About

Nick Vannello & the Origin of the Dorothy Society

Some people collect souvenirs. I collect stories, strange little cafés, unforgettable dinners, accidental friendships, and cities that change me.

For more than 40 years, I’ve been planning travel experiences for myself, friends, clients, businesses, and curious people looking for something beyond the ordinary brochure version of life. What started as my own love affair with exploration slowly became something bigger. I realized I loved helping people feel more alive through travel.

Over the years, I built GoNaked Travels, a travel company centered around deeply connected group experiences rooted in body positivity, chosen family, laughter, vulnerability, and adventure. Through retreats, cruises, cultural journeys, and community events, I began to notice something important.

People weren’t showing up only for the destinations.

They were showing up for permission.

Permission to relax. Permission to be curious. Permission to reinvent themselves a little. Permission to stop waiting for “someday.”

Again and again, I watched strangers become lifelong friends over candlelit dinners, train rides through unfamiliar places, late-night conversations, and those unexpected moments you never find on an itinerary.

Eventually, I started asking myself a bigger question.

What if I built an entire community around this idea?

And that’s where Dorothy Society began.

Why Dorothy?

Partly because of Dorothy Gale, who learned there was a massive world beyond her black-and-white routine.

Partly because of Dorothy Parker, whose wit, intelligence, and beautifully restless spirit still speak to me.

And yes, partly because Dorothy Zbornak from The Golden Girls always seemed like the smartest person in the room.

Together, those Dorothys represent something I love. Curiosity. Wit. Independence. Friendship. Reinvention. And the willingness to keep going somewhere new.

They also led me to the belief at the heart of Dorothy Society:

There’s No Place Like Elsewhere.

Elsewhere is where I’ve learned some of the most important things about myself.

Elsewhere is where conversations get deeper. Elsewhere is where strangers become friends. Elsewhere is where routines disappear long enough for us to ask ourselves what we want next.

And sometimes, elsewhere reminds us of something we forgot.

Our lives are still unfolding.

I’ve never believed great travel means rushing from landmark to landmark, collecting photographs like receipts. Some of my favorite travel memories happened in the spaces between the things I planned.

The tiny wine bar I almost walked past.

The bookstore I wandered into without knowing why.

The stranger who became a friend by dessert.

The train ride at sunset when I looked out the window and thought, “My God, I’m glad I’m here.”

Those moments are what I want more of.

And I suspect I’m not the only one.

I created Dorothy Society for curious, open-hearted people who still want more out of life. People who want beauty, conversation, culture, friendship, connection, and meaningful adventures. People who know getting older doesn’t mean becoming less curious about what’s around the next corner.

We’ve still got places to go.

We’ve still got people to meet.

We’ve still got stories to collect.

That’s Dorothy Society.

Smart people seeing beautiful things together.