Maybe it’s this way every year, but in the blink of an eye, it’s March. My Type A feels there is much yet to accomplish, and much travel to plan this year. But I’d like to take a moment to pause on one big achievement. Our foundation, Galavante in the World, awarded its first graduate-school scholarship to an exceptional woman from Afghanistan. It took a lot to get us here, but with your support, we have saved and changed lives.

From Afghanistan to the Ukraine

From the start, our philosophy was there’s more to life than 1,000-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets. You can book luxury travel with anyone who has an internet connection. At Galavante, we create travel that can change you.

Beyond luxury travel, the heart of who we are at Galavante is our goal to make a difference in this world. In 2019, I guest-lectured at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul. There, I had the honor to become a mentor to some extraordinary women. This experience changed my life, and crystalized what I wanted to see in my future.

In 2021, the world watched in horror as the Taliban seized control of the Afghan government. I remembered my visit to the Presidential Palace, and the miles of armed guards between the security gate and the main house. It was hard to believe that Kabul was taken without one shot fired, with none of those guards in sight.

We see a completely different situation with President Zelensky of Ukraine. It’s nothing short of baller that when offered evacuation by the U.S. government, he said he didn’t need a ride, but ammunition. I knew it from my trip to Ukraine in 2018; Ukrainians are fearless and determined. I’m praying for the safety of all Ukrainians, and hope that this awful situation will be over soon.

From One War Zone, to Another

The events of Afghanistan and Ukraine are intimately tied together for us at the Galavante in the World (GITW) Foundation. Since August 2021, GITW has supported an AUAF alumna who self-evacuated onto a flight in Kabul that landed in the Ukraine. We will share her story when she is safely in the United States. But if you ever wondered if you could love someone you’ve never met before, I can say from first-hand experience, the answer is yes. This extraordinary woman has inspired me with her grit and continued optimism, having met every single challenge that comes her way.

Our AUAF alumna successfully evacuated into a neighboring country, but this weekend was touch and go. She went from one war zone to another. Our foundation will continue to be with her every step of the way, until she is safely settled here in the United States.

Georgetown Bound

These past six months have not been easy. We’ve been humbled by the challenges to evacuate the AUAF alumna to the U.S. There are so many people we want to help, but going through the visa process has been near impossible. While our situation is nowhere near as horrific as those of our alumnae in Afghanistan, it’s been hard not to make a greater impact. But this past January we had a major win. I’m proud to announce that our foundation has given a $75,000 scholarship to Sara Hakimi, a refugee from Afghanistan. We will have a full feature on Sara this month in the foundation update. But I can already reveal that she’ll earn a Masters in Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University. We need more people in the world like her.

Our GITW board members, Keiko Reid and Tina Naser, joined me in Washington D.C. to welcome Sara. We helped her rent an apartment, open a bank account, figure out the transportation, and settle her into her new home. Sara and I had been speaking for five months, and to meet her in person was like seeing family. We had a lot of fun together in DC. When she settled in at Georgetown, I felt like I’d sent my first-born off to college. We are so proud of Sara, and know that she will do great things.

We couldn’t do our work without you. With every trip travelers book through us — and with every donation to our 501(c)(3), the GITW foundation — we’re doing our best to make this world the beautiful place that we help create for you at Galavante. Thank you with all our hearts.

All my best,

Christine Drinan
Founder & CEO