Jeannie's Journal: Accepting Criticism

Hello Dear NextTriber:

I am usually talking about the joys of traveling, of jetting off to some new destination—opening your eyes and heart to different cultures and experiences.

But I have to say that there is beauty in staying home too. I’m not getting on a plane again till Aug. 28th so I’m relishing time to actually fall into a routine, to have a string of quiet days with Mike, to get to know some neighbors, to exercise consistently and to enjoy the mountains around Asheville.

Of course not all days will be quiet—Mike’s daughter and boyfriend are visiting next week; I’m off to a 70th birthday party for my sister and her husband, and then to the beach for my friend Ellesor’s 65th. I’m also planning 2026 trips to Oaxaca, Guatemala, Turkey, and beyond. But the general sense as I look ahead to the whole of August is a deep sigh.

We Ask For It

This past week, I wrote a story about my favorite part of our NextTribe trips—the Farewell Dinner. Unfortunately, many of you didn’t get to read it because our website decided at just that moment to go on the fritz. You can give it another go here.

At these dinners, I get to hear from everyone about the highlights of the trip. But we also know that travelers may have ideas to make our trips better. That’s why we always send out a survey after a trip. Travelers can answer anonymously if they choose to.

We almost always get 5-star ratings—which is gratifying—but not every time. There are two questions on the survey I pay particular attention to: What could we have done better? What was your least favorite part of the trip?

Sometimes it’s hard to hear about our oversights, missteps and good intentions that went wrong. But I’ve had to steel myself because there’s no other way to make our travel experiences better for our guests than honest feedback from travelers who’ve already done the trip with us.

Often, if I’ve been the leader on the trip, I already know what people will find fault with—such as what I refer to as “The Seaweed Incident” on one of our trips. Hey, things happen! But almost as often, I’m surprised. And after processing the criticism, my team and I go into action to make sure we address any issues on the next trip.

Our hope is that every trip just gets better and better because they’re vetted by women just like you. So all who have traveled with us: thank you for your feedback, your constructive criticism, as well as your praise!

My Packing Nightmares

I’ve positioned myself as a packing expert with articles and videos, and after all the traveling I’ve done, you’d think I know a thing or two. But here’s a secret: I have two kinds of stress nightmares. In one version, I try dialing a number over and over but can’t get through to the person I’m trying to reach.

The other version—one I had last night for some reason—is that I can’t get all my clothes and gear into one bag. I keep putting things in the suitcase, but then I keep finding more items that need to go in. Or that I’m in a hotel room and I keep finding huge duffel bags in the closet that I don’t remember bringing along.

I woke up this morning and tried to analyze the dream—particularly because as I mentioned above, I don’t have a big adventure planned until the end of the month. I think I may be stressing more than I realized about my next trip—I’ll be packing for chilly Iceland and balmy Portugal in one carry-on. Stay tuned because I will be writing a story about this challenge and possibly making a video. That is, if I succeed!!

Also, I’ve started making shoppable packing lists for all of our trips to help our travelers find exactly what they need. What should I pack? is the most common question we get before departure. I’m working through a whole slew of packing lists and I think it has my head spinning.

I’m hoping these lists will be helpful even if you’re traveling somewhere on your own!

So here’s to a great August—whether you’re staying put like I am, or out and about in the world (with a bag that I hope has everything you need and not a T-shirt more).

Cheers—

Jeannie Ralston
Founder and CEO

Remember: At every Trip Preview we draw a winner at random to win a discount on the trip.

• August 4: Venice Unmasked 6:30 PM ET RSVP here.

• August 11: Trekking in the Himalayas: 8 PM ET RSVP here.

• August 18: A Taste of Wonder: Creativity and Awe in Hydra Greece: 6:30 PM ET RSVP here.

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