Great trips to California start here.

California based travel designer for the design minded + culturally curious. With professional experience in the luxury travel industry, I specialize in designing custom travel experiences that get to the heart of a place and its local culture through the lens of design and food. I’m here to help you travel in good taste with the perfect balance of high luxury and local flavor. My destinations of expertise include Italy, France, Mexico and the US, but I'm always expanding my destination knowledge and love taking on requests in other places. Shop my curated travel guides or check out my custom travel design services to elevate your experience and minimize the stress of travel planning. Let’s get designing!

Welcome to my travel shop. 👋🏻 I'm Lena, originally from Germany but have called California, Mallorca (Spain), and Chile temporary homes over the years. When I don't travel, I like to spend my time with landscape photography, digital product design, baking, and drinking overpriced coffee. My goal here on Thatch is to offer you more than travel guidance. I'm dedicated to bringing value to your future trips by sharing my carefully curated itineraries, expert tips, and, most importantly, the priceless locals' perspective. Why should you work with me? Because I've lived it. I've walked the cobblestone streets of Valldemossa, Spain, set out to find the best cardamom bun in Copenhagen, and hiked the W-Trek in Torres del Paine, Patagonia. Because I've made mistakes, taken detours, and found hidden gems. I've learned from every step of my journey, and I'm here to share those lessons with you. Love, Lena P.S. Connect with me on Instagram or check out my blog @thegoodlandbeyond, where I share even more travel tales and tips! ✨ Testimonials ✨ "I admire how carefully my wishes were taken into account when the guide was created. I'm looking forward to the trip and can confidently say that my expectations have already been exceeded. " - Anastasiia "Lena's guide is organized, easy to navigate, and informative. We never questioned where our next place to stay was or where to grab a bite to eat. The guide was well thought out and took the pressure off the logistics, so we could focus on having a good time. I highly encourage others to use her guide if you plan on taking a trip to Europe." - Sue "The Portugal/ Spain trip could not have been planned any more perfectly for two old guys like Stuart and I who have no travel experience at all. Every place you picked for us was magnificent. I am sure no one else would have put such love, care and attention to detail for such a trip." - Arthur

California-based traveler focused on short attention span travel. My guides provide info on how to make the most of a short trip and find the best eats (usually healthy/veg!) in town. I've spent the last 22 years traveling, living, and working overseas and love experiencing the very best a place has to offer even if I don't have a lot of time. My guides focus on 2-4 day trips in a place. I tend to get out into nature🌲, check out great restaurants 🍽️, and find great coffee ☕️. 📍Currently: San Jose, CA 🇵🇹 Soon: Albufeira, Portugal 🌎 visited 80+ countries 🏃🏼‍♀️ fast break expert 🏔 mountaineer & paragliding enthusiast 🌱 plant forward + foodie ☕️ coffee lover ✈️ married to an airline pilot, so I live that #nonrev life ____________________________ Shop my guides to suss the best things to do with not a lot of time. There's a sample guide or two available for FREE! so check it out. New!: Cartagena and Medellin Colombia Coming soon!: Algarve, Portugal, Global Pizza Quest, San Jose Burrito Throwdown