This week, I’m traveling again! When people ask, where are you going, I answer less enthusiastically than usual, “Jacksonville”. The answer is “uh, why?”. This is where my host agency is. They are an extraordinary group of people whose job is to support the little independent agent to arm them (us) with all the tools they need to create the best vacations possible for our clients. Here’s a cute picture of Jacksonville.
That’s not where I am. I’m in an office park somewhere in a suburb. I actually don’t know where I am. Last night, walking home from dinner, I saw a large pond and immediately assumed there was an alligator in it.
When I’m not running from imaginary (maybe) alligators, I’m in a classroom for 8 hours, for 5 days this week. 40 hours of training.
When my mom strongly convinced me to become a travel professional full time, I knew I could do it. I’d planned many great trips. Buckling down and planning travel for folks who were not friends and family was a concern but not for long. I could plan intricate trips from flight to accommodation to food. If a trip went sideways, I could get a way out of it and save the day.
Online travel websites make travel so easy. Detail-oriented people are the best at it. Then there are those who say that they love to travel but don’t have the time, energy or desire to plan their dream trip. I’m here for you.
When you ask me to plan a trip, I get in there as if I’m traveling with you. Only the best for us. Training is important because I want to know if your bed will be comfortable, the amenities you need will be available, the cool restaurants are in walking distance to your hotel.
The training is to help me understand what needs to go perfectly on your trip, and how to fix it if things don’t. (Travel insurance is a really important aspect – trust your travel concierge on this POV). The relationships we have in place with all of your favorite travel partners helps us get extra goodies for you and put you in the exact room or cabin that you want. Deeper knowledge gets you the road less traveled or the restaurant you’d never know about.
As for Jacksonville, once I left the classroom, a gang of lady travel agents and I headed to the beach. We discovered a cute bao place and the “dive bar”. Now I know where to send you in Jacksonville.
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