Oh. We're exactly the same.

Hi ,

Savannah told me the other day she might want to play lacrosse for the school team.

Then came the condition. She'd need to practice first. Properly, on her own, before she showed up. Because she doesn't like walking into places not knowing anything.

This is my child who won't do a thing until she's perfect at it. It’s hard to get her to start, or she wants to quit early, or she quietly takes the whole thing apart before anyone can watch her be average at it.

So, I gave her the speech. We're all beginners at everything once. You don't have to be good at it to be allowed to do it. Showing up to have a go is enough.

"Yeah, but."

Fair.

And then I sat down to write this newsletter. Which is about how I decided to go on Christina's Slovenia trip as a participant, 3 months before I start leading my own, because I wanted to feel the whole thing in my body first. I wanted to know how a day flows, where the hard parts are, what happens when something goes wrong, before I ever stand at the front of a group and ask people to trust me.

And it landed.

Oh. We're exactly the same.

I'm not sure I'm going to pick up a lacrosse stick and practice in the yard with her. (Give me time.) But I understand her completely now. She wants to feel it before she does it. So, do I. I just call mine research and get to write it off.

I'm so glad I went. Ten days in Slovenia with 15 women, most of whom arrived not knowing a soul. I hiked, I leapt ito a canyon, I shared a room, which I was dreading and ended up loving. I watched Christina and her trip photographer rebuild an entire day on the spot when the group was too tired for the plan. I watched things go wrong on Mount Triglav, including a helicopter, and I watched them get handled.

I came home understanding exactly how these trips flow. Which means when I stand in front of a group in Marrakech in October, I won't be guessing. That's the confidence I went to Slovenia to get. I felt it.

There's also an afternoon on Triglav where I stood at the bottom of a via ferrata, decided I'd reached the end of what I had that day, and said no in front of everybody. Two days later I threw myself off a 6-meter ledge into a freezing river without a second thought. The distance between those two decisions is the thing I'm still chewing on, and it's far too long for an email.

So, I've written all of it up. What a day actually looks like. What it costs and what's included. The professional photographer who shoots every trip, which is the best thing about them. The food, the room sharing, the mindfulness sessions, and the night our leaders drove us 15 minutes into Italy for gelato because they read the room correctly. I mean why wouldn’t you? We’re not crazy.

The trips I'm leading

If you skipped everything above and came straight here, I understand.

I’m leading three trips, capped at 14 women, which is small enough that you'll know everyone by day 3.

Morocco. October 18 to 28, 2026. From $3,200 USD. Marrakech, the Dades Valley, the Sahara, Fes. A hot air balloon at sunrise, camels into the dunes, a night in a luxury desert camp, cooking class and ceramics in Fes. Registration closes August 15. 

Thailand. February 18 to 28, 2027. From $3,400 USD. Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Yao Noi. An ethical elephant sanctuary, the Monk's Trail at sunrise, kayaking the mangroves at Ao Thalane, and island time at the end. I lived in Thailand. This one's personal.

Vietnam. March 3 to 11, 2027. From $2,900 USD. Hanoi, 3 nights cruising Bai Tu Long Bay, trekking and bamboo rafting through Pu Luong. There's an optional 3-day Hoi An add-on at the end, and if you've ever wanted clothes made by a tailor who knows what they're doing, take it.

Thailand and Vietnam run back-to-back, so you could do both.

All three include your accommodation, ground transport, guides, excursions, meals, the mindfulness sessions and a gallery of professional photos. A $500 deposit holds your spot and it's fully refundable for the first 30 days. Payment plans available.

If you're on the fence, or you can't work out from the websites which one is the right shape for you, just hit reply. I'll tell you what I think, including if I think you should wait for a different trip.

I'd love to be standing at the bottom of the cliff yelling your name.

Caroline x

P.S. Are you in the Y Travel community yet? Come join us over on Instagram or reply to this email — I'd love to hear where you're headed this summer.