I have absolutely no training in the travel and tourism industry yet here I am, posting as a “travel professional”. I felt it might be relevant to share how I got here and basically justify to my readers that I do, in fact, qualify as a travel professional.
I wound up in the travel industry as the result of a random series of connections made while dating a boy in my early 20s. My education is in archaeology, graphic design and fiber art. Interestingly, the fiber art turns out to be the most useful of those degrees but notably, I have no formal education or experience in the travel and tourism industry.
I was working as a Graphic Designer in a corporate marketing department when a close friend offered me a job with her travel agency. She and I had done some conference planning together in the past so we knew we worked well together and at the time, I was looking for my next adventure and this sounded perfect. I had no idea what the job expectations were, I would be taking a pay cut and I would have to move away from the majorly of my friends and family. But I would get to travel! I would get to visit new places, see new things and enjoy one of a kind experiences.
The decision was easy. I moved from Fort Collins, Colorado to Houston, Texas to do my job and despite seeming like a terrible downgrade, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
With almost no training and no experience other than planning my own complex vacations, I was catapulted into the depths of the travel industry, learning from my boss’s 12 years of experience, my own ingenuity and dumb luck. I made mistakes and I asked a lot of dumb questions. But I learned fast and with my background in conference planning and college events, I was able to fill in the blanks and think on my feet.
I now have hundreds of successful trips under my belt but in an industry as complex as tourism with as many moving pieces as it has, I still make mistakes and ask a lot of dumb questions.
This blog is a collection of my experiences and stories. I hope you’ll laugh, often at my expense, learn, also often at my expense, and get a unique glimpse inside the multi-billion dollar tourism industry.
