It is hard to believe that 2017 has come and gone, but the past few weeks have given me time to reflect on the past year and my plans for the next. The Travel Fairy has had a banner year professionally, and I am thrilled to share what I have learned this year, and what is in store for the next.
This year I felt like I was truly on top of the world with all of my travels.
I kicked it off with a professional development trip to Chicago to attend Virtuoso on Tour. I was thrilled that my agency decided to affiliate with the world’s best travel consortium, and I took advantage of this two-day conference to meet with several hundred suppliers representing, hotels, cruise lines and tour operators from around the world.
In March, I had the pleasure of spending four nights at the Club Med in Ixtapa with my daughter Emma. I loved being surrounded by mountains on a beautiful beach with a never ending list of things to do - and we did it all from snorkeling to kayaking to the trapeze.
In the spring, I escorted my first large group of 70 people to Punta Cana for spring break. I took advantage of this opportunity to stay in two different resorts and tour 12 others. My family loved the two-bedroom master suite at the Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real, and I had a great day hosted by Casa de Campo, where I could really experience everything that the resort has to offer.
The summer was spent exploring the Southeast, culminating in a trip to drop off my daughter for her freshman year at the University of South Carolina. We spent time in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, and the highlight of these little excursions was a wonderful stay at the Keswick Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. The grounds are beautiful, and it didn’t take much to imagine that we were in Tuscany and not just a couple hours from home.
With one child out of the house, the next one driving, and the next two thoroughly independent, I made the decision to embark on some serious travel myself. It began in September with a trip to Cabo for an educational conference where I was able to network with fellow agents and suppliers. I also arranged visits to many of the hotels in the Virtuoso portfolio and stayed at the beautiful Esperanza. In addition, I had the opportunity to do a bunch of ship inspections, including the Oceania Insignia in Boston, the Disney Magic in New York, and the Norwegian Epic and the Holland America ms Koningsdam in Florida.
In October, I embarked on a ten-day adventure through Croatia and Montenegro. It was definitely a bucket list trip, and I can’t wait to share these two destinations with you. I visited the cities of Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Kotor and the islands of Hvar and Korcula, where I discovered the charm of each location. The boutique hotels, exceptional food and wine culture and centuries of history make it an amazing destination with something for everyone.
The end of the year was spent on Marco Island, Florida with family. I had never been to the west coast of Florida, and it was beautiful! The fine white sand, calm and clear water of the gulf, and the amazing shells are among the many reasons to visit.
Wishing all of you health and happiness and loads of travel in the New Year!
