I’m Not a Travel Agent—Here’s What I Actually Do. You Might Be Surprised!

 

“Wait… how much does a travel coach cost?”

"What exactly do you do?"

These are some of the first questions I get asked, and it’s totally fair. When you’re planning your next family vacation, the last thing you want is to tack on extra stress… or extra expenses.

But here’s the thing: working with a Family Travel Coach isn’t about spending more, it’s about planning smarter. It’s about having support, saving time, and creating a vacation that works for your family (not someone else’s version of it).

At Seldom A Dull Moment, my coaching services are flexible, approachable, and designed to work with your timeline, your style, and your budget. I use a simple yet powerful framework called Dream, Design, Depart to guide you from overwhelmed to ready-for-takeoff.

And here's one of my tried and true secrets... Starting early. Really early. Ideally, a full 12 months in advance.

Let’s walk through what travel coaching looks like, and why it might be the missing piece in your vacation puzzle.

💬 Start with a Free 30-Minute Discovery Call

This is your no-pressure starting point. We'll talk about your travel hopes (and your planning headaches), and I’ll share how travel coaching works. It’s casual, personal, and completely free.

Ready to chat? Book your free call here!

I’ll never forget a recent conversation with a new client.
We were sitting down for one of our first sessions, she shared her travel dreams, and I was offering suggestions, asking clarifying questions, and helping her explore options she hadn’t thought about yet.

Then she paused and said with a smile,
“It’s like you’re my coach! You’re helping me figure all of this out so that I can do it by myself.”

Exactly. That’s exactly what a travel coach does.
I’m not here to take over your trip, I’m here to guide you through it, so you can make the best decisions for your family and feel confident doing it on your own.

🧭 What’s the Difference Between a Travel Coach and a Travel Advisor?

It’s a great question, and an important one.

A Travel Advisor or Agent typically books your trip for you. They may recommend hotels, cruises, or packages, often based on partnerships or commissions. If you're looking for a full-service booking experience, that's their specialty.

A Travel Coach, on the other hand (hi, that’s me!), doesn’t sell travel.

Instead, I help you:

• Clarify your travel goals
  

• Get your family or travel group on the same page
  

• Explore what’s possible within your timeframe and budget
  

• Curate ideas, inspiration, and strategies so you can book with confidence
  

You stay in charge. I’m just your guide, copilot, and behind-the-scenes brainstorm partner.

🌟 What Is Dream, Design, Depart?

Planning a trip shouldn’t start with booking, it should start with intention. That’s why I developed Dream, Design, Depart, a simple 3-step process to help you:

• Dream: Get clear on your “why” for this trip, what it means to you, your family, your season of life.
  
  

• Design: Gather input from everyone involved, explore options that actually match your vibe, and shape a plan that feels right.
  
  

• Depart: Put it all into motion with confidence and clarity, no more guesswork or second-guessing.
  
  

This method turns planning into part of the adventure, and helps avoid the common vacation regrets of “we should’ve planned sooner” or “we tried to do too much.”

🗓 Why 12 Months Out is the Sweet Spot

Here’s the truth: the best vacations don’t happen last-minute, they’re designed with intention, often months in advance.

Planning 9–12 months out gives you time to:

• Dream as a family (yes, even with tweens/teens!)
  
  

• Take advantage of early pricing, points, or seasonal deals
  
  

• Reserve in-demand experiences and lodging before they’re sold out
  
  

• Build in payment flexibility or budget over time
  
  

• Actually enjoy the process, instead of racing the clock
  
  

And to make it even easier…

🎁 Everyone who books a travel coaching package gets a FREE copy of my 12-Month Vacation Planning Guide, Design That Dream Vacation—a printable workbook that breaks it all down month by month.

This guide is your step-by-step roadmap to keep your planning on track and your dream trip within reach.

✨ A Coaching Package That Fits You

If we decide to move forward, we will design a personalized travel coaching package just for you. Here’s what’s typically included:

1. A Family Travel Coaching Session

We’ll gather your travel crew and talk through everyone's vacation hopes, wishes and dreams. Whether it’s downtime or adventure, national parks or city lights, we’ll align on what matters most.

2. Resource Gathering (So You Don’t Have To)

While you’re handling everyday life, I’ll dig into:

• Destination ideas that match your energy and style
  
  

• Lodging, activities, and local tips
  
  

• Travel strategies for kids, teens, and mixed-age groups
  
  

• Budget-friendly finds or meaningful splurges
  
  

3. Itinerary Support

Together, we’ll map out your vacation in a way that fits your timeline, your budget, and your travel style. You’ll walk away with a flexible but clear plan that makes the whole experience feel easy and exciting.

🚀 So… Is It Worth It?

If you’ve ever…

• Spent hours online and ended up more confused than when you started
  

• Felt like your last trip didn’t quite match what you envisioned
  

• Wished your kids (or partner!) were more involved in the process
  

• Wanted to slow down, plan intentionally, and actually enjoy the planning part
  

…then YES—travel coaching is worth it.

Because a vacation isn’t just a break—it’s a chance to reconnect, reset, and make memories that last.

Let’s Dream, Design, and Depart—Together.

✨Click Here to schedule your free Discovery Call.
Let’s build the vacation you’ve been dreaming of—without the stress or overwhelm.

📘 And remember: book a coaching package and you’ll receive my 12-Month Vacation Planning Guide completely free.

Because every great trip starts with a plan—and the best plans start now.

Seldom A Dull Moment with the Retired Rahns!!

 If you thought Seldom a Dull Moment was just a clever name, think again.

Now that both of us are officially retired—yes, Don has joined the club—we’re leaning into the name and embracing every opportunity to explore, connect, and celebrate life’s next chapter. No more requesting time off. No more working around school calendars. Just wide-open space to travel when—and where—we want.

Here’s a peek at what’s coming up (and what we’ve already started enjoying!) as The Retired Rahns take “living the dream” to heart:

✅ July 7–8 - Fredericksburg Overnight

A little history, a lot of charm—and even better company! We’re kicking things off with some hometown fun with Carleigh and Elisabeth.

🎢 August 11–15 - Disney World Adventure

Can you ever be too old for Disney? We don’t think so. We’re headed back to the most magical place on Earth to make some memories (and maybe a few matching t-shirts).

🍷 Late August - Salamander Resort, Middleburg

A retirement celebration luxury staycation! Just down the road, but a world away, we’re soaking in the nature vibes, the food, and the “we made it!” energy.

Salamander Resort, Middleburg

🍂 September 27–October 4 - Autumn in Jackson Hole & the Tetons

We’re heading back to one of our favorite places—this time without the stress of mid-academic year planning! With the brilliant colors of the quaking aspens, crisp mountain air, and the call of elk echoing through the valley, fall in Wyoming is nothing short of magical. There's something extra special about returning on our schedule and soaking in the beauty without the rush.

Teton Mountain Lodge

🏞️ Mid October - One-Night Shenandoah Escape

Because sometimes all you need is a change of scenery. We’re sneaking away to Shenandoah for a quick recharge—fresh air, leaf peeping, and mountain views included.

🐘 October 30–November 11 - African Safari: Serengeti & Tanzania

This is the big one. A bucket-list trip years in the making. We can’t wait to witness the Great Migration, meet the people, and be humbled by the beauty of the African wilderness. We can't wait to share our African adventures with everyone!!

🚢 February 4–12 - Disney Destiny Cruise

Coming February 2026, we're setting sail on the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, just the two of us. Because even grown-ups deserve a little pixie dust and ocean breeze.

The Retired Rahns: Coming Soon…

We’ve always loved to travel, but now that we’ve traded lesson plans and lunch duties for full-time adventure, Seldom a Dull Moment is taking on a whole new meaning.

We hope you’ll follow along as we DREAM big, DESIGN unforgettable experiences, and DEPART with hearts full of curiosity and gratitude.

Because retirement isn’t the end of the story—it’s the start of our next great adventure.

Stay tuned for Seldom A Dull Moment with the Retired Rahns!!

Seldom A Dull Moment - A simple phrase with roots and many branches!

Big News from Seldom A Dull Moment: We’re Growing (and So Are Your Vacation Possibilities!)

Having retired almost 2 years ago, and reflecting on all that has happened in those two years. I have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to reflect on. Almost 26 years ago, Seldom A Dull Moment was a funny phrase that Don and I used when we talked about our new life together. Raising two daughters and both of us teaching, brought even more meaning to Seldom A Dull Moment. Then we started traveling as a family and our blog was born. 

Our first blog post (June, 2010): Seldom A Dull Moment - What Does That Mean?

Our family travel blog, Seldom A Dull Moment, was a way to capture our travels and vacations. A way to remember and reflect on all of the fun adventures we had and some not so fun adventures. That blog drew a following as I live blogged from Hawaii, Belize, Wyoming, Alaska and many of our other travels. We still enjoy going back to those posts from 2010 and remember our first BIG trip together, to Hawaii. And I will be live blogging again soon!

Stay tuned for Seldom A Dull Moment goes to Africa!!

Through the years Seldom A Dull Moment became our family mantra, when we were stressed or trying to find the joy in our busy lives, we would say, “Seldom A Dull Moment,” aloud and it would ground us in the reality that this was our life and we were loving every busy minute of it. Those around us knew Seldom A Dull Moment was the Rahn way of living.

When I retired, and was looking for my next chapter, the Travel Coach Network appeared and I couldn’t wait to be a Family Travel Coach. I was ready to start my business and the next family conversation was what would this business be called. Unanimously, we decided that our “family” business would be Seldom A Dull Moment. The business license was applied for, the name was registered with the state of Virginia and the next version of Seldom A Dull Moment became a reality. 

As the days and months moved forward, we realized that Seldom A Dull Moment continues to be the mantra for our lives. 

A simple phrase with roots and many branches!

Today another branch is being revealed! Seldom A Dull Moment, Luxury Travel Coach.

We love traveling, and I love finding the deals, the perks, the discounts and all of the things that go along with our incredible vacations. This partnership with Boutique Travel Advisors that I was offered was a no-brainer! 

• No fees for my “clients”

• Just sign up, and start browsing for vacation locations

• Find a hotel that meets what you are looking for

• Identify the perks that are included, and book that vacation!

You may think that you are not a luxury traveler. I thought that too, until I realized that we had already visited 3 of the hotels that are in the BTA curated collection and I wish I had booked through my Luxury Travel Club and gotten the VIP perks!  

Luxury travel does not have an identity attached to it, luxury travel is spending time with those that you love in a destination that is relaxing, that allows you to recharge with less stress, and offers you opportunities you might not get elsewhere. I want to share that with my friends, families/couples that are looking for that vacation experience!

***Read on to find out more about my partnership with Boutique Travel Advisors and join my Luxury Travel Club to start dreaming about that next great vacation!!