Month: March 2020

Rainbows after the storm

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment

525,600 minutes – how to you measure a year in life?

In a year from now we will look back at 2020 and think to ourselves what the heck was that and how did we get through it. I know we are far from getting through 2020 but I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the last twelve months of my life.

Twelve months ago I was just moving through life. The year started off with making a difficult decision to leave the job at WE. I thought when I landed at WE I really thought it was going to be THE job. For a while it was. Heath passed away and that changed me. During those final months at WE I had a workplace situation with a staff person. It was harassment and I chose to remove myself from that situation.

I took a job that I haven’t really talked much about. Mainly because it didn’t last long enough to make a dent. That job was misrepresented to me in the interview and hiring process and from the first week I worked there I knew that this wasn’t the job they had told me it was going to be.

That would bring me to April 2019. The search for “what next” had begun. I knew one thing for sure, I didn’t want to get back to selling leisure travel again. I wanted leadership development, training and business development. Application after application, months and months. Some interviews and some more that looked really promising. Then crickets.

In June I had a new opportunity propose itself with Goway Travel. I had my eye on the company for several years and it appeared that something would actually happen. I waited until August and then it happened. “We would like to welcome you to are induction class starting September 3rd.”

So after almost five months I was to embark on a new adventure, a European Destination Specialist with Goway Travel. I arrived the building across the street from my old Sell Off Vacations office and met the new team of trainees. Took the empty seat in the front (yes, the front) and met a wonderful ‘newbie’ who would fast become a great friend.

We were a group of five in the office and a few that were online with us from out west. The five of us spent four weeks together. The training room is in the basement, so we were called the basement dwellers. Coming out for lunch breaks to walk or while the weather was nice sit up on the roof top patio which is a bonus I can say I am longing for now after the winter season.

We went up to the reservations floor in early October. We were each provided a coach to teach us the “Goway Ways”. Even after 30 years of being in the industry, this was such a new and exciting arm of the industry that I needed to learn.

I am grateful for my past experience and quick ability to learn and adjust to new processes. I was keen to jump in and start. Patience grasshopper, patience.

Goway is a family run business that is celebrating it 50th anniversary this year. I can tell you that 2020 was ramping up to be a very special time for the company. The company is divided by area of the world with experts who really have unique expertise. So many different cultures in one place. The owners are Australian so there are a lot of Aussies in the company, but really from everywhere in the world, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Ecuador, France and so many more. We are really a family from the United Nations.

Winter in the Europe department is the time for bookings. January was a blur. Work, home, sleep, repeat. Much like my past experiences but they were not for last minute vacations to the sun, they were for advance bookings to amazing European destinations, Italy being the top selling destination.

The company saw our Asia Expert family fall to victim to Covid 19 in December and when we were ramping up, they were faced with the full stop of travel to China. From the other side of the call centre we could feel pain, but we were too busy making bookings to full understand the enormity of the situation. We did take time out on Fridays at 4pm for wine time (on our first Friday we were on the floor we were told, grab a glass).

Until we started to hear that the small towns in Northern Italy were falling sick to the same virus. Then Milan closed and the flights started to stop flying to the north. We continue to book our European holidays because, who knew? People were starting to ask us about their summer travel, but this was February. We had no idea of what was to come.

From what we are all experiencing here in North America, the rapid chain of events cannot even be described. Every morning and every day at the office there were updates, and changes, and anxiety.

I feel that when someone says “I can only imagine what you are going through”, no you really can’t. That would apply to any industry. Just like I can’t even imagine what the front line medical workers are going through, you just can’t.

From a customer’s point of view, I had to cancel 50th birthday trips, 25th wedding anniversary trips and even my own bucket list trip to London. My training manager put it best the other night, it is okay to mourn the loss of all your months of hard work.

And of course, after watching every single part of the travel industry shut down from cruises, to airlines, to Disney, and everything in between come to a grinding halt full stop. This week was incredible rough for the local community. Many travel agencies have had to temporarily close their doors, suspend operations for the time being.

My Goway family joined that team this week. Many of my family members, including myself now find ourselves listening to the PM’s daily reports knowing it applies to us now.

I am sad. I am sad because after a very rough time the past 18 months I had a great family again. A place that I enjoyed going every day, with people I enjoyed spending time with. My fellow ‘basement dweller’ was part of the first round of family leaving. We ate lunch in the lunchroom together every day since September. I couldn’t even go to eat lunch down there after he left.

What will life look like when we emerge from this period of self isolation, no one knows. I hope that I will be able to return back to my Goway family and begin to create new European dream trips for those who had to put their dreams on hold for this virus.

I know that it will be hard to look for the rainbow because we are not through the storm yet.

Until then I will respect the distance, share my food photos and share my stories.

Stay safe and healthy, and please stay connecting but socially distanced.

Lisa

Respecting the Distance

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized2 Comments

For those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram you know that just over a week ago I had a very traumatic experience at Walmart. It was the weekend of hoarding and panic buying. It really sparked a level of anxiety I don’t think I have ever experienced before. I know I am not the only one who felt (feels) that way.

The start of my work week was much like the week before. I went to the office and it was all hands on deck. Being in the travel industry, which is an ‘essential’ service, we were helping people get back to Canada, facilitating clients who had to cancel their existing bookings and be there for each other. If you know someone who is a travel professional, you may have some understanding of what this time has been like for us.

On Wednesday I finally had the go ahead to work from home. When I left the office I called my parents to ask what they needed from the store as I once I got home I would not be going out again for many days.

I went to the No Frills at Centrepointe Mall. I walked over to one of the produce staff and thanked him. He said, “what for”? I said, for make sure all the customers got what they needed. He was very vocal about the insanity from the weekend before. He really shed a light on the process. Because of all the panic buying and food hoarding, it set back the supply chain about 72 hours. They can’t catch up while the people are storming the stores and grabbing everything in sight.

But that changed towards the end of the week. The city and province put rules in place for “social distancing”, limiting the number of people in the stores, recommending special hours for seniors and those with compromised immune systems. Thankfully I was tucked in at home and didn’t need anything.

Until yesterday…when I went to make KD for lunch and took out my milk, which had gone bad. Yup, no milk for my coffee or my KD. What was I to do? Well, nothing yesterday. It was already the middle of the afternoon and I wasn’t going anywhere at that time of the day.

I woke up early this morning and arrived at No Frills on Centre about 8:45am. There was a line which didn’t bother me. I got my cart and took my place in line. I would say that for most folks they were leaving a shopping cart length between, except for the man behind me who didn’t have a cart and was too close to me. I moved up two inches, he moved two inches. I was about to say can you back the “f’ up, but just moved the cart around.

I was observing the folks leaving the store. Do you know what each and every cart had…you guessed it… TOILET PAPER.

I spoke to the owner when I entered the store and thanked him. I told him that this was the least anxiety I have had since this started. He said they were just waiting for the directives to be put into place to help level it off.

There was meat, chicken, lamb and more. There was a full case of meat and chicken in the Kosher section, milk, eggs cheese and more. Some of the milk options were limited, but there was at least milk to buy.

I thanked the clerk who checked me out and came home. Home is where I plan on staying for quite a while. There is no need to leave (except for walks). My fridge is full, my freezer is full and my pantry is full.

I was quiet at home, resting on my couch when I got a text message – it said go to ur balcony. I had a nice surprise visit when my brother brought my two nieces for a quick hello from the street. Made my day.

I am looking forward to talking to you, my friends on the phone or on FaceTime any time you want. Those of you with families have a busy house with lots going on. Take the time to remember those who are alone. Social distancing, or self isolation is hard for those who live alone, no matter the age.

I think we all need to get used to this new normal as I feel it is going to be here for a while. I think quite a while.

I will be here, and sharing my love for storytelling with you. I hope you will come on this journey with me. What else do you have to do?

Stay home, safe and secure and most of all stay connected.

Lisa

 

Tales from the front line – crisis management

On By thestampsinmypassportIn Uncategorized1 Comment

As I mentioned in my post a few days ago, I have been battling a lot of anxiety. I want to be open and honest about it, as I am heading to the office today for, if all things go well, the last time for a while. It is 100% the right thing to be doing and I said to friends on Sunday, that by Wednesday I knew it would be the time.

While I know we, in the travel industry are not ‘front line’ essential workers but the societal definition, if you ask anyone in the travel industry, WE have been on the front line for a long time now in this global event called Corona-virus or Covid-19.

Our Asia division has been working through this for a few months now. In January as my Europe team was in FULL on booking and planning mode with our clients, planning honeymoons, anniversary trips, birthday celebrations to Europe our team across the floor was being crushed. All flights to Asia stopped, countries in lock down, cancellation after cancellation. We listened as co-workers, hugging and lending a compassionate ear. All the while, we were in our glory, bookings and quotes and requests for glorious holidays to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and beyond.

A few short weeks ago, we started to get information that a hot zone arrived in small towns outside Milan, Italy. Concern started to grow as those areas self isolated. Then a week or so later, it was out of control.

For those who may not know, Italy is one of our top selling countries in Europe. If you have been, I do not need to explain. The phone calls started, and at first, it was not a panic. Our ‘travel season’ really starts in the spring, so April travel mostly is where it begins. This is February…lots of time, we should be okay, right?

Think again. We are now, as we all know in a global pandemic. Italy is closed. Now country by country the world is shutting down. If you haven’t been listening, it is the only way to ‘flatten the curve’.

The calls for travel requests have stopped. Now the calls are for cancellations, and changes and helping people work through their own panic and fear, as I said the other day, balancing and working through our own fears.

We are here, still working, helping clients who are STILL, I mean still not back in Canada as of yet. Yesterday one of my team mates was jumping back and forth between two computers trying desperately to get her clients out of Malaga back to North America. It is becoming harder and harder and after this weekend, if you are not home in North America, it will be too late. Wherever you are, you will need to stay for a while.

People still want to travel, but they don’t know when it will be okay to do so. I know that my trip in May to London and Dublin is rapidly falling away. I am too busy helping other people work out their plans to think about my own, but I know that in the coming weeks I will need to make my decision to cancel my ticket and put my trip on hold.

Travel is not just something I “do” for work. I have been doing it for thirty years. It is a part of who I am. Just ask some of the people I have been messaging the past week or so. A friend of my parents who spends the winter in Mexico, she is thankfully back on Canadian soil now, but had her trip scheduled to return at the end of the month. A friend who works for one of our airlines, engaged me for some personal assistance with her parents trip yesterday. I was concerned about the amazing lady I met last summer who is recovering from Cancer and was on a family holiday trip to Hawaii and followed her journey and all the comments of people advising her to come home.

The tourism industry is being beaten up in a way that has never been seen before. When the battle is over and the dust clears it is clear that not all will be left standing. It is too soon to say what cruise line, what hotels, what airlines will look like in a couple of months. But one thing is FOR SURE, the industry has proven time and time again that like the Phoenix, we will rise again. People are already asking about changing their trips for the fall, and I feel that we will be able to look ahead and I would put money on the fact that 2021 will be a rocking year as all of world will be looking for tourism to come back.

I will go to the office today and continue to help people from there until I can work from home. Once I am home, I will need time to rest. While I will still be working, it will be time to slow down, self isolate and self care.

We all need some self care right now. I used the word madness in a status update on Facebook last week and it is. We all need to take a pause.

I am going to keep writing as I work through this. There are so many stories I want to share with you all. I really appreciate you as come along with my on my journey.

Stay inside, wash your hands and make sure you reach out to someone today, they need it, more than you know.

Lisa