Before Andrew was born, I belonged to an online adoption group. We were in various stages of the process. Some were waiting, others matches, others had just gotten their babies and some were old pros. These women had been through everything with me when my mom was dying. I had been through a lot with several of them. One evening a friend named Karen posted her husband had died that day. It was horrible to read something like that hand not be able to do anything. I left the board as adoption left the forefront of my life. I stayed for about 5 years after Andrew was born. We became a VERY close group even though we were spread across the country.
Introduce Facebook years later. I started to reconnect with some of my old adoption friends. I was so glad when I found Karen on FB. We always knew we would have been drinking buds, life long friends and that our boys would have been dangerous together. We reconnected. But we only talked through the IM part of FB. She has been a very encouraging source on my quest to be come a travel consultant. She has also been my first client. She booked a trip to DisneyLand yesterday. She is taken her almost 10 year old son for his birthday in December. We had a couple details to work out and we needed to talk. She called and we talked for almost 2 hours. It was like we had been friends for ever.
It used to be that you wanted to put a face to a name, I have wanted to put voice to a face. I see her pictures on FB and I see her son growing up! We have decided that we need to go somewhere that we can meet in person. WE are thinking Vegas - because of their motto and we don't have to worry about anyone finding out what trouble we get in to!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I did it!
Last night I told you that I had earned my Disney Travel Agent Ears? Today I booked my first Disney vacation for a client and good friend. I think that makes me an official travel consultant! What do you think? AND my business cards came today. It says I am a travel consultant. I think that backs up my claim.
Drew and I got all the errands done this morning. Tomorrow the house sitter comes to check things out. AND we start packing. One stack for camping, another stack for Kansas. Worried about the stuff that needs to go to both. Guess Sunday night and Monday I will be doing laundry and making yet more stacks. It feels never ending at this point.
I am getting excited to see my wonderful son marry his best friend. I have so many feelings going through me. Proud, happy, melancholy, nostalgic. Phil says there is a pool going to see who cries first, me or Betsy's dad, Bruce. Any thoughts? Contact Phil if you want in.
I am really tired tonight. Been a busy day. Gonna go up and veg and see what bad reruns are on the tube.
C
Drew and I got all the errands done this morning. Tomorrow the house sitter comes to check things out. AND we start packing. One stack for camping, another stack for Kansas. Worried about the stuff that needs to go to both. Guess Sunday night and Monday I will be doing laundry and making yet more stacks. It feels never ending at this point.
I am getting excited to see my wonderful son marry his best friend. I have so many feelings going through me. Proud, happy, melancholy, nostalgic. Phil says there is a pool going to see who cries first, me or Betsy's dad, Bruce. Any thoughts? Contact Phil if you want in.
I am really tired tonight. Been a busy day. Gonna go up and veg and see what bad reruns are on the tube.
C
Monday, June 18, 2012
Plans changed
Well after I posted my post this morning plans chnaged DRASTICALLY! For the better but it did mess up my week.
I got a call from Cheryl the owner of the travel agency I work for. She let me knwo that it was time to begin Disney College of Knowledge! I wanted to get it done before we left so I sat at the computer ALL day and got it done! Drew didn't want to go anywhere today because his tics were acting up. So we stayed home I finished my course and Drew watched TV, watched a couple little videos on Disney with me. I took a couple breaks to swim.
It is OFFICIAL I am a Disney Authorized Travel Agent. I thought I knew A LOT about Disney. I breezed thru the Disney World stuff. I was most fascinated by Adventures by Disney. I had heard about it before but had no idea how impressive it was.WOW!!! That is something to look into for everyone. I am going to blog about them exclusively in the next couple days but check out this link for a sneak peak. This has got to be the most impressive set of guided tours for families (they also have adult only versions) I have ever seen.
Talk soon
C
I got a call from Cheryl the owner of the travel agency I work for. She let me knwo that it was time to begin Disney College of Knowledge! I wanted to get it done before we left so I sat at the computer ALL day and got it done! Drew didn't want to go anywhere today because his tics were acting up. So we stayed home I finished my course and Drew watched TV, watched a couple little videos on Disney with me. I took a couple breaks to swim.
It is OFFICIAL I am a Disney Authorized Travel Agent. I thought I knew A LOT about Disney. I breezed thru the Disney World stuff. I was most fascinated by Adventures by Disney. I had heard about it before but had no idea how impressive it was.WOW!!! That is something to look into for everyone. I am going to blog about them exclusively in the next couple days but check out this link for a sneak peak. This has got to be the most impressive set of guided tours for families (they also have adult only versions) I have ever seen.
Talk soon
C
My lists have lists
How did we get to 19 days until the wedding???? Someone tell me where the time and my planning skills went! I sat down yesterday to make my to-do list. Stop mail, mail stuff to home office, pick ups scripts, call caterer, call cake decorator, order clothes, get camping equipment checked out, grocery shop, order clothes, change date of house sitter.... It goes on.
All of a sudden I had to make a grocery list for camping, a list of what needed to be replaced or added to camping gear, what clothes to pack for both trips. How do lists end up with sublists? I draw the line at microlists for the sublists.
I am slowly crossing stuff off the master list. But adding to the sublists. How is that possible?
Not sure if I mentioned that Scott is heading to San Francisco for meetings on June 25 and 26. Which is why there is some urgency to get everything done in the next four days before we go camping to unwind before getting wound up again. The latest plan is for Scott to take the train to SF on Monday. Tuesday Drew and I will pack the car and head to my haircut. As soon as it is over we head to SF. Meet up with Scott and go to the hotel. We leave at 645 Wed AM so it made the most sense to stay in SF.
I found this great site PARKSLEEPFLY In searching for a hotel in SF I found many charged to leave your car when you fly out. This site has great deals on hotel/parking combos. It was going to be MEGA bucks to stay at a hotel and then put the car in airport parking. Most hotels only allow a 7 day park your car and fly then they wanted to charge 8-15 dollars a day after that. When I found this site I found a room AND 14 days of parking for 109.00. I like that price. Granted it is not the RITZ but the reviews indicate the rooms are nice and clean and it is only for one night.
Thinking about a quick trip to Disneyland in August. My friend Elaine is going to be in SD with her family and is going to drive to Anaheim to meet us. I am so excited to see the new CARSLAND and Buena Vista Street. Lines are reported to be horribly long but I can get around that. Not focusing on that until after the wedding but I think after all of this I (we) deserve a couple days of down time - don't you? Besides it is really for my clients that I am going. So I can give them my honest opinion of the new attractions. (SURE)
Well the items on this list won't cross themselves off.
C
All of a sudden I had to make a grocery list for camping, a list of what needed to be replaced or added to camping gear, what clothes to pack for both trips. How do lists end up with sublists? I draw the line at microlists for the sublists.
I am slowly crossing stuff off the master list. But adding to the sublists. How is that possible?
Not sure if I mentioned that Scott is heading to San Francisco for meetings on June 25 and 26. Which is why there is some urgency to get everything done in the next four days before we go camping to unwind before getting wound up again. The latest plan is for Scott to take the train to SF on Monday. Tuesday Drew and I will pack the car and head to my haircut. As soon as it is over we head to SF. Meet up with Scott and go to the hotel. We leave at 645 Wed AM so it made the most sense to stay in SF.
I found this great site PARKSLEEPFLY In searching for a hotel in SF I found many charged to leave your car when you fly out. This site has great deals on hotel/parking combos. It was going to be MEGA bucks to stay at a hotel and then put the car in airport parking. Most hotels only allow a 7 day park your car and fly then they wanted to charge 8-15 dollars a day after that. When I found this site I found a room AND 14 days of parking for 109.00. I like that price. Granted it is not the RITZ but the reviews indicate the rooms are nice and clean and it is only for one night.
Thinking about a quick trip to Disneyland in August. My friend Elaine is going to be in SD with her family and is going to drive to Anaheim to meet us. I am so excited to see the new CARSLAND and Buena Vista Street. Lines are reported to be horribly long but I can get around that. Not focusing on that until after the wedding but I think after all of this I (we) deserve a couple days of down time - don't you? Besides it is really for my clients that I am going. So I can give them my honest opinion of the new attractions. (SURE)
Well the items on this list won't cross themselves off.
C
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
I have a job
I have a perfectly legit reason for not blogging the past couple weeks! I have gotten my DREAM job. YES you read that correctly. I have a job and it is my DREAM job. I am now a travel agent. More importantly I am also a Disney Authorized Travel planner. What could be better for me than that?
I am working for a company called Galaxsea Travel. They are a brick and mortar travel agency out of Monroe NJ and have about 200 agents around the country. The company has been around more than 20 years and I went through one heck of an inteview process to get this job. I think the website needs a bit of work. But that is just me. This is there Disney link. I am able to book all travel, domestic and international. Wanna go to Sandals or Beaches let me know. Ski trips, Mexico, Vegas, Hawaii, Europe. I can help you all the way. I still have some training to do but as of now I can officially a travel agent. I get to sign my tax return that way next year. So time to start thinking about your next getaway. My business email is travelnwithtink@gmail.com
I have been asked why a travel agent in the days of the internet. Surprisingly more and more people want a travel agent. No one has the time to search for deals. Not only that it is my JOB to know the best deals. I get to handle the details and make your final destination the best trip it can be.
There is no extra cost to the consumer to use a travel agent. You pay the same rates whether booked through a resort or through a travel agent. The nice thing about a travel agent? I have a file with your likes and dislikes and you ALWAYS get to talk to the same person. ME. Can't do that when you call Disney or Sandals. You and I have a relationship, I am not some random person who got your call in a queue and you are not some random reservation number. If something goes wrong or you forget your travel documents I am there for ya babe!
So let me do the work for you and make your next vacation - where ever you are headed a trip of memories.
CAthy
I am working for a company called Galaxsea Travel. They are a brick and mortar travel agency out of Monroe NJ and have about 200 agents around the country. The company has been around more than 20 years and I went through one heck of an inteview process to get this job. I think the website needs a bit of work. But that is just me. This is there Disney link. I am able to book all travel, domestic and international. Wanna go to Sandals or Beaches let me know. Ski trips, Mexico, Vegas, Hawaii, Europe. I can help you all the way. I still have some training to do but as of now I can officially a travel agent. I get to sign my tax return that way next year. So time to start thinking about your next getaway. My business email is travelnwithtink@gmail.com
I have been asked why a travel agent in the days of the internet. Surprisingly more and more people want a travel agent. No one has the time to search for deals. Not only that it is my JOB to know the best deals. I get to handle the details and make your final destination the best trip it can be.
There is no extra cost to the consumer to use a travel agent. You pay the same rates whether booked through a resort or through a travel agent. The nice thing about a travel agent? I have a file with your likes and dislikes and you ALWAYS get to talk to the same person. ME. Can't do that when you call Disney or Sandals. You and I have a relationship, I am not some random person who got your call in a queue and you are not some random reservation number. If something goes wrong or you forget your travel documents I am there for ya babe!
So let me do the work for you and make your next vacation - where ever you are headed a trip of memories.
CAthy
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