So, when I got older and became an adult myself, I never forgot that the world is a grand and beautiful place that I want to experience.

As a young interior designer, I would travel to markets, conferences, or tradeshows in different U.S. cities and stay a couple of extra days to explore a new place. And for a long time, that seemed like enough.

Then after my first marriage ended, I spent some time evaluating my life, and I realized that I hadn’t visited any of the places that I had dreamed of as a little girl.

So, I got my passport and decided that traveling was going to be part of my new life.

As a business owner, we carry our work with us 24/7. It’s at home. It’s at the office. It’s in conversations. When you go out to dinner with friends, people want to know what you’re up to, which is great. I love that friends are interested in what I do, but whenever I travel, I go to places where people don’t know me. It’s a way to truly turn it off and leave that whole identity behind and just be a person who soaks in a new culture, gets inspired, and then returns even better as Lisa Gilmore the designer.

Then, one of my designer friends sent a group email asking if any of us would be interested in going to Morocco. She said, “There’s this retreat that I discovered from goop, and I’ve been dying to go. It’s super limited, they only take about nine people at a time, and they just opened one up for the end of the year.” 

Without hesitation, I told her to count me in.

The agenda was very elusive and top secret. But we knew we’d be shopping, seeing their beautiful rugs, and learning about the history and culture of Morocco, so it sounded like the perfect retreat to me.

I was so right.

Highlights of the Trip

Where to Next?

We have a baby coming in the spring, so I don’t honestly know where I will go next. I’m excited to create a lifestyle of travel for my daughter that I didn’t have. I want to be one of those families walking around Paris with their four-year-old eating a croissant or in Venice strolling down the Grand Canal. 

When I was in Morocco, I bought her a beautiful camel sculpture with encrusted tiles on the back of it to remind her that she rode a camel with me. 

I’m inspired to think of different ways to travel with a family. I don’t know where that will be. Right now, everything feels open-handed because I know this next chapter will be something I can’t comprehend. Which is a little challenging for my brain. I’m just in the process of letting it go and letting things come to me– navigating being a business owner and a new mom and wondering how that will look.

But visiting Morocco reminded me why travel will always be a part of my life and my family’s life.

I hope the same is true for you.

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Lisa Gilmore Design is a full-service interior designer based in St. Petersburg, Florida that provides custom design services to busy professionals. We create exclusive spaces through the use of artisan-crafted pieces, antique elements, and custom designs. Lisa Gilmore Design serves homeowners in Clearwater, Tampa Bay, Naples, Srasota and worldwide.