One of the things about Luxury is that it is pretty subjective when it comes to experiences and I typically find a lot of fun in defining for myself what I actually put in that category(call it a personal Luxury paradigm) outside of the highly curated and often overly pruned versions presented to us by consumer luxury fashion. Don’t get me wrong, I can get with a great pair of sunglasses or just the right piece of jewelry, But luxury for me, is a mix of pleasure, beauty, values and balance.
That is why when I learned that one of my favorite Amsterdam Brand Gloobles announced their new bespoke travel planning service I took notice. As you will hear on the podcast interview we did with Hayley Daen their Editorial Director I have been a fan for awhile and so knew enough to know that we shared at least a starting point for what can be defined as Luxury.
I don’t want to give you the wrong idea, Gloobles certainly knows how to do Luxury in all the senses of the words you would expect, their extensive array of suggestions in their guides and travel itineraries are often featured in the likes of Vogue and the like but the difference is that they usually find them first, which means YOU get to also do the same.
I have used a fair amount of travel agents and also have taken the lead to plan trips myself when I want them to be “just so” and to be honest, I was kind of “over travel” at the moment we began planning. Having lived abroad for 8 years, travel is less of an indulgence at times and more of a way of life. While I feel incredibly lucky, I was just logistically maxed out.
This was bad timing for feeling burned out on planning since we really wanted to celebrate 20 years(fully half of our lives) of incredible life together and going away together is one of our favorite things.
So when Gloobles offered to plan my 20th Wedding Anniversary trip to give us a taste of their new boutique travel service I was very excited to collaborate but I wasn’t prepared for the effect it would have on my ever evolving personal definition of luxury.
Before our meeting with their travel planner Anthony he asked me to give them an idea of what we like, how we like to travel etc. This felt almost indulgent. Writing out a dream instead of starting with airfare and comparing calendars. This started things off on a very different note than how we normally plan trips.
It gave us the chance to dream and actually think of our travel theory as it has changed significantly now that we are older and have 3 kiddos. Also we tend to value different things while traveling so coming to a shared vision for how we wanted to feel was a great way to start off.
From there all I can say is that an amazing trip materialized. Every single detail was considered and taken care of ahead of time.
This looked like starting with 3 locations within the flight time I requested from home all the way to booking restaurants, a private boat rental and upgrades whenever possible. We ended up in Mallorca at the fab Hotel Corazon, rented a private boat to buzz around the island and ate at the amazing Bens d’Avall to give you the highlights and they took care of car rental, airfare and the rest of the itinerary. An intimate concert at the hotel by Nick Mulvey also did not disappoint.
This is all really just well, expected if I am honest. True to form, Gloobles did an extraordinary job of the planning, execution and support of an amazing trip.
But that was just the start.
What I didn’t anticipate was the effect of having such, for lack of a better word, care, would have on our time together.
For the first time maybe in our entire lives together we got to exist in an amazing place, do the things we set out to do, and we got to actually be fully present, like, for real, eye contact present. No phones to check planning or logistics to wrangle or last minute danging details to attend to.
5 days of worrying about nothing more than reflecting, dreaming, having fun and actually being free.
If you know us we have 3 kids, 2+ businesses and 2 countries that we are always collaborating about.
5 days in an entirely different space was nothing short of life changing. I am aware of the overuse of this turn of phrase but in this case, it was true. It changed the course of our lives together.
We set course for the next phase of our lives and had the time and space to do that. You never know just how much you need something, how essential it might be.
On my hard won list of actual luxuries in my life, this has now gone to the very top.
Actual time to attune, connect and dream. Not at a resort, not on a cruise ship, and not with one person planning and the other enjoying. In a very full life together, this category of luxury, which is an echo of caring support, is a balm to the nervous system and quality of life. When living abroad this type of care is at an all time premium as likely systems of support are always out of reach.
This is high luxury for living internationally (or for anyone) and I am here for it.
Take a listen to the podcast episode with Hayley from Gloobles, and checkout the Gloobles Amsterdam Guide in the HOP Marketplace.
If you are planning a trip, consider Gloobles Bespoke travel service if you can.
It might just change your life.
