***The below is directly from my April newsletter – a monthly newsletter meant to deliver travel inspiration, promotions, guides & news to you – but is currently geared towards bringing inspiration on how to bring travel to your home. While I know this does not replace what we gain from actually traveling (the cultures we experience, the sights, the smells, the people), I hope these can bring a smile to your face, learn about a new destination, or make a delicious dish from the comfort of your home.

Hello clients, colleagues, social media followers & friends,

Wow, has it been awhile since I sent out one of these! To say that the past 9 months have been a busy whirlwind would be an understatement. From moving across the country to NYC, partnering with Full-Time Travel and affiliating with a new host travel agency, Embark Beyond, and lots of travels in between.  You can see more about my life changes in this blog post!

I was actually on a trip to Mauritius and Turkey with One&Only Hotels and Turkish Airlines in early March when we had to cut our trip short to head back home as the country started to go on lock-down. I spent time quarantined at my home in NYC before heading back to my parents’ in San Diego where I have now been quarantined for the past 4 weeks. Wow, how time flies!

I’ve been spending my time working on a lot of back-end admin for the business (new website refresh coming soon!), many trainings/webinars/Zoom calls, working on client trip postponements and cancellations (thankful most clients decided to postpone!), and a few future client trips (with many hotels offering flexible cancellation policies, clients are taking advantage and getting ahead of booking their late summer/fall/festive & 2021 trips). In the evenings and on weekends, my family and I are enjoying trying new recipes (Caribbean-themed night, anyone?) and binging The Morning Show (the only thing I am personally streaming besides my morning news and HGTV). I am also personally brushing up on my Italian, reading a couple good books, trying new workouts, daily walks, and spending a lot of time enjoying that California sunshine in my backyard.

While this is an unprecedented time filled with a lot of uncertainty and a pause on travel plans, I wanted to bring some positivity to your inbox by bringing a taste of travel to your home. I’ve included a number of recipes, workouts, and wellness tips from our hotel and travel partner friends around the world, to some travel updates, stories, and podcasts/books/movies to dive into. I plan to keep this monthly newsletter going and am hoping next month’s we can start looking into the future towards the resurgence of travel (or so a girl could dream).

I was recently featured in a TravelAge West article about why I love being a Travel Advisor, and even in the midst of this absolutely crazy time – I would not trade in my job for anything. To all of those who are working on the front lines (I personally know quite a few of my clients are) – THANK YOU for all that you are doing.

And lastly, to all my fellow travel-lovers if you are looking for some good laughs… look no further.

Stay safe and well!

Cheers,
Chelsea Martin

TRANSPORT TO YOUR FAVORITE DESTINATIONS

• For those looking to create a vacation experience at home with everything from self-care routines to culinary adventures, Belmond has your back.
• Visit the beautiful country of Greece from home.
• Experience the Met’s nightly opera performances.
• Tour museums’ exhibits from around the world including Musee d’Orsay, Uffizi Gallery, Van Gogh Museum, the MoMA, and more.
• Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live web cam.
• Explore our National Parks online with these stunning visuals + videos.
• Indulge in a taste of Napa with virtual wine tastings + wine shipped straight to your doorstep at a discount.
• Head out on safari with Singita’s Instagram Live safari experiences!
• Take a walk through the brand new Aman Kyoto’s Secret Garden.

BRINGING THE WORLD TO A KITCHEN NEAR YOU

Dishes

Cocktails

WORLDLY WELLNESS & WORKOUTS

Wellness

Workouts

TRAVEL UPDATES & STORIES

• We did a traveler mindset study at Full-Time Travel, and here’s our findings on how the virus is changing our vacation plans and priorities.
• Check out which airlines are extending their elite status through 2021 here.
• Esme, our editor at Full-Time Travel, interviewed Luca Fiorentino of Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy about his “luxury quarantine” & how they spending this time.
• Love this article about how travel companies are giving back during this time.
• The new rules TSA has implemented for airport screenings (hint: social distancing, cont.)

TRAVEL-FOCUSED PODCASTS, BOOKS & MOVIES I AM LOVING

Podcasts

The Trip That Changed Me (our podcast from Full-Time Travel!)
The Tim Ferriss Show: Entrepreneur & Hotelier Liz Lambert
Bon Appétit Foodcast
Women Who Travel: Elizabeth Gilbert on Travel After “Eat, Pray, Love”
Talking Points by The Points Guy

Books

Become an artist at home with my host travel agency’s travel-inspired coloring book
Check out Virtuoso Travel staff’s picks here
One&Only Palmilla’s Sea of Cortez coloring book
The Woman in Cabin 10 – a psychological thriller involving a travel journalist on a luxury cruise gone wrong, but one of my favorites nonetheless!

Movies & Shows

Eat Pray Love – always a favorite to fuel wanderlust
House Hunters International – this sounds like a peculiar choice, but great way to see other destinations!
Midnight In Paris – one of my favorite cities & favorite eras!
Notting Hill – I watch this movie probably every other month to get my London fix
Out of Africa – will make you want to book a safari trip ASAP
Under the Tuscan Sun – dreamy Italian scenes & dream

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Safe travels y’all!

Chelsea Rose Martin