My Background
In my career, I have been an event planner, a decorator, an antiques dealer, and heavily involved in the wedding industry. For the last 7 years, I have worked for Expedia Group's vacation rental division, Vrbo. I have learned much during this time, raised my sons, married my soul mate (the oft-mentioned ‘beautiful husband’), and lived an adventure-filled life.
One of my great joys is traveling and sharing my experiences with others. My besties and I exchange reels of places we want to travel together and things we want to do, whether that is exploring a museum or library or attending a play, opera, ballet, or musical performance. Seeds were planted with thoughts of women traveling together with intention.
Recently, I met up with friends from high school, and we discussed upcoming travel trips and ideas. They were in Austin to attend the Madonna concert, and their excitement was contagious. When one high school friend mentioned her upcoming trip to Chicago, I chimed in with my love for the city, and she asked for recommendations. We discussed some general things about the city, and she asked me to email her with more information. My excitement grew, and the seed of women traveling together germinated and sprouted.
Once I created a list of recommendations for restaurants, tours, and experiences, I sent my email along with my best wishes for her trip. There was something so internally satisfying that it made me want to have that experience and feeling again.
Soon, an opportunity to become a travel agent appeared, and I said “Yes!”. This is a welcome and wonderful pivot. I believe that the meticulous detailing necessary to be a successful event planner, decorator, and Vrbo claims specialist gives me the perfect foundation for providing excellent service as your travel agent.
My pledge is to provide you, your friends, and your family with well-planned travel arrangements with an eye for details.
How I got started
During the pandemic, a close friend posted a message on Facebook encouraging people to share their ideas for a day spent with her once the world reopened. My friend is an exceptional actress, and has a penchant for costuming and clothing.
I loved this prompt and quickly wrote a day in Paris. Our trip included tours of Edith Piaf's home, now a museum, as well as the Centre National du Costume de Scene (CNCS), a French museum dedicated to stage costumes, fabulous food, and incredible shopping. The whole day was a love letter to my friend
- her favorite food, her passions, and her delights.
In writing this story for her, I awakened a passion of my own. I absolutely love helping women travel in luxurious fullness so that a single event is appreciated and a weekend of impassioned experiences is fulfilling in unimaginable ways.
One of the caveats I included in my initial meetings with any potential client as an event planner is that something unexpected always happens. The reason for hiring a professional is to have the knowledge and expertise to overcome the unexpected so that the event itself is successful. I believe this to be true for travel agents as well.
Arming yourself with the expertise of a travel agent means you have an ally for the unexpected. You will have a resource for information, communication assistance, and, when possible, facilitation of positive resolutions.
My Trusted Advisor
I am Sirène BonBon Voyage, and my friends call me FiFi. Throughout my travels of the world, I have come to experience many wonderful and engaging exploits. Subscribe to our newsletter to hear all about my bold and daring deeds!
For me, travel is always a celebration of something, a moment, filled with precious memories and life-affirming actions. I relish the opportunity to share my husband's and my love story.
This year, we went to Nashville and found out that there is a full-size replica of the Parthenon from Athens, including the statue of Minerva. It is amazing, dramatic, and such a beautiful place! A true gem located near Lake Watauga in Centennial Park. Last year, we took the Alaskan Cruise with 22 members of my husband's family. What an incredible experience! I cannot recommend visiting Alaska strongly enough. That was a perspective changing trip. Jamaica remains one of our favorite destinations due to the beauty of the island, the amazing people and culture, and the delicious food and beverages. Truly one of the most relaxing places we've been.
I love sharing my passion with other travelers to help them get a taste of the hidden gems and amazing side quests available for exploration. Whether that is a tour of Hill Country dance halls in Texas, nighttime dinner cruises on Lake Michigan, or the unexpected full-scale Parthenon in Tennessee, finding these gems and creating an itinerary specific to your passions is my pleasure and purpose!
I wish you BonBon Voyage! Where will the waves take you?