Travel Agent Musings

By Rhonda Stanley

A teacher once told me, “the greatest education you can give your children is the education of travel.”

That was her response to me asking permission to take my children out of school for a vacation in Puerto Vallarta. At that time, the twins were still in the primary grades.

They are now 18 years old, and we have taken between 1 and 3 family vacations every year. BOY have they been bitten hard by the travel bug.

We have visited many mainstream destinations: Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba. When you plan a trip to one of these places, you always know you’ll have a great time. Nothing beats a relaxing piece of paradise with the perfect blend of sun, sand, and sea.

But the less mainstream adventure travel destinations have been the difference-maker for my kids. That’s where the education of travel really comes into play. Places like Fiji, Australia, Europe, and most recently Southeast Asia.

I think it’s amazing that my daughters have experienced all this at the tender age of 18.

They’ve stepped out of a bure in Fiji into the most spectacular aquamarine water with snorkelling gear on and being swarmed by dazzlingly colourful fish. They’ve visited a Fijian Chief to ask permission to visit one of the 322 islands that make up that county – this one was happened to be the island where Tom Hanks filmed “Castaway” .

In Europe, they’ve experienced so much history: the Holocaust museum in Berlin, the famous Notre Dame in Paris, the Vatican City in Rome, the ancient ruins of Ephesus, the Acropolis in Athens, and Copenhagen’s Tivoli.

Travel has been such an indispensible part of our lives. My children really don’t understand how fortunate they are
to have experienced so much of the world.

For me, the life-changing trip was Southeast Asia which we just visited in March.

Perhaps my favourite was Cambodia. What an amazing destination with its rich history and breathtaking temples – the most famous being Angkor Wat! The people of Cambodia are truly beautiful, humble, and probably the most sincere people I have ever met. They own so little and yet they have so much. We’ve all heard it’s the little things that mean the most –  our gifts of pens,
pencils, toothpaste and toothbrushes, body soap and shampoo  were truly appreciated.

Just this past week, during history class, my daughter Natalie was studying the Vietnam war.  It was the first time she came home excited about a history class, because she has actually walked in the Cu Chi Tunnels and visited the War Remnants Museum. She had experienced Vietnam, and she could share her knowledge and experience with the class.

While their travel experiences have provided my kids with an education, it has also given them freedom; they have the confidence to go out in the world as they graduate from high school.

Whatever they choose to do or wherever they choose to go, they have an amazing understanding of what the world has to offer.  “The world is their oyster”.

By: Rhonda Stanley

Do you have a local destination you like to visit to get away from it all? I’d love to hear about it.

 By Rhonda Stanley

It was Saturday morning, exactly 3 weeks until Christmas. Like everybody else at this time of the year,  I had a million things on my ‘to do’ list. So I was up and out early, as I would be in Toronto working the following week, and wouldn’t have much time to do all my Christmasy stuff. It’s safe to say I was feeling the pressures of the season.

That’s when a co-worker in Toronto asked a favour of me: she wanted me to go into Vancouver (I live in the suburbs) to buy her some ‘pork’ jerky at a specialty store called Bee Kim Heng. She claimed this particular company makes the best ‘pork’ jerky in all of Canada and she would like to have some for Christmas.

 I didn’t even know jerky came in the pork variety. I’ve only ever heard of beef jerky. Not only that, but my friend lives in Toronto and has never lived in Vancouver; how could she possibly have known about this place?

 I knew it was important to her, so I got started. As it was the most distant destination on my itinerary for the day, I decided to go there first. I admit it was a chore. I was really going out of the way for my friend. (I know, I know. I’m awesome.)

 When my daughter and I arrived at Bee Kim Heng at about 9:30am, we were greeted with the most delicious smell, but the venue itself was unimpressive. There was nothing but a cooler and ATM machine; behind the counter there was a lady grilling or barbequing the jerky, and another who should be the poster child for outstanding customer service. She was incredibly friendly, and explained the process to us intimately.

 We told her we wanted to sample the pork jerky. As it happens, they offer 4 varieties of jerky: 2 beef and 2 pork. She brought us  samples of all 4. My daughter and I looked at each other after trying the pork jerky: we instantly knew we had discovered GOLD.

  It was absolutely amazing. In fact, the experience of visiting this little hole in the wall was a real feel-good moment. Who knew there was something so heavenly tucked away in a pretty sketchy area of Vancouver?

  While the customer service guru went to the back to vacuum seal our purchases, the other lady engaged us the whole time. She told us how to store jerky, and the best way to serve it. Rumour has it that Bee Kim Heng learned from the best, a jerky Master in Singapore who taught them everything he knew under the condition that they never open shop there. Hence their move to Vancouver, where they have been in business since 1994. Recently they were on the Canadian Show ‘Dragon’s Den’.

 I have lived in Vancouver since 1991 (except for 3 years in Toronto) and I have never heard of this place before. But if you Google it, it seems everybody else across North America has. I walked out of there with 6lbs of Jerky and I know I will return before Christmas; it is addictive. That day I pushed myself to do that little favor for my co-worker and boy am I glad I did – thanks Alexyss. You actually did me a favor by sending me there.

 So if you’re feeling unmotivated to finish your chores as Christmas nears: power through! You never know what you’ll find.

By Rhonda Stanley

Apple genius Steve Jobs read a quote at the age of 17 that stuck with him: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” A very good friend of our family and godfather of one of my daughters came close to his last day on October 27^th, 2011. He was a passenger on Northern Thunderbird Air Flight 204, which crashed 900 meters short of Runway 26 at Vancouver International Airport.

Our friend is a successful independent business owner, and was travelling to the BC Okanagan to attend a Weekend Retreat with his CEO peers from other businesses. While some of the group elected to drive the 4 hours, another group (my friend included) chartered flight 204 so they could put in a full day at the office before taking the 1 hour flight to Kelowna.

He was fully conscious and aware during the horrific events of that afternoon. He later recalled to me: “after the crash landing, there wasn’t a sound or movement in the cabin. My first thoughts were to remain calm, don’t panic, and assess the situation for danger’.

My friend could see smoke and flames ahead of him, at the front of the craft. Recognizing the danger, he knew he had to marshal all of his energy into getting himself, and everyone else, out of the wreckage. As he tried to get out of his seat, he collapsed to the floor. He could tell something was wrong, but he didn’t know the extent of his injuries. Nevertheless, he used what strength he had to free himself.

After several attempts, he was able to force open the back door of the fuselage. Good Samaritans poured in to extricate more of the passengers before the situation became too dangerous. The fire was spreading, and smoke threatened to overwhelm the cabin.

Luckily, my friend was the first to get out of the downed airplane. He suffered a fractured vertebra and some torn muscles. The pilot succumbed to his injuries that evening, and the co-pilot remains in critical condition with burns to 80% of his body. 5 people from the crash still remain in hospital. Physically, my friend is going to be fine. Emotionally however, he will no doubt be healing for many years to come.

Events like this have a way of changing our perspectives. My friend has dedicated the vast majority of his time to building a family business. He also has a wife and 4 children. In our group of friends, we all have careers and families, so it can be difficult to find time to get together; sadly, we can usually only manage it once or twice a year.

After the crash, my friend told me: “I won’t be too busy anymore”.

Steve Jobs read that now-famous aphorism when he was 17; every day for 33 years, when he looked in the mirror he would ask himself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” He said if the answer was “NO” too many days in a row, he knew something would have to change.

I challenge each of you to remember the last time you lived your day as though it was your last – and I don’t mean partied so hard one night that the next day you wished it had been your last!

Having listened to my friend and the second chance at life he has been given, it makes you evaluate your life and your lifestyle. Are you really doing what you love to do?

By Rhonda Stanley

This week, what started as good deed by one of my daughters turned into a nightmare. And boy, did she learn a lesson: do not mess with the Canadian Border Patrol!

Earlier in the week, my eldest daughter had agreed to pick up a package shipped to a postal box we have in the US.  It was a gift her boyfriend had sent for his brother’s birthday. My youngest daughter offered to accompany her sister to pick it up.

This is where it all goes wrong. My eldest daughter said, “If you want to go, you can go by yourself. I’m gonna hit the gym.”

So off my naive 17-year-old daughter goes, across the border with the parcel notification and her passport in hand. We live very close to the border, so she should be there and back in 20 minutes. NO SUCH LUCK!!!

So my youngest daughter picks up this package, and returns to the Canadian border, where she is stopped by Border Patrol. They ask all the usual questions: where do you live? How long have you been away? What were you doing in the States?  Do you have anything to declare?

Of course she has something to declare and it’s all neatly wrapped in a package. So they ask, “What’s in the package?”  …Oops. As it happens, she had forgotten to ask her sister exactly what it was.

So she says to the Patrol officer, “I don’t know. I picked it up for my sister.” Well, if she didn’t already have their full attention that certainly did the trick.

Immediately the Patrol officer wants to see the postal paperwork.  …Oops again. They’re all tucked away neatly inside the package. She has nothing to show them.

After going through the trunk and asking some more pointed questions, the Patrol officer decides to send my daughter off for another inspection.  She has to leave the car and go inside the border office while the car is being searched ‘thoroughly’.

They keep asking her what’s in the package and she keeps saying the only thing she honestly can say: “ I don’t know!”

Finally she says, “Let me call my sister and I can ask her.” This suggestion is complicated by the fact that the Border Patrol has already confiscated her phone, which she needs to retrieve her sister’s number. (Who can remember people’s numbers off the top of their heads anymore, right? A symptom of the digital age.)

Eventually, my daughter does manage to get hold of her sister, who informs her that inside the package is a Tony Perotti leather briefcase. That might not mean anything to you,  but to Border Patrol it means a lot. The officer said, “That’s an expensive bag…” Clearly they are not feeling too confident in this 17-year-old’s story.

Now they want to look through her phone, so they need her password. …Oops yet again. How embarrassing; her password is ‘fuckkk000’.  By this point, they think they must be dealing with some sort of juvenile delinquent.

The officers go through every message and every picture on her phone. They demand to know who she’s communicating with. She’s wearing a hoodie which they ask her to take off; she has only a bra underneath. Then they ask her to empty her pockets;  she has skinny jeans on and can’t fit her hands into the pockets.

By now they are finished searching the car, and they come in with a very suspicious-looking foil-wrapped package they found in her backpack. Uh-oh, it’s the Jamaican Beef Pattie that yours truly packed her for lunch. Of course it has beef in it, which is a no-no when crossing the border (thanks mom!).

After all was said and done she was allowed to go, but had to pay $50. “Duty on the purchase.”  I agree it was dumb to go across the border and pick up a package not knowing what was in it. But I know one 17 year old girl who has learned a very valuable lesson: ignorance isn’t always bliss.  I have since been told that had she been a Nexus holder, that incident alone would have been just cause to revoke it.

Suffice it to say, that young man had better enjoy his new briefcase.

By Rhonda Stanley

Everything we do in life is either made better or worse by our ability to communicate effectively with others. This is true whether we’re interacting with loved ones, friends, co-workers, or even complete strangers.  Communication, my friends, is key.

I remember during my retail days, when we surveyed our agency’s clients, we got top marks in every area except our ability to keep the customers informed. As travel agents, we did a wonderful job counseling our customers on where to travel, why, how and when, etc. We took their deposits, called them when the final payment was due and again just before departure.

In other words, we were good at taking their money. But, to my consternation, we weren’t so good at communicating those little pieces of information that only travel agents can provide: dining options, special opportunities, bonus excursions. The exciting stuff! It never seemed to get across.

 I read recently that communication is 55% body language, 38% tone of voice and only 7% content of words….holy smokes, now I understand the meaning ‘it’s not what you say but how you say it’.

 How many marriages fail because couples don’t know how to communicate, or just aren’t aware of what they’re saying to each other?  How many families are estranged because of something somebody said? Our relationships are based on our perceptions of how we are treated, and how we treat others.

 Currently, I’m dealing with a family situation that involves the health care industry. Imagine receiving the worst news imaginable and then poof: everything shuts down because it’s a holiday weekend and you and your family members are left to your own devices, the internet your only source of information.

We aren’t just talking about a broken leg, we are talking something far more serious that leaves so many unanswered questions and so many “what ifs.” As they say, there is no such thing as too much information.

So the next time you are talking to a customer, a loved one,  or a business associate, think about what you are saying and more importantly, think about how you’re saying it. If you’re honest and passionate, if you mean what you say and say what you mean, you’ll go far in business and in life.

By Rhonda Stanley

As an experienced travel retailer, wholesaler, executive or agent – how do you really feel about your peers and competitors? Are you excited when the competition has a better offer than you do? Are you motivated when your peers are more successful than you are?

 Having been there myself, I know that the answer, more often than not, is “no!” As professionals, we know we ought to learn from our missteps, but it’s much easier said than done. So we tend to let failure hurt us rather than teach us. Who says with age comes wisdom?

 My daughter’s attitude is really no different. When she was trying out for the soccer team, it was crucial for her to be the best player there. At school, my daughter is ecstatic just to be above the class average. Like most of us, her definition of success is dependent on the performance of others.

 Doing well is great, but when our only focus is beating other people, what happens to the pursuit of personal excellence?

 This past weekend, I hosted a remarkable young man who was moving from Denmark to Vancouver to attend school for a year. He is 24 years old, English is his 2^nd language, and the program to which he has been accepted only takes 18 people a year. Apparently, it is the best program of its kind in the world. He said the class is 50%  local, 50% international students.

 What stands out for me about this young man is his drive to excel. I asked him if he had any contact with any of the other students prior to moving here. He said, “No.” “Doesn’t that make you a little nervous?” I asked. Again, the answer was, “No.”

 I was a little bit surprised. I know if I were in a strange country, speaking my 2nd language, going into a world-renowned program where I didn’t know anyone ─ I’d probably be a little bit nervous!

 But the next thing he said was even more surprising. He said: “I hope I’m the worst in my class.” For a moment, we thought it was a language thing, so we said, “You mean the best in your class right?”

 ”No,” he said. “Why would I want to be the best? I am here to get better. If I am the worst, it forces me to learn from everyone around me.”  My daughter and I looked at each other, and I could tell we were thinking the same thing: “WOW.”

 So the next time I have a tough day and I want to say, “the internet is killing our industry”, or “Suzie is successful because her office is in the best location”, I will stop and think of that young man from Denmark. What can I learn from those around me that will make me more successful?

 How much better would the world would be if we all adopted the humble attitude that ‘failure’ is actually an opportunity to get better. Take a look around you. What can you do today to pick up your game?

By Rhonda Stanley

Growing up in rural Newfoundland, we had a saying: “you can take the girl out of the bay but you can’t take the bay out of the girl.” I was never completely sure what that meant until my family was invited to attend the Calgary Stampede.

 My first thought: how do you put the cow into the girl? What do I know about the rodeo? Heck, I’m not even into country music! But after many, many years of living in Western Canada I know this is an event (or rather party) that  I don’t want to miss. So how to prepare for this trip? The Calgary Stampede is 99-year tradition. I had to take this seriously.

 So off I went on my cowgirl shopping spree. I visited a western store, and told the lady I was going to the Calgary Stampede for the first time and wanted to fit in. You, know look the part. I was willing to spend money on this.

 She said, “Let me give you some advice: we know you non-Western people. You try too hard, and you do stand out.” Hmmmm!!! She said, “Buy a shirt, and just wear jeans. Don’t buy belts and buckles or even cowboy boots.” (Stetsons were being given to us!)  It all seemed too easy, and way less expensive than I anticipated. 

 So off to Calgary the 4 of us went. All we had were jeans and jean shirts. (Okay, I admit I bought a jean skirt too.) When we arrived at Calgary airport, it was clear that no matter what we wore, we would fit in. Jeans, jeans, jeans!

 What an amazing experience! And to feel like a cowgirl for a day… PRICELESS. For me it was ‘a day’; I got on the flight and returned home. For my daughter it was much more: she now wants to be a cowgirl.

 My whole point is that travel is about selling adventure and experiences. To attend the Stampede, you don’t have to be a cowboy. To attend Oktoberfest, you don’t have to be German or even wear lederhosen. You just have to go with an open mind.

 Now I see Brazil in my future travel plans. Does that mean I have to wear a thong bikini???