My very first visit to Europe started in Paris in 2023, and let me tell you, it did not  go according to plan. We landed at Charles de Gaulle exhausted after a long flight with no air conditioning. We hadn’t eaten properly on the plane and were dreaming of fresh French pastries and a relaxed evening in the city. Instead, we arrived in central Paris only to find most shops and bakeries already closed for the evening. We couldn’t get a table anywhere decent, and hunger quickly

In June 2025, my in-laws treated my husband and I to Gate1’s 13-day small-group trip to Ecuador, the Galápagos, the Andes, and the Amazon. From the moment we landed, this journey felt like a profound reconnection with the natural world, one that went far beyond sightseeing. It was an immersive, life-changing experience that wove together raw wilderness, ancient cultures, and serene landscapes in a way that left us all transformed. Our group was the perfect size, intimate enou