
A few extra days before a cruise.
A train ride instead of a flight.
A private guide who brings a city to life.
A cooking class.
A hidden café.
A long lunch.
Those small moments often become the stories we remember.
One of my favorite examples was Cartagena, Colombia, where a stay at Casa San Agustín became as memorable as the cruise that followed.
That experience reinforced something I often share with travelers: the right hotel isn’t simply where you sleep. It becomes part of the journey itself.
Recently, I discovered river cruising and immediately understood why so many travelers fall in love with it. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruises place you directly in the heart of historic cities and charming towns.
It’s one reason European Christmas Market cruises have become such a favorite. Stepping off the ship into centuries-old town squares filled with twinkling lights, local traditions, and seasonal celebrations feels like entering a storybook.
The most memorable journeys often combine multiple styles of travel—a river cruise paired with a luxury rail journey, an African safari followed by time to slow down and reflect, or a destination wedding transformed into a multi-city European adventure.
These aren’t simply vacations.
They’re experiences thoughtfully designed around what matters most to you.
The most rewarding part of what I do isn’t booking a hotel, reserving a cruise, or building an itinerary.
It’s helping someone turn a dream they’ve talked about for years into a memory they’ll carry for the rest of their life.
The anniversary trip they’ve postponed.
The retirement celebration they’ve always imagined.
The Christmas Market cruise they’ve saved screenshots of for years.
The family trip everyone keeps talking about but never seems to schedule.
The bucket-list experience they can’t stop thinking about.
Over the years, I’ve learned that travelers rarely regret taking the trip.
They regret waiting.
There will always be another project, another obligation, another reason to put it off until next year.
But some of life’s most meaningful moments deserve more than “someday.”
So I’ll leave you with the same question I often ask my clients:
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Perhaps that’s the journey worth planning next.
Author Bio
Heather Pranitis is the founder of Coordinated Escapes, specializing in luxury cruises, custom itineraries, milestone travel, and destination celebrations.
She helps travelers turn long-held dreams into unforgettable experiences.
What journey have you been talking about for years? Let's design it together.