Dear NextTriber:

I like to think of myself as decisive—for better and worse. An example of worse: I was in such a rush to cross “find a mover” off my to-do list when I moved to Asheville, that I jumped at the first company that made a proposal.

After delays and delays and issues and issues, I finally thought to look at the company’s reviews. There were many, many 1-star ratings. Ugh. Fortunately, I finally did get my stuff, but I was chastened.

I think my so-called decisiveness impulsiveness is a reaction to my many years of over-thinking: When I’d hem and haw about a decision, waiting for a sign as to which way to go.

For all the more cautious decision makers, we have some good news.

Starting this month, we’re giving you a week to change your mind once you book your trip. Put your deposit down and if you regret your decision within the next 7 days, we will refund your deposit. (After 7 days, the deposit will be non-refundable.)

Pushing the “book” button should be less fraught knowing you have a way out. And sometimes just taking that first step is the hardest part of any decision. We hope you don’t change your mind, but we don’t believe in living with regrets either!!

We were truly surprised at how quickly our September 2027 trip to Japan sold out. Breath-takingly fast. If you didn’t make a snap decision, you were out of a spot.

But because we feel for those who need a bit more time to take such a step, we’ve decided to offer another Japan trip from June 8-19, 2027—with the exact same itinerary and trip leader (Eleanor Hille).

We are notifying any of you on the waitlist to let you know, but if you’re reading this and you’ve got a hankering for some good sushi and gorgeous Shinto shrines, here’s your chance right now.

All the details here.

A similar thing happened with our November 2027 trip to New Zealand. All 14 spots were taken before we could blink an eye.

So many of you joined the waitlist, we took that as a message that we need to give more of you an opportunity to book.

We’re opening up another New Zealand trip as well. This one between Thanksgiving and Christmas: Nov. 29-Dec. 12, 2027. Itinerary is the same but taking my place as trip leader on the later trip is the wonderful Joy Mills, who many of you might know from traveling with her on NextTribe trips.

If you couldn’t make up your mind about New Zealand, here’s your sign that you should do it!

All the details here.

Our busy season picks up in September. We don’t do a lot of trips in the summer—mainly because it’s too hot in large swatches of the globe and often too many tourists. If we do summer trips, we go to places that stay relatively cool and uncrowded. Like these destinations we’ve planned for summer 2027.

This month, I’m heading to Portugal to lead my 4th trip there. I absolutely adore this trip, which is why I keep going back. Then I’ll have some time off—during which I’ll visit the Azores (known as the Hawaii of Europe) and then on to Barcelona, Sevilla and Cordoba, to check out all the hotels, activities and such on our much-anticipated first trip to Spain in March.

I’ll be back in early October and have one month to catch my breath (and do some important training) before leaving at the beginning of November for Nepal. Those of us scheduled to trek through the Himalayas have been talking on our WhatsApp channel about the heartache we feel after the recent catastrophic flooding there (far from where we’ll be trekking).

We feel strange about going so soon after such a tragedy, but we’ve come to realize that tourism is going to help the local economy. We can only hope that the Nepali people see us part of the rebirth. I believe we will be a testament to the people—by our actions and attitude—that the world cares and will remember.

We also made a commitment to donate to relief efforts. If you’d like to join in, here is a link to the International Red Cross effort.

Stay safe and travel boldly—

Jeannie Ralston
Founder and CEO

Every year, we are thrilled to bring open-hearted travelers to gorgeous San Miguel de Allende in Mexico (Conde Nast Traveler’s #1 Destination in the World) over the lively and poignant holiday of Dia de los Muertos. With founder Jeannie Ralston’s connections, we do the town right and with the Mexican perspective on death and dying, we all come away with a new way to think about mortality. 

Because so many of us at this age are seeking solace around loved ones who have passed, this trip fills up fast. Our first 2 offerings over Day of the Dead are sold out, so we’ve added another Deluxe Version to make sure everyone who wants to go gets a chance. 

And before you get the idea that this is a solemn trip, please understand that our week reflects this piece of Mexican wisdom: Don’t be afraid of dying. Be afraid of not living.

All the details here.

Click on a square to see our trip listing.

REMEMBER: We offer interest-free monthly payments and NOW a 7-day change-your-mind policy!!