Vacationers of the Week: Aimee Bucher and Montse Serrano
Our Vacationers of the Week are Aimee Bucher and Monserrat (Montse) Serrano who’ve been a couple for almost a year, but they say they feel like they’ve known each other forever. Travel has been a huge part of their lives, so much so, that they founded Lesmon Experience, a fairly new travel company devoted to tailoring fun safe trips and tours specifically for LGBTQ+ women.
Just for some background info, Montse was born and raised in Sabadell, just outside of Barcelona in Catalonia. She currently lives in Costa Rica. Meanwhile, Aimee was born and raised in Lima, Ohio in the U.S., where she still lives and takes care of her children. But it’s their connection to travel that intrigued us at Vacationer.
In this Q&A, Aimee and Montse explain why creating travel experiences for queer women is a necessity, what exciting trips and tours are planned for this year and 2023, and on a lighter side of travel, the couple shares an interesting glimpse into their eclectic music playlist when traveling.
Vacationer Magazine: At what age did you receive your first passport? What was your first trip?
Montse Serrano: I got my first passport in 1989 and my first trip was to Denmark.
Aimee Bucher: I got my first passport in 2011 and my first trip was to Paris.
What trip or travel experience sparked your passion for travel?
Aimee: I learned my name was French when I was very young and became fascinated with everything French, especially the city of Paris. I was determined to go someday and when I finally made it, Paris did not disappoint! It was an amazing experience.
Montse: When I was 8 or 9, nuns from Senegal came to my school and talked to students about helping people in other parts of the world. At that age, I was determined that I would eventually go overseas to help people. I first went to El Salvador when I was 26 and I’ve been traveling ever since.
What inspires you to travel?
We both love to meet new people, hear their stories, and learn about their customs! As humans, we have so much in common even when our cultures are very different. And of course, we love trying new foods!
What sparked your decision to start your own travel business? Why do you think it was important to cater to LGBTQ+ women?
Aimee: Montse had always liked to travel and in 2020 she wanted to make a radical change in her life. There was no agency for LGBTQ women in Catalonia and that made her uncomfortable. So, why not have our own agency? Montse was intrigued by this idea and asked a friend to help start Lesmon Experience.
People with a feminine orientation tend to have different interests and styles than people with a more masculine orientation, so why not offer trips around those details, commonalities, feminine warmth, friendship, and even, why not, tenderness? On each trip, we choose hotels that will make the community feel welcome. Places where we don’t have to endure looks of judgment. Most lesbians are familiar with checking into a hotel to find two separate beds because, of course, two women are traveling so they must certainly want to sleep in separate beds. Little things are actually big things, and they make the difference in what your ideal trip should be; that’s all we’re looking for. We want the community to feel welcome, safe, comfortable, and above all, happy wherever we go!
What Lesmon Experience trips are the most popular for LGBTQ+ clients who book trips with you? Are there specific activities that make them unique experiences?
One of the objectives Montse had clear from the beginning was to seek exclusive and unique experiences; like having a cocktail with a well-known LGBTQ author and exchanging opinions or visiting the studio of a famous sculptor and learning about his work in situ, or now on our next trip to Barcelona where we will have a master class with a renowned chef who has six Michelin stars between his restaurants.
Lesmon is unique in that we personally lead every trip together. We plan all of the details of the trips, we work with our local connections in each country, and we are there every step of the way with our travelers. We want our travelers to have an amazing, unforgettable experience so we personally take care of every detail before, during, and after each trip.
Is Lesmon Experience planning new places to visit in 2023? If so, what are they?
We’ll be on a 100-foot wooden luxury yacht in February, stopping at special destinations along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
We have an amazing trip to Barcelona planned around Sant Jordi Day in April. We’ll learn the secrets of Cava from a renowned winemaker, eat in Michelin-starred restaurants, dance in an exclusive lesbian nightclub, and so much more.
In June, we’ll be in Peru visiting Machu Picchu, the Rainbow Mountains, and enjoying meals with locals.
In October, we are partnering with one of Aimee’s other companies, Harrison Latham, for a leadership retreat for queer women. It will be a combination of activities focused on self-care, personal development, and leadership in the workplace.
In December, we will be taking our official honeymoon. Alone. In the Maldives. 😉
For 2024 and 2025, we are planning trips to Paris, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands, Ibiza-Formentera, and two more surprise locations.
Please tell us how you identify yourself on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Tell us if how you identify influences the way you travel. If so, how?
Montse: The truth is that I feel that I am much more than how I identify myself, I am a citizen of the world, and wherever I am not seen as such and I am not respected as a human being, goodbye and good luck to you! When traveling, I try to go to progressive and tolerant places, that is the only aspect that can influence my way of traveling. I don’t want to feel watched like a monkey in the zoo.
Aimee: I’m a lesbian. I’ve only been publicly out of the closet for less than a year, so it hasn’t really influenced my travel yet.
Is there a travel destination that most queer travelers would think isn’t safe to visit, but you’ve visited and enjoyed it? If so, where?
Montse: Well, the truth is, not my case, I have always felt safe in every country I have visited. I always research before traveling, history, politics, and religion.
Aimee: I’m sure everyone already knows that Costa Rica is super queer-friendly, but I really love walking hand in hand with Montse on the beach of Manuel Antonio (on the Pacific coast in CR). Not a single sideways glance at us. No raised eyebrows. We were just a normal couple, strolling along the ocean’s edge. It’s very freeing and wonderful.
What are your top three favorite places to visit?
Aimee: Costa Rica is my very favorite place. I also love Paris and can’t wait to go back. And I have a special fondness for Chicago. It’s only four hours from me and I just love the friendly, liberal energy of the city.
Montse: Formentera, Costa Rica (of course), and Lima, Ohio because that is where the love of my life lives.
What three places are still on your bucket list to visit?
Montse: Only three? LOL. Australia, Hawaii, & the Maldives.
Aimee: I am eager to visit Tokyo, anywhere that I can see the Aurora Borealis in person, and Cape Town, South Africa.
What’s one thing you never forget to pack in your suitcase?
Aimee: I never forget my sunscreen. I learned this the hard way after a surfing lesson in Hawaii left me lobster-red for the remainder of an otherwise wonderful trip in 2014.
Montse: My passport of course! LOL. But also, a good mosquito repellent. My legs turned into fresh meat during a trip to El Salvador and I looked like I had chicken pox.
You’re going on a road trip. What singer or band is always on your playlist?
Montse: Tell me where we are traveling and with whom, and I’ll tell you what music I like on the road! LOL. Difficult choice for a music lover, I would choose from LP, Tracy Chapman, Dido, Monica Naranjo, Adele, Queen, Van Morrison, and the Pretenders.
Aimee: I am a classically trained pianist, but I love Motown, soul, and every type of jazz. I am obsessed with the swing band, The Jive Aces. In the car, I like to have songs that I know the lyrics to and can sing along to at the top of my lungs.
