The Story Behind the Itinerary
From Semester at Sea to your next dream trip
Where It Started
A Ship, A Semester, A New Way of Seeing the World
At 21, I boarded a cruise ship as part of Semester at Sea and spent a semester circling the globe, taking classes on board and stepping into countries I had only read about. That voyage rewired how I see travel. It stopped being about checking boxes and became about disappearing into a place — finding the restaurant where only locals eat, the bar that does not have a sign, the street musician playing at midnight.
Since then, I have traveled internationally every single year. Friends started asking me to plan their trips. Then their friends did. I became the person who gets a text that says “We have 6 people, 10 days, and we want to do Japan” and comes back with a day-by-day itinerary that makes the whole group feel like VIPs.
The Day Job
Logistics Are My Language
By day, I am the COO of a tech company in the software space. I manage operations, systems, and teams for a living. That same mindset goes into every itinerary I build: contingency plans, timing buffers, backup reservations, seamless transfers. You do not have to worry about the details because I already have.
The Soundtrack
Music Runs Through Everything
I am a musician and I average about one live show per week. Music is not just a hobby; it is how I experience a city. Whether it is a blues bar in Chicago, a jazz club in Tokyo, a rooftop set in Lisbon, or a sold-out arena show — I know how to build a trip that puts the music at the center and fills in the rest with world-class food, nightlife, and culture.
Officially Licensed
I recently joined HOTE Travel as a licensed travel agent, which means I can now offer these curated experiences professionally — with full booking support, exclusive rates, and the peace of mind that comes with working with a licensed advisor. This is not a side hustle. This is what happens when a decade of obsessive travel planning meets a professional platform.