In July, a contingent of advisors and managers from Covington Travel attended the Virtuoso Travel Mart in Las Vegas. This annual conference is an opportunity for travel agency members to meet with hotel, cruise line, and tour operator members to forge the personal relationships that benefit our mutual clients. The theme of this year’s conference was Defining Moments, which refers to the fact that travel can be inspirational, transformative, and life changing. Some of our Covington staff are pleased to share their defining moments in travel.

 

Zareen Thompson – Self Discovery: I’ve always traveled with family and friends but I felt the need to get away from it all, to put my life in perspective, and to find my old self so I made reservations for six solo days in the Turks & Caicos. I was excited but nervous, even a little scared of traveling alone. I told myself that I’m 40 years old, have raised two kids, and lived in other countries, so I held my head high, kissed everyone at home  goodbye and took off.

I ran the beach alone early each morning. It was peaceful, cleared my head and I had a chance to analyze what I’ve done with my life. I talked and laughed with strangers, met people from all over the US and Europe, dined with new friends, and never felt alone. I was totally being myself; not a mother, a sister, a friend, a wife or even a travel consultant. I was just me! This was one of the most exciting trips I have ever taken. Not for the great people I met, or the beautiful island that I was on. The most exciting part of this trip was that I found the person that I’d forgotten or left behind. It was like being 21 years old all over again but with more sense this time around. I think of this as my first “Big Girl” trip because I found that person I once was before life took over!

 

Barbi Bartlow – Tahitian Delights: A defining moment in my travels was a stay on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia four years ago. It so moved me that I wrote poetry about the island. On my deck outside our over water bungalow, the lagoon was magical. My mind could barely take in the scene without sensing a deep connection to creation. I relished my experiences on that trip, which changed me forever. I learned a Tahitian saying that I now use all the time…”Aita pe’a pe’a”, which basically means “no worries”. Indeed!

 

Karen Kilyk – Conquering a Fear:   It was in Chile where my fear of heights developed. Specifically when I was walking down a trail in the Atacama Desert with an 80 foot drop on one side and a wall on the other with a line of hikers behind. Suddenly everything turned wobbly and my fear was born. This was very discouraging since many of my adventure goals include doing things from heights like tandem skydiving and space travel on the Virgin Galactic spaceship Enterprise. So when I was on the way to Queenstown, New Zealand and Kawarau Bridge Bungee was on the itinerary, I decided jumping off a bridge with a bungee cord strapped to my ankles would cure my fear of heights.

When I got to the bridge, I looked up river to see it meander through the gorgeous gorge and I watched as others jumped, but I couldn’t look straight down. I told the gentleman helping me into the ankle harness that if I got out there and went all wobbly I wanted him to pull me back because I planned to swan dive, not ignominiously fall off.  When I got to the edge, I did look down once, took a deep breath and dove – laughing and screaming all the way down. The fall was just long enough to wonder if something had gone wrong, but it was perfect.  And it worked. I can now lean off a balcony, walk along a fallen log over a stream, or peer off a roof. This adventure made a significant difference in my life and gave me the freedom to enjoy other spectacular adventures.

 

Laurie Scott – Lighting the Fire: This year I planned a trip to Paris with my husband and two children. While we had lovely accommodations, excellent flights and delicious food, I realized that the most important thing about traveling with kids is to just pick a destination and go. There is always something to inspire them and something to learn. Watching the joy on my children’s faces as they tried a new language with some success was quite wonderful. Seeing centuries old architecture in the midst of a vibrant, modern city fascinated them. They have gained an appreciation of travel and exploring new destinations that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Travel can indeed be life-changing. At Covington, one of our greatest rewards is to make it possible for our clients to have their own defining moments in travel. Have you taken a trip that has transformed you in some way? We love your stories, so please share it here or on our Facebook page.