Potential clients often ask me about this site or that one where they've seen a fabulous sale on travel. Maybe they've received a mailing and were "woo'ed" by the awesome-ness of the deal. They share their stories with me, I guess hoping that I'll verify what they've seen. Or maybe, to refute it.

All I can do is to politely smile and nod. You see, these values are common and even though the cruise lines or competition like to trumpet that the values can only be found in one place- I'm here to say, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!

Yes, you can have the best of all worlds...an agent you build a relationship with over the long term (one you trust and who invests in getting to know you personally) AND get a fantastic value.

After all, no matter what the cruise line or big internet agencies tell you. Who is going to look out for you personally? Who is going to learn your preferences when you travel? Who has a vested interest in making sure your trips-each one of them- are the perfect combination of a good value and a terrific memory?

Each time you call either the cruise line direct or a big faceless online agency, are you getting indifference? They are not always invested in your personal experiences. Do they know your buying experience or travel wishes beyond just the numbers in the computer?

BUY LOCAL (or through someone you can get to know!)

So...at the end of another great cup of coffee I ask each potential client that reads this to consider our company. We have a strong passion for the travel industry but an even stronger passion for customer service. It is our dearest hope to work with our clients to craft unique journeys-whether simple or complex. We believe that every trip has the potential for special memories and believe that client relationships are the foundation blocks for our long-term business!

I sit here with my second cup of coffee for the day and wonder where time went. I started this blog four months ago and time rushed by!

No slouch, I visited Florida and enjoyed watching a NASA shuttle launch with my grandfather (a WWII vet and NASA retiree) and other family. It's always an honor to learn from him and a treasure to spend time with family. The Port Canaveral area is an awesome place to spend some time- don't forget about it for space adventures, beach vacations and pre/post cruise getaways.

A DIVISION IS BORN...

After some great soul searching I decided to launch a division of Discover Your World Travel. A dear friend of mine is a police officer. After experiencing a very small part of his life and hearing the stories of what their days entail I'm awed by what first responders take in. Very much like our military heroes, fire fighters, law enforcement and EMTs face their jobs day in and day out with a great deal of grace and strength.

My heart felt goal with Stationhouse Travel, our new division, is to take my 15 years of travel experience and networking relationships to benefit this special community. First responders work tremendously hard, face jobs and situations most of never understand and their vacations are times to re-energize. I'd like to be the concierge travel specialist for this community, because they deserve a fabulous experience that begins with their first phone call all the way to the memories they bring home!

MOVIE NIGHT

Wow, I loved the book and this past week I was invited to be a part of the opening night at Lacey Regal Cinema for EAT, LOVE, PRAY. How awesome is that?

Discover Your World Travel will be representing the travel element and I couldn't be more excited. With only a week to plan and lots of client work right now, I've been busily preparing materials to have on hand. It should be a barrel of fun and I'm very excited. I'll post photos on the site and Facebook.

Coffee this week? Ravensbrew, a local Tumwater brewer. Love them. Found them by accident at our local grocer and fell in love with the brand. I tried a new blend this week I hadn't seen before- Grin & Bear It Bruin Blend. Creative, Fabulous and Flavorful. Try them, you'll be glad you did. They also brew in Alaska and have some fabulous coffee bag art.

So...the coffee is gone...time for more work!