Brainstorm Trip

"Which travel resources do you typically find most useful? (e.g. Lonely Planet, Atlas Obscura, iOverlander, The Dyrt, local blogs)"

Write their response to ~/.claude/travel-planner.local.md:

---
sources:
  - <source 1>
  - <source 2>
---

Re-run bun run $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/scripts/preferences.ts to confirm it parses correctly (exit 0). If it exits 1 again, report the parse error and ask the user to correct their input before continuing.

Step 2 — Destination Check

Assess how specific the destination is:

Vague (e.g. "somewhere in Southeast Asia", "I want to see mountains", no destination named):

• Propose 3 destination options, each with a 2–3 sentence personality sketch
• Tailor options to what Claude already knows from the conversation (if anything)
• Wait for the user to pick one or suggest their own

Known (a specific country, region, or city named):

• Ask: "Got it — [destination]. Any particular region or vibe you have in mind, or shall I treat the whole country as fair game?"
• If they have a specific region in mind, note it. If not, proceed.

Step 3 — Experiential Questions

Ask one question at a time. Wait for an answer before asking the next. Keep the tone conversational — this is an interview with a knowledgeable friend, not a form.

1. "Who's coming on this trip?"
2. "What's the occasion or context — is there a reason you're going now, or just because?"
3. "What's your travel style for this one — would you say adventurous, relaxed, or somewhere between?"
4. "Any dietary restrictions or strong food preferences I should factor in?"
5. "Pace-wise — do you prefer a packed itinerary, room to wander, or somewhere in the middle?"
6. "What are you most excited about, or what would make this trip feel like a real success?"
7. "Is there anything you want to avoid, or anything you're unsure about?"

The answers to Q6 and Q7 become the ## Notes section in the brief — write them as freeform prose capturing what the user actually said.

Step 4 — Anchor Proposal

Based on the destination and everything learned in Step 3, propose 3–5 anchor experiences. Frame them as the spine of the itinerary — the things the trip would be built around.

Example:

"Based on what you've told me, here are 3 anchors I'd suggest building the trip around:

1. Cherry blossom season in Kyoto — prime timing for your April dates
2. A day hike around Hakone for Fuji views and mountain air
3. 2–3 days in Tokyo at the end for contrast and great food

Want to adjust, add, or remove any of these?"

Wait for the user to confirm, adjust, or add to the list. The agreed anchors:

• Become the ## Anchors section in the brief
• Directly inform the ## Research Focus section — use them to generate specific focus directives for each of the 8 research categories

Step 5 — Mechanical Data

Collect the remaining trip details in one focused message:

• Dates — start and end dates including travel days. If flexible, ask for a rough window.
• Budget — total for the trip and which currency.
• Trip type — campervan, city break, road trip, through-hike, wild camping, beach holiday, cultural tour, or describe their own.

From the budget amount and context (trip type, destination, duration), infer and confirm a budget_level:

• budget — hostels, street food, budget transport
• mid-range — 3-star hotels, sit-down restaurants, occasional splurge
• luxury — 4-5 star hotels, fine dining, premium experiences

Say which level you're inferring and ask: "Does that sound right?"

Step 6 — Derive Trip Name

Construct the trip name using this rule:

Default: destination + year (e.g. "Japan 2026")

Use season instead of year only if ALL of the following are true:

• The trip dates fall clearly within a single meteorological season (Dec–Feb = winter, Mar–May = spring, Jun–Aug = summer, Sep–Nov = autumn)
• The season is materially relevant to the trip (cherry blossoms, skiing, monsoon avoidance, etc.)

If dates span two calendar years: use the year in which the majority of travel days fall.

Confirm with the user before writing: "I'll call this one '[Trip Name]' — does that work?"

Step 7 — Write Brief

Read references/brief-format.md for the exact format and conventions.

Write the brief to:

/Users/oskardragon-work/workspaces/obsidian/Travel/Briefs/<Trip Name>.md

{{PROFILE}} compilation (for reference — this is compiled by plan-trip, not written to the brief):

The brief stores raw fields. plan-trip will compile them into a prose paragraph. Just write the brief accurately.

## Research Focus generation:

For each of the 8 categories, derive a focus directive from the anchors and conversation:

• Use the anchors and stated interests to write a 1-line focus directive
• For categories with no specific angle, use: "no specific focus — follow standard research guidelines"

Ensure all 8 categories are present: Visa & Entry, Weather, Transport, Attractions, Food, Neighbourhoods, Events, Practical Tips

After writing:

Confirm the path to the user and say:

"Brief written to Travel/Briefs/<Trip Name>.md. When you're ready, open a new session and run /travel-planner:plan-trip — it will ask for this path."