Before every trip, someone eventually asks: "So… what does a typical day actually look like?"
I love answering this question.
"How busy are our days?" "How much free time do we have?" Always top of the question list.
The short answer? Enough. Not too much. Not too little. Just enough.
One of the reasons I started Abroad on Purpose is because I realized most trips tend to fall into one of two categories: either every second is scheduled, or nothing is planned and you're standing on a street corner trying to decide where to go for lunch with six different opinions involved. Neither is particularly relaxing.
So we built something in the middle.
Think of it as your vacation with a very thoughtful framework. Every day begins the same way — slowly.
Some mornings, I'll offer an optional sightseeing walk. No pressure. No attendance sheet. No guilt if you'd rather stay in bed.
Then we gather in the lobby, one by one. Talk about the day. Laugh about something that happened the night before. And then we head off to our anchor event — the centerpiece of the day. The thing we've planned. Maybe we're creating our own custom perfume. Maybe we're exploring a famous Paris neighborhood. Maybe we're headed to a beautiful lunch. Maybe we're doing something most tourists never find. That's my job.
Then comes one of my favorite features of the entire trip: the afternoon is yours.
Completely yours. Want to shop? Perfect. Want to sit at a café for two hours and watch the world go by? Excellent choice. Want to wander aimlessly through Paris? Highly encouraged. Want a nap? You are among friends.
Later, we regroup. Everyone arrives with stories. "You found what? You went where? You bought how many French pharmacy products?" The answers are always entertaining. The loot is even better. 👀
Then we head to dinner. Long conversations. Great food. The kind of laughter that turns heads at nearby tables.
And after dinner? An evening experience. Maybe a breathtaking river cruise. Maybe a rowdy cabaret. Maybe the perfect spot to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle. What's guaranteed is it's going to be a beautiful Paris evening spent doing something memorable, together. ❤️
Connection and freedom. Togetherness and space. Support and independence. The best vacations don't fill every minute. They fill every memory. ✨
