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OUT OF OFFICE CURATED
Let's explore the world
one museum, and one plate at a time
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By Kristen Fung
Advanced Travel Advisor
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Comment ça vaReader?
I made a mistake. It wasn’t the epic Amtrak trip I was supposed to take next. It was a curated list of things to do, see, and eat in New Orleans for a conference weekend I created for one of my favorite clients.
How could I have forgotten New Orleans? A city as joyful and musical as the jewel of the south, I can’t believe I skipped it in my memory. (More on that later)
Kristen Fung Travels
I am not sure if any of you follow me via Instagram, but you may have noticed a flurry of recent activity. I’ve spent some time this quarter looking at my core values and why I plan the travel I do. I want to share my why.
My Story
I left my job at a world-famous museum over three years ago and took everything I’ve learned about moving people across continents with me.
My story came from a combination of experience and from talking with my repeat clients. In this new page on my website, learn my story, my values, and how I can help you plan intentional travel.
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To see everything I planned last year, check out these reels on my Instagram. (All of these are coming to this newsletter.)
What I planned for clients Part I, What I planned for clients Part II
If you like how I plan travel and think other people would too, I want to borrow a line from my new favorite podcast, The History of Rock and Roll in 500 Songs.
Word of Mouth is the best way to get information out about any creative work. If you like this newsletter, by all means, tell somebody about it. (This newsletter is free and can be forwarded and replied to like any other email.)
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My first trip—so far—to New Orleans was in 2023. We had chosen it for an anniversary getaway. I loved the city for all the reasons I am nerdy about — art, incredible food, and small-business shopping. I soaked up as much as I could during our week there. I drew on all that knowledge to create a curated list for a client last year.
- What my client wanted: She was meeting a friend in New Orleans who had a room paid for by her company, so they made a girls' weekend out of it. She wanted a curated list of things to do with her foodie friend, as well as personalized recommendations for what to do while the friend was attending a conference.
- Themes & vibes: Literary New Orleans—bookstores with events and coffee shops, no tourist or Instagram traps, and foodie favs that don’t cost an arm or a leg.
- Timeframe: I had about a month and a half to plan the trip
- What I booked for them: Nothing. She bought her flight on points, and since her friend’s company was paying for the hotel, I didn’t need to book anything. My curated list is self-guided, with a 🎟️ emoji to indicate which activities require advance ticket purchase to book on her own.
- How much it cost for my clients to work with me: $79.50 (I’ve since raised this price to $106.)
- How much did the trip cost? No idea. Since my work was recommending what they should do on a day-to-day basis, I let them pick and choose from my recommendations and plan the itinerary from there.
- Client favorites: Vintage and small-business shopping on Magazine Street, Sazerac tour, and stumbling upon this artist BHarris Art.
A big myth with working with a travel advisor is that we need to plan every moment for you to work with us. As you see above, we are excellent itinerary planners, too. You can work with us on hotel-only, itinerary-only, or any combination of ways.
New Orleans Jazz Fest is coming up. Let me know if you need help planning.
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“Kristen’s Curated New Orleans guide made my gal pals trip even more successful. We were able to balance our time with independent outings and group activities guided by Kristen’s personalized recommendations, which took into consideration my travel style and preferences. The format of the curated list was perfect for an extended weekend trip, and the digital map, which she had prepopulated with all the recommended spots together, was incredibly useful. It felt like Kristen understood the experience I was hoping to have and made it happen through her research. Now I want a curated list for all my future trips!”
-Lauren G.
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The New Orleans Guide
New Orleans is a city where history and modernity blend seamlessly. The city's unique culture fuses French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences, evident in its spicy jambalaya, powdered beignets, and distinctive architecture with ornate ironwork balconies. The New Orleans Guide is for art lovers, food lovers, and vintage shoppers.
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Looking for my travel deals? There are a lot of sales going on now. If you want to know. Reply to this email with: Your location, A rough idea of dates, and How Many People are joining you.
My office hours start tomorrow. Get on my schedule now. Reply to this email to contact me or write Kristen.Fung@fora.travel
Thank you for reading!
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Kristen Fung
Advanced Travel Advisor/Chief Everything Officer
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Last issue: Palm Springs
Coming up next: Amtrak and Portland
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