Chiarina – Your Travel Advisor
Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, Chiarina met and married Luca in the rolling Tuscan hills of Italy. She cherishes the four years she lived there, growing their little family. It was a time of extraordinary personal growth with the opportunity to fully immerse herself in the culture and everyday life in Florence’s stunning countryside. Every August, she, Luca and their children availed of their month-long vacations to spend quality time at the foot of the Italian Alps, play at the sea and explore neighboring countries. Even their children grew to appreciate every opportunity to travel the globe and meet friends new and old.
Upon their relocation to the United States, Chiarina continued her career in academic nursing leadership where her job brought her back to Europe each summer for nearly a decade. She accompanied and taught nursing students in an honors program abroad at Hertford College, Oxford University in the UK. Now her role at the university and in the community often takes her to many parts of the state and country, much to her delight. The significance of her responsibilities and drive for performance excellence through the years, however, nurtured in her a false perception - that leadership and wellness did not co-exist harmoniously.
But the watershed moment was when Chiarina celebrated a milestone birthday at the picturesque Cinque Terre. She made the intentional decision to disconnect from work for the days she was on vacation to truly rest and savor fleeting moments only captured by being fully present. The experience was eye-opening. It was exhilarating! Nothing fell apart while she was away. Of course nothing would. Instead, her colleagues graciously supported her and those she delegated tasks to performed beautifully. In fact, they felt trusted and empowered. And Chiarina returned to work more energized and inspired. This extraordinary experience seeded a vision.
A year later, she launched a concierge travel agency with the likes of high performing leaders and executives in mind. These are individuals, like Chiarina, who accumulate vacation days year after year, putting off time to rest and rejuvenate. Her goal is to upend this trend by making much needed vacation getaways a priority equal to work. She envisions this as the intersection of true leadership and wellness resulting in increased productivity. For even if travelers need to check work email periodically, she fervently believes they can still focus on wellness and feel revitalized while enjoying the endless delights the world has to offer. The first step is to set the intention. Travel Loving Care will do the rest!
But the watershed moment was when Chiarina celebrated a milestone birthday at the picturesque Cinque Terre. She made the intentional decision to disconnect from work for the days she was on vacation to truly rest and savor fleeting moments only captured by being fully present. The experience was eye-opening. It was exhilarating! Nothing fell apart while she was away. Of course nothing would. Instead, her colleagues graciously supported her and those she delegated tasks to performed beautifully. In fact, they felt trusted and empowered. And Chiarina returned to work more energized and inspired. This extraordinary experience seeded a vision.
A year later, she launched a concierge travel agency with the likes of high performing leaders and executives in mind. These are individuals, like Chiarina, who accumulate vacation days year after year, putting off time to rest and rejuvenate. Her goal is to upend this trend by making much needed vacation getaways a priority equal to work. She envisions this as the intersection of true leadership and wellness resulting in increased productivity. For even if travelers need to check work email periodically, she fervently believes they can still focus on wellness and feel revitalized while enjoying the endless delights the world has to offer. The first step is to set the intention. Travel Loving Care will do the rest!
Chiarina assists primary and secondary wellness travelers choose from the irresistible offerings and benefits of vacation options such as exquisite river cruises, luxury ocean cruises, white glove private and semi-private tours and exclusive wellness resorts.
Luca – Your Travel Designer for Italy/Europe
Luca is the “wizard behind the curtain” and the soul of this family business. He is the charming blend of computer science expert and Italian culture aficionado. Born and raised in Tuscany, he often romanticizes “La Bella Italia” showcasing his love for his country of origin. Yet he also has an affinity for the Philippines, where Chiarina was born and longs to return to its magnificent resorts. He has lived in the United States for years but returns to Italy two to three times annually. It typically takes just seconds for people to recognize Luca’s Italian accent before they launch into a myriad of “I remember when” Italy stories. More recently, however, the reaction he receives is, “We’re going to Italy this summer. Can you suggest the best way to get to Positano?”
The Internet has broadened horizons and provided visibility to elusive vacation spots once enjoyed only by locals. Simultaneously, it has created more information confusion as not all options are optimal for every type of traveler. In addition, travel these days is far more complicated than what it once was. Many adventurers cultivate big dreams that pre-packaged offerings just do not satisfy. Or they become bewildered with information overload and many questions on how to create the best itinerary for the time they have. That is the predicament many find themselves in. They also desire to be free of the stress of developing the itinerary and would love nothing more than to hand over the overwhelming task to someone far more familiar with the destination. In comes Luca.
Always happy to help, Luca provides value with his expert tips and insider knowledge–all the things not captured on Google or social media. His instincts are uncanny. He harnesses his natural pragmatic and analytic skills to not only run the operations but also curate custom designed exclusive Italian getaways and high end multi-destination European vacation offerings. This type of vacation design service is highly attractive to the discerning traveler yearning to enjoy the allure of Europe not immediately available to the masses.
The Internet has broadened horizons and provided visibility to elusive vacation spots once enjoyed only by locals. Simultaneously, it has created more information confusion as not all options are optimal for every type of traveler. In addition, travel these days is far more complicated than what it once was. Many adventurers cultivate big dreams that pre-packaged offerings just do not satisfy. Or they become bewildered with information overload and many questions on how to create the best itinerary for the time they have. That is the predicament many find themselves in. They also desire to be free of the stress of developing the itinerary and would love nothing more than to hand over the overwhelming task to someone far more familiar with the destination. In comes Luca.
Always happy to help, Luca provides value with his expert tips and insider knowledge–all the things not captured on Google or social media. His instincts are uncanny. He harnesses his natural pragmatic and analytic skills to not only run the operations but also curate custom designed exclusive Italian getaways and high end multi-destination European vacation offerings. This type of vacation design service is highly attractive to the discerning traveler yearning to enjoy the allure of Europe not immediately available to the masses.
We have visited more than 30 countries around the world
Travel has made us who we are. And not only for the magnificent sites we have seen, but for the people we have met around the globe. Our lives have been profoundly and marvelously impacted by these experiences of fraternity and universal brotherhood and sisterhood.
Travel. It’s what we love.
