“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
How many times have you planned a vacation for yourself, spending hours scrolling through websites, only to go on the trip and be disappointed in some way?
Or have you ever relied on a website’s reviews of a hotel, only to realize people have vastly different definitions of “wonderful,” “well-appointed,” or “luxurious?” A five star review could be written by someone with less-than-stellar taste.
Previously unaware of the extent people still use travel advisors, these scenarios would happen to me time and again. Over a decade ago, I took a break from my career and spent a year exploring different countries with my toddler daughter. In that time I had consulted with two travel agents only to help book our flights. I had done all the planning myself, based on days and days of research and tips from friends. Not familiar with my chosen destinations however, it involved a lot of trial and error— not to mention disappointments, and wasted time.
Several years later after having returned Stateside, I re-entered the corporate world in pursuit of a job in the business of travel. I landed at a luxury travel consortium, in a role working in a sector with which I was totally unfamiliar— managing travel agency accounts. I became acquainted with a new industry and global networks of which I had no previous knowledge, and met people who truly loved their work and the professional relationships they had built, all in the name of helping others to experience and see the world…
