Vacation Therapist

I became a travel agency owner much the way I do most things, very carefully and very thought out. I am not a spontaneous person (although I do like to plan surprises for others!)

You might say it was 15 years in the making. Way back when I was engaged, planning my own honeymoon, I sat across the desk of a travel agent putting together our dream vacation to Hawaii. As a person who traveled a lot in college, her job was intriguing to me. I even asked her how people become travel agents and if she was happy. She quickly responded, "don't do it" and strongly discouraged me from entering the field. That was fine with me at the time since I was graduating from NYU with a master's degree in Speech Language Pathology and had a new job waiting for me when I returned from my honeymoon. But the idea was always there, and over the years, I meticulously planned trips for friends and family. 

I had a very fulfilling career as a Speech Pathologist, but things changed over time. I changed and healthcare changed and I found my job to be less fulfilling. Then in 2009, I contracted the flu, which led to pneumonia and a one week hospital stay in isolation. Funny thing about being in isolation… there's nothing to do but think. I wish I could say that I figured out ways to end hunger and ignite world peace but actually what I found myself thinking about, was a long needed vacation. And if not now, when? Staring out the hospital room window down into the parking lot to wave to my children, I had a new perspective - life is short, don't wait until tomorrow to do what you want to do today. 

The first thing I did when I got better was plan an amazing family trip to St. Lucia. It was one of the best trips we ever took and it was then that I realized that I wanted to help other people bring their dream vacations to fruition. It's not really all that different from being a therapist. The definition of rehabilitation is the act of restoring something to its original state. In my mind, that's exactly what a vacation is meant to do. Vacations recharge our energy, they give rest and relaxation - often when it is needed most, and best of all, vacations help us connect with the people we love. Our family trip to St. Lucia wasn't about how great St. Lucia is (although it is awesome!) but rather about how it made us feel as a family. We were able to spend time together and do things together without the stresses of everyday life getting in the way. We put aside the bills, the medical concerns, the homework and simply enjoyed each other's company while making amazing new memories.

Everyone deserves to leave the stress of life behind and take a vacation. And what could be a more fulfilling career than planning those trips and making peoples dreams come true!