Up Front & Personal.
When ‘Dear Abby’ Meets ‘Dear Jeff’.
We’re all familiar with the phrase, “Dear Abby,” synonymous with a persona offering sound advice to those seeking guidance. But do you know the true history? It started in 1956, when a 37-year-old woman named Pauline Esther Phillips told the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle that she could write a better advice column than he could.
With no work experience, she was handed a stack of letters from the editor, and immediately started guiding readers on principles she had learned from the Bible and U.S President Martin Van Buren. Writing under the pen name, Abigail Van Buren, “Dear Abby” was born, eventually becoming the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world, appearing in 1,400 newspapers with 110 million readers.
We all love a good story, especially one birthed from humble beginnings. While I’m no “Dear Abby,” I started my travel career at the age of 11, curating adventure trips for my Boy Scout troop. Fast forward to the here and now, and I’m still curating trips for clients-turned-friends. Often, I’m asked questions that start with, “Dear Jeff,” and end with my responses of the “what-when-where-why-and how”. Of all the questions I’m asked, the most common is:
“Dear Jeff, of all the places you’ve been in the world, what is your favorite?”
And so, I thought it best to finally answer that question once and for all.
Are you ready?
My answer: Honestly, it really depends on who is with me. If I had to reflect on all the places I’ve visited, it’s the people who helped make each destination memorable . . . and here’s why:
The Amalfi Coast: On this stretch of coastline along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula, I’ll never forget the dinner with 10 of our closest friends. There we were dining cliffside, clinking glasses at sunset, overlooking the rugged shoreline dotted with pristine coves and pastel-colored fishing villages.
Kruger National Park: As if checking the “Big Five” off my bucket list wasn’t enough, the setting at our Singita lodge made this one of the best trips of my life. As our guide pointed out a pride of lions in the distance, our safari adventure took us along a dusty trail to the boma in the middle of nowhere. At this open-air gathering place, we were greeted by hundreds of lanterns dangling from the trees that illuminated our 6-course dinner pairing — complete with white linens and fine crystal — in the barrenness of Kruger National Park. While this truly was a breathtaking moment, it was the connection with international guests and dear friends around the table that made the greatest impact.
Tuscany and Champagne (while drinking Champagne!): Put a glass in my hand and friends by my side, and I’m a happy man. Such was the case while wine tasting in Tuscany with eight friends, and sipping Champagne in France with my wife, Rory, and her father. Between the cities of Reims and Épernay, the Champagne region is roughly 75 miles from Paris, but zero miles from my heart. I hold it dear because those moments helped shape me into the person I am today; a man who is passionate about people and places around the world.
That, I believe, is the mark of a great travel experience.
The most interesting thing about those trips is that I can’t recall how much I spent or what they cost. Years will pass and money will come and go, but in the end, all we have are our memories. That, my friend, is why I do what I do — to create that same fulfillment and everlasting joy for others.