Lynda

Before Becoming an Advisor…

In 2005 I became one of Ciao Bambino’s first travel advisors!  For 2 years I scouted properties and adventures in Italy and France.  It was an incredible stepping stone on a winding path that took me to a career in publishing where I continued my globe hopping as a seller of illustrated lifestyle books.

My time in publishing was wonderful and the continuing journeys unearthed a desire to share my travel knowledge and experiences. It made perfect sense for me to come full circle and be part of the passionate, dynamic team at Ciao Bambino once again!

My Favorite Travel Experiences…

I love to immerse in my adventures. To see the landscape and its peoples with an open heart and an open mind.

A spiritual trek to Kathmandu, Nepal saw the Holi festival and my birthday fall on the same day. My birthday has never been so vibrant as it was immersed in a massive street party where I ended up decorated from head to toe in colorful chalk.

I have been awestruck riding through the streets of Siem Reap before dawn on the back of a motorcycle to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat and completely devastated by the brutality that occurred in the notorious Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge outside of Phnom Penh.

There have been priceless family moments like watching the expression of surprise on my niece’s face as she slurped her first raw oyster while we floated on a barge in Southern France.  Or the simplicity of returning to the same mountain cabin year after year with family to hike, horseback ride, fly fish and reconnect.

In Kalimantan, Borneo I fell head over heels for Gustav, a hairy orange orangutan. Each morning when our boat arrived, he’d run to meet us at the end of the dock with arms extended to be picked up and hugged. In the Chobe Desert I stood mesmerized watching the birth of an baby elephant while the immense matriarchs created a circle to welcome the new arrival into the herd.

I’ve never felt smaller in the scope of the earth than laying atop a bungalow in Botswana staring at an endless sky full of bright stars being lulled to sleep by the distant roars and cackles of lions and hyenas.

Three 80+ year old Nona’s and I made pasta together, sharing a meal in the farmhouse their family has lived in for generations outside of Bologna.  The stories were wonderous and despite the language barrier we understood each other and laughed until the wee hours.

The smells and sounds of the Paris Métro (gross but true) always make me feel at home.  Meandering through streets, shopping in local pharmacies and grocery stores or simply spending a day sans agenda in a café watching the world go by are favorite ways to slow it down, pass the time and feel like a local.

Eventually we all find comfort in the thing that tells us we’re home. For me it’s the sun setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge.

Why I love my job…

I believe that travel is the ultimate gift.  Experiences we share with open eyes outside our comfort zones as well as favorite places we visit time and time again make lifelong memories and strengthen bonds with those we love.

I enjoy learning about what is meaningful to people. By designing bespoke itineraries with immersive encounters, clients receive an education of the world that is impossible to experience any other way.  Connecting with diverse cultures enables us to become global citizens and provides a framework to cultivate understanding, compassion, and kindness.