I'll let you in on a little secret: I love traveling, but I'm a pretty terrible tourist.

Standing in front of "must-see" attractions, I often feel that familiar daze setting in. The guilt follows quickly—what's wrong with me? Why don't I find this ancient castle as fascinating as everyone else seems to? Why does this famous restaurant feel so sterile? And honestly, if I have to navigate one more sea of selfie sticks, I might lose it entirely.

I know it might sound snobby, but I simply don't love doing what everyone else is doing. Crowds and lines drain my energy, and my general philosophy is: if everyone else is there, I probably don't need to be.

So how do you travel meaningfully in a world obsessed with "top attractions" lists? Can you really visit Paris and skip seeing the Mona Lisa?

Here's the thing—creative travel isn't for everyone. Some people genuinely love those iconic sites, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. They have plenty of travel resources available to them.

The creative travel approach I offer is for people who want something different.

Hi, I'm Monica.

I planned my first trip at age 17—six weeks in Europe with my best friends, armed with a handmade guidebook of ripped pages, printed timetables, and hand-written itineraries. This was before smartphones, Google Maps, or reliable internet. I loved the adventure, but I discovered I loved the planning just as much.

After many adventures around the world and 20 years of working in advertising and producing international television commercials, I’ve realized that I'd rather create joy than 30-second ads. Travel is what I know best.

You can't plan for every magical moment, but you can create the circumstances where magic is more likely to happen. Let me help you design those circumstances—trips that are both profoundly joyful and genuinely inspiring.