Author: thestampsinmypassport

A professional serving the travel industry for 25 years. Expertise and knowledge in sales, customer care and knowledge of the world. Sharing my knowledge, travel stories and tales from around the world in an engaging way.

Design of a Decade

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Just over a week ago I read a status update posted by this amazing young man who is a change maker. I had the pleasure of meeting Shane Feldman when his mother and I went to Israel together in 2012. 

He wrote:

“There are 8 Fridays left in this decade.

Reading that made you feel something. Maybe it was fear…concern…excitement…all three?

Our stories drive our emotions. Your life is only as good as the story you tell yourself.

Stories are powerful. Which story will you choose to live today?”

Earlier that week (before I read this post) I wasn’t having a great week. I was out for dinner with a friend I was sharing with her what I had been struggling about. The struggle again was with time. How I am approaching the time in my life where Heath has been gone as long as I knew him, and how in the very long (hopefully) road of my life, the time that I he was in it seems so small. Everyone says life is short, but if you are lucky in life, it has the potential (and hope) to be very long. 

As I have learned it is not about quantity, it is about quality. It is a very strong and hard lesson to really break down and learn. Appreciate the quality of your time because we will never know the quantity of time here.

When I shared Shane’s post with a friend of mine last weekend she had to read it a few times and give some thought that it hadn’t even occurred to her that we are eight (now seven) Fridays away from a new decade. Let that sink in, a new decade.

A decade ago my nephew hadn’t been born yet. I hadn’t been to Hawaii, Israel, and countless other places. I was five years away from even meeting Heath for the first time. A decade ago I was still in my third decade of life, now I am almost into my fifth decade (2021 is fast approaching).

It feels like every year around this time I start to look back on the year that was. This status update gave me some new ideas that I will be sharing in the coming weeks. Looking back on a decade of life experiences.

As I was looking through my photos I noticed that ten years ago this week was a reward trip for achieving sales targets with my team to Las Vegas. I was looking forward to it for many reasons, after all it is Vegas so who really needs a reason.

I was really happy that we were allowed to bring a guest on the trip, and who else would I ask to join me on a Vegas adventure, Brad of course. After all, it was Vegas where we met and so many adventures followed for over 16 years now. Brad was driving in from LA to spend the trip with me as my guest.

The first night after dinner at Planet Hollywood the shuttled us to MGM to see the Cirque show KA. It was the late show, and we were three hours ahead and had been going since very early that morning. Let’s just say, I “hear” it was great – I tried to stay awake and gave up. It wouldn’t be the first time that trip.

A busy few days of hotel inspections, site seeing dinners and a helicopter tour over the strip at night. There was free time, shopping and gambling of course. 

The last night was our awards and farewell dinner, hosted by the one and only Robin Leach. He was the original spokesman for The Last Minute Club and living in Las Vegas. I am trying to find the photos because you know…what happens in Vegas…well now ends up on Facebook. But not then.

After that dinner they shuffled us off to see The Lion King. I had seen it before (twice) and let’s just say I didn’t even try, I just leaned back in my seat and slept through the whole show. Not even kidding. After the show was over, we went to the night club at the Mandalay bay and the party continued long into the night.

That trip was November 2009….right before the decade began. I am going to continue to look through my photos and share some experiences that made up the decade that was 2010 – 2019.

I hope you will join me on my design of a decade journey and share yours as well.

Live your best life,

Lisa

2019 Fall TV Season – week one update

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For those who follow me on FB or read this blog on a regular basis you would have seen my fall preview post a couple of weeks ago. For those who haven’t read it you can read it by clicking here.

One full week of the 2019 TV season is now in the books, or well…listed on my PVR to watch.

I am going to be honest with you, I think I recorded 43 shows last week, which I will never watch. I usually do this every new season. I will have my regular shows and then I will add a whole bunch of new shows that I think I may like. I usually give those shows a two episode chance. Like a blind or first date, you can’t always rely on the first one to show you the good or the bad.

I did manage to get in all my regular shows and with the exception of This is Us, felt the opening episodes did really well. All three Chicago shows had lead character exists coming that I knew about, actually except for Chicago Fire. That was a surprise, but I am not going to go into more detail here since I don’t like being a spoiler to those who may not have watched…however…if you are on social media five minutes after any show airs, the media outlets are the first to spoil, so I may not worry about that moving forward.

I am going to discuss This is Us for a minute since episode two is about to start and I am still uncomfortable about episode one.

I am a big fan of the “big three” and enjoy the jumps forward and backwards in the lives of the Pearson family. I know in order to move forward some of the storylines that new characters had to be introduced, and in true This is Us fashion, they kept us wondering, for almost the entire episode. It was an extended 1:07 minute episode and all the pieces didn’t start fitting together until about 50 minutes in. Facebook feeds were all over the place as everyone seemed confused. Quite frankly, too much work for the tv viewers brains. Shouldn’t have had to think that hard while watching a one hour tv show. Let’s see how these new plot lines play out as we move forward.

I haven’t started anything new as of yet. There are several dramas and a few comedies in the list. They will get my two shows test and I will keep you posted as I move through the every growing list of shows on my PVR.

What did you watch either new or returning and is there anything you recommend me to add to my never ending list? I would love to hear about them.

Gotta go put the tube on now…

Happy watching,

lisa

As the Globe Spins – a new chapter begins

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I am reminded often that our lives are a book. Books with short chapters, some with longer ones. Some that are boring and some are so exciting you can’t wait to turn the page to find out what will come next. I would say that all of that is true for everyone, no matter your age or stage in life.

I would also say that we have more than one book. There is a book for family, friends and friendships, love and loss and a very large book reserved for our work life. Some chapters gone on way longer than they should and some that you are enjoying end way before you hoped. Some chapters you just want to skip right over, I am sure you all have had some of those chapters. I know I sure have.

My book of my work life in travel is almost 30 years long. It is hard to believe that when I finished high school my uncle asked me what I planned on doing before going off to Ryerson and I said I had no idea. Do you want to work at Last Minute Club? WOW, really, I can do that. Sure. Let me speak to Vicki and I will set that up. I have shared this story before but that basically was how this book of travel was started.

The first chapter in that book lasted almost 25 years. The chapter changed names several times and the company was bought and sold and I moved along with in. Each time the name changed, the role of sales agent stayed the same, even though the letter head did not.

Looking back, there were many times during this chapter that I should have ended it, but there was always something pulling me to stay. Until October 2014 when the chapter was closed for the last time. Looking back now it was a blessing. Sometimes you need a push to close a door that is no longer serving you.

Like any good plot twist, the pivots of four jobs in the next five years surprised me most of all. But that is the interesting thing about books, when you read them for the first time, you have no idea where they are going to take you.

I had no idea that my book was going to take me to have the chance to work at WE. That opportunity was such a gift for so many reasons. When the gift came into my life I was ready to start a new book. If was full of everything a great read should have, interesting characters, an intriguing story line and adventures around every corner.

It also had personal conflict. Strong women characters. A former leader who stepped down and refused to give up the crown. Like the two-faced mean girls we knew growing up, backstabbing, undermining and deceit was a daily occurrence. it was a recipe for a choice that I decided I had to make. To walk away from this chapter and choose me. I didn’t want my book of WE to end, and perhaps there will be a pivot again to open another chapter at some point in life.

Which brings me to my new book. The opening chapter of this book is called European Destination Specialist. Catchy title if I do say so myself. The book is called Goway Travel. I will be making travel dreams come true, guiding, recommending, planning and executing custom European holidays for all my friends and new clients along the way.

This book will be starting the first week in October. I am looking forward to the challenges of navigating a new chapter in the books of my life.

Let me make one thing very clear – this is a sales role SO….as my friends and readers, if you or anyone you know is planning to go to Europe please send them my way.

TRAVEL AGENT FRIENDS – this is your chance to work directly with me as well. I will be your exclusive European Destination Specialist for all you and your client needs.

The phone number to reach me is 416-322-1034 – my extension will be 5541. My email address is lisas@goway.com

Looking forward to sharing stories about my new book as they unfold.

Until then, thank you for coming along the journey with me.

Live your best life,

Lisa