As I look back on my life, being a travel agent was not something that I aspired to be. In fact, I wanted to be a doctor. II was the kid that would dissect frogs….in my backyard while they were still alive. (No I wasn’t a sociopath….I was just curious about how things worked). However, I was also the same kid that loved reading the encyclopedia. (For those old enough to remember, this was WAAAAAY before the internet.) I liked reading about foreign lands. I loved the pictures. Geography was actually one of my favorite classes in high school. I remember saying when I was kid that when I got old enough that I needed to make enough money to see the world.

 

Many of my adult decisions have been based on that singular goal. In fact, my new goal now is to see and experience as much of the world before I die. The ‘experience’ part is new. I added that to my goal because when I travel, I try to steer clear from the touristy areas. My husband and I like to hang with the locals, eat at the same restaurants that they do and just feel the vibe. Don’t get me wrong, we still do some touristy things but we try to get a more local experience as well.

I never became a doctor….but I did get the chance to travel the world. Early on, I was able to do this thru personal travel to the caribbean. Those trips were relatively inexpensive and I could get there within 2-3 hours flight.. When I finally made it to Europe, it was because my job needed me to go to the UK. Yes I raised my hand and happily flew to Maidenhead, England. I worked their for about 18 months. On the weekends, I jetted all across Europe on Ryan Air.

When I met my husband, he wasn’t big into travel. In fact, he told me he never planned to leave the country. Well let’s just say he changed his mind really quick. I politely let him know that ‘anyone who hangs out with me, better have a passport.’ He has a passport….he’s on his 2nd actually. As a couple, I have had the pleasure of traveling the world with him. We’ve gone to the caribbean, Europe, South America, Canada, Asia and the Middle East. We’ve traveled to most of the United States. Although we have about 10 more states to visit before we hit all 50. There is still so much more that we want to see and experience.

Last year he and I started talking about how we could get into the travel business…maybe start our own agency. Because we travel a lot as well as plan travel for groups and leagues that we are in, we figured it would be an easy transition. We also figured that we could make some extra money on the side. For several months, I did the research. Being a travel agent was a lot more work than I imagined. There are host agencies that you need to sign up with, certifications that you need, access to various systems to be able to quote travel, and lots of training.

We were all gung-ho and ready to get started but you know life just gets in the way. We both had demanding jobs and getting into the travel business just wasn’t a priority. Well….that changed and not necessarily by choice.. My demanding job became less demanding when my company gave me lots of free time (aka….my position was eliminated). I went thru all of the emotional phases one goes thru when something like this happens. And then it hit me. I could use the free time to start my travel business. I continued the research that I started and pulled the trigger. I am now officially a travel agent. While I am doing it part time right now, the goal is that maybe I can build my business up enough over time and begin to do this full time.

I can tell you that right now I am having a blast. I love helping people find their next vacation. I love talking to people about their travel options and using all of my personal experiences to help tell the story. I also am really enjoying learning about all of the different travel providers and destinations available to people. I get so excited planning for others. Plus it gives me ideas on all of the different trips that I want to take.

I thought I knew a lot about travel when I got into this business….I KNEW NOTHING!!! Let me say it again. I KNEW NOTHING!! There are so many vendors and operators like cruises, hotels, resorts, and villas. There are self tours and guided tours. There are entry level cruises, premium cruises, luxury cruises, adventure cruises, river cruising and world cruises. There is really something for everyone and just about every budget although we cannot perform miracles.(More on that later)

I am glad that I made this decision. While I know this will be hard work getting this business off the ground, and balancing a new job plus family, I am really excited about this journey.

Check out my website http://www.traveladventures365.com