Bon Voyage: My Next Journey

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When my wife Stephanie came to me a few months ago and said, “what do you think about the idea of selling travel?,” I was instantly excited about the prospect. I had been pondering starting a new venture for some time now, after being in a bit of a professional rut. Leave it to Steph to know how to both excite my imagination and encourage me to make such a bold move.

 

But why travel? What sets me apart from the rest? Doesn’t everyone like to travel? Many do, of course, but I’ve always had what I would consider a real passion for it. I was fortunate enough to be able to make several international trips before I was even of high school age, touring with a boys’ choir to all corners of Europe. Taking in the history, the architecture, the cultural experiences, the food – it was all incredible, enriching, and exciting, and certainly eye-opening to a mere 10-year-old.

 

During my college years, I studied music both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. I continued to have opportunities to travel to many places as part of this chosen field – on tours, to conferences, both domestic and international. After college, I landed squarely in the field of church music. Having grown up the son of a Methodist pastor and with both church and service important parts of my life, it was a logical destination.

 

Life pressed on – I worked jobs in the music field, jobs outside the music field. I married another “travel bug,” and we moved from Atlanta to El Paso to Los Angeles in the span of just 7 years of being married. Life was an adventure for us, and during these years we continued to travel as much as we could. It was great to have a partner in crime.

 

Along the way, I was always the one my family and friends would call when they needed help planning a trip or an itinerary. They knew that it was a hobby for which I held deep passion (and reasonable skill), and could count on me to steer them in the right direction. I spent many an hour researching everything from airfare, to tours, to ports of call. I logged far too many hours watching travel vlogs. I scoured blogs for useful info. If I couldn’t count on first-hand experiences with a destination, I knew just how to find the needed data. I wanted them to love their trips, and more than anything, to be happy with their journeys.

 

So, when here in my early 40’s my career was at a stall, Stephanie encouraged me to look into travel as my actual line of work. Wow, was I instantly excited at the prospect – though also thoroughly daunted. As much as I have enjoyed the thrills of planning a trip or finding the best travel deals for my friends and family over the years, there is so, so much more to learn. Could I do it?

 

I ultimately decided the answer was an emphatic yes. I’ve always enjoyed learning, and I’ve always been a “people person” who loves pleasing and helping others. Coupled with my experiences as an amateur travel planner, and with the fact that I am one who can’t stand still and is always looking for something new to learn and discover, it’s just a natural fit.

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited for the famous expression “life is a journey, not a destination.” While there is definitely some wisdom in these words, a slight turn on the phrase rings truer with me. I prefer to think that life is filled with both many journeys and countless destinations. Whether it’s work or play, these are words that I like to live by. I’ve learned much from the journeys I’ve been on and the destinations I’ve been to, but life is a passport with many more stamps to collect. I’m excited about your journeys and destinations, too, and can’t wait to help you plan them – and to learn from you as well.