Doing something you Love...

Recently joining The Travel Team in Seattle, WA has been one of the best moves of my life. I've traveled fairly far and away, met incredible individuals, jumped off cliffs and lived in a bus. Many people have varying opionions on the phrase, "Find something you love to do and find a way to make a living doing it." One opinion is not to mix work with pleasure. That's what the owner of the company I left to work here told me on my way out the door after a mere month and a half on the job. I am taking the phrase literally. Anyone who has traveled knows what I'm talking about. How can I incorporate this life passion into making some cash.

Trust yourself when your intuition says you need to hit the road and travel. Work can wait. Life will not. Traveling IS life. That happened to me as I was standing in the cold office of my previous employer, "You need to find a job in the travel industry or travel." I've had this thought since I was nineteen and here it is again, ten years later. This time, I've chosen the work part.

Only a month into my former job, I found myself on trusty old craigslist looking for something different. Third listing down in a job category I normally don't check...Travel Assistant and Marketing Manager position in Seattle. Brilliant!

Here I am almost two months into the job and I don't even flinch when I have to get up for work. I look forward to it.

See how The Travel Team can change your life with an adventure to Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific or on a Luxurious Cruise. No time like the present my friend!

Cruise in Style

As I was cutting out paper snowflakes last night for an upcoming holiday party, it dawned on me…winter has arrived and with that comes dry skin, cold feet and layers of clothing that do nothing for ones figure, male or female.

Ditch those layers, start lathering on the sunscreen, dig out those flip flops, your heading on a cruise. Cruising is becoming a lifestyle. When you walk onto the ship you “check-out” for the rest of the journey. Never mind packing and repacking your belongings as you move from destination to destination, leave your bed unmade, your toothbrush on the sink and tour the many towns you will visit along the way. Your meals are usually included and the workout room is around the corner. It’s a floating city folks with more to do in one day than most of us can think of accomplishing in a week. No cars to get into, no traffic to deal with. Just kick back and relax. Take part in the activities offered or don’t. It’s your choice.

There are cruises available that take you all OVER the world. Not just the Caribbean, around Hawaii or up to Alaska, but Australia, China, Africa even Tahiti. The right cruise for your pocket book, length of journey, desired destinations, style of onboard activities and weather full of sunshine is there for you.

If you have a bigger pocket of Benjamin Franklin’s and you’re thinking of a more private cruise adventure, you’re in luck. The Titantic days are not long forgotten. Cruise lines are now offering private sun decks, V.I.P. pools and escorted tours at land ports away from the crowds. You can find luxury in this personalized arena if you are willing to pay. It takes you away from the masses and into seclusion, one of the reasons many of us travel.

There are many reasons to take a cruise. Here are just a few:

· Experience many diverse cultures without taking heaps of cramped flights
· Luxury of doing everything or nothing at all
· Never seeing a price on the restaurant menu
· Everyone in the group will find something to do whether they want to or not

Check out these cruise deals that will knock your socks off! You can search by cruise line or by destination. It's up to you!

Remember, the world is 2/3 water and you really haven’t seen the earth until you step on board the ship deck. Welcome aboard!

Tramping New Zealand

Looking to add some adventure - and exercise - to your vacation? Consider going tramping (New Zealand for hiking) - a wonderful way to see this great county’s scenic highlights.

The “Great Walks” are the most well-known and traveled treks, as they cross through some of the country’s best scenery. These 9 tracks are operated by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, offering higher standards of trails and lodging than you might find along other tracks in New Zealand. Consider adding one (or more!) of these treks to your vacation:

• Lake Waikaremoana Track (3-4 days through Hawke’s Bay region)
  
• Tongariro Northern Circuit (3-4 days through the North Island’s volcanic region)
  
• Whanganui Journey (5-day canoe trip in the North Island’s southwest)


• Abel Tasman Coast Track (3-5 days through Abel Tasman National Park)
  
• Heaphy Track (4-6 days through Kahurangi National Park along the South Island’s west coast)


• Routeburn Track (3 days through Mt Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks)


• Mildford Track (4 days from Lake Te Anau to Milford Sound)


• Kepler Track (3-4 days through Fiordland National Park)


• Rakiura Track (3 days through Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island)

Rather than driving to Milford Sound, wouldn’t it be much more exhilarating to tramp through Fiordland National Park? Or, pretend to be Frodo as you journey through Tongariro National Park (Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings).

Don’t be intimidated: there are treks for all abilities, ages, and fitness levels. So, if you have a few more days off, think about adding some tramping to your New Zealand vacation. Check out our Tramping New Zealand package, combining city sightseeing with some guided day-tramps in Tongariro and Marlborough.

Experience the Professional Travel Agent

The Travel Agent is making a welcomed reappearance in the travel industry. Stop spending hours online searching and comparing and trying to remember where you saw what, when. Enjoy your time outside with your dog or chat with a friend. Call a travel agent, talk with her for a few minutes and let her take it from there. How much easier can planning a trip be?

These individuals are specialized in your destination of choice and can get you great airfare and a trip you’ll wish you had taken sooner. They’ll book your accommodations, tours, transfers, flights; give you suggestions…heck they can even get a dozen roses sent to your room before you arrive, all with one phone call.

Agents will work within your budget, share testimonials from other travelers and be more than happy to discuss any concerns you may have. They are professional and have a lot of years under their belt to get you exactly what you want with little effort on your part.

Here are a couple of testimonials from travelers who have booked through an agent:

"Everything about our trip was perfect."

"I would also recommend you to anyone in need of a travel agent - you're the best!"

"All your arrangements were flawless!"

"It's so much nicer to have a friendly, knowledgeable

person to guide me through the process."

"...the best airfare and special attention..."

Bring the personal touch back in your life. Hear the voice of a helpful professional whom you can communicate directly what you desire to experience during your vacation. No surprises, just the simple luxury of having a flawless itinerary and the knowledge that you can call the agent during your trip to tell them how great everything is going or if you need help working out a glitch.

When it’s all said and done, your time is worth a lot – take those hours spent on the internet and spend them doing something you desire to do like bake some cookies or read a book.

The Professional Travel Agent is here for you every moment of your adventure (of course during business hours because they want to go home and read a book too!).