One Hundred Times But Keeping My Day Job

Taking the good with the bad is a fact of life and as a blogger/itinerary planner, I must admit the processing experience has not always been ‘rosy.’  Last week I submitted my one hundredth post and it felt good to reach that milestone, but it didn’t come without its challenges.  While I can’t speak for every writer/blogger I can certainly tell you that writing an interesting post from week to week is not always an easy task without running the risk of sounding trite or frivolous.

One of the promises I made as a blogger to my readership and to myself is to always be true and transparent.  When I started this website and blog, the intention was to keep my readership informed on travel related matters and publish at least once a week, but there were times that I missed deadlines.  There are several reasons for that, but the most important ones are these:  I had nothing interesting or important to talk about, over-extended myself and was too busy, or in a sad funk about circumstances affecting me.  These reasons are all subjective but nonetheless real.

I love to write but after this 100th post it is clear that I should keep my day job 😝. When I’m inspired, writing flows easily and naturally, especially when the subject matter is of particular interest to me.  All the posts that I’ve published so far are expressions of my thoughts, life experiences, and I hope my writer’s voice is clearly heard.

Community Peeps, even though you may not be keeping tabs on me, I still want to keep it real. I celebrate this achievement knowing that you have an interest in what I bring to the table, whenever I post.  Thanks for your affirmations, comments and likes.  It means a lot to me.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comment in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

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Itinerary Planner

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Itinerary Planning Is For Everyone

Yesterday I learned of the passing of I. M. Pei, a world renowned architect.  His more notable works include the Louvre pyramid in Paris, and the John F. Kennedy Library in Massachusetts.   The sad news announcement brought back memories of my encounter of working with him, not directly, but indirectly.   21 years ago, I had the pleasure of organizing and working on a conference that featured him as the keynote speaker.  I can still recall the excitement among my colleagues at the asset management company where I worked in New York City.  Little did I know then that my itinerary planning skills were being honed to cater to the rich and famous, and which I would also use to render service to others many years later.

In the financial boutique, the finance planners were some of the brightest and best in their field.  The small group was wealthy, educated and tight-knit.  They were hand-picked by the company’s owner and were backed by a prominent Asian tire company.  In retrospect, the planning of the conference taught me the nuts and bolts of itinerary planning.  No stone was left upturned and no expense spared to ensure the conference was spectacular, auspicious and impressive.

The event was held in Paris and a few of the top brass flew to the event on board the supersonic jet – Concorde.   Booking those tickets were also an exciting to-do.  Obviously, this notable transportation had to be booked months in advance and cost thousands of dollars.  Before the conference, some colleagues flew to Indonesia for custom made dress fittings for the event.  The gift tokens, including the specially crafted wooden pens in bamboo cases, rice paper note-pads, name tags, and other fine touches helped to make the event extra special.  Many hours of paying attention to every detail, meeting with managers, consulting with business partners, briefing and debriefing the CEO on the organizational progress was stressful at times.

However, working with the office of I. M. Pei was professional and cordial.  No major or unrealistic demands were made on his behalf.  Even though I did not attend the event, from all accounts, the function went off without a hitch.  I take this opportunity to offer condolences to the Pei family.

Community Peeps, organizing and planning travel itineraries is for everyone, whether it is a large, small, executive or individual account,.   Still, this particular event was one I could hardly forget.  Remembering how my itinerary planning skills were developed over the years and by what means is humbling.  Paying attention to every detail then helped to perfect my craft, but now, serves to ensure plans meet my customer’s satisfaction today.  Do you have a special skill you use to benefit others even though at the time you only considered it a part of your 9 – 5 job?  Share your experience in the comment box below.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comments in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

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Itinerary Planner

 

Uptick in Female Solo Travel

Solo travel among women has risen dramatically according to an article in Forbes.  Is it a cause for concern?  Probably not.  Though the article primarily addresses the top 20 places women are traveling to, one cannot help but ponder the issue of personal safety as women go it alone on their bespoke adventure trails.  To give this issue more depth another recent article reported the kidnapping of an American women while on a safari in Uganda and highlighted the dangers women or solo travelers face.

Traveling alone should be approached with sobriety and thoughtful planning.  Though some dangers are avoidable, there are those that are simply premeditated.  Let me explain.  Every solo journey, I am acutely aware of my surroundings, people and activities.  My behavior adapts to suit the environment I am in.  My guard is heightened, watchful and I approach everything with caution.  For example, while on vacation in Fez, Morocco, as I was walking on the street, my eyes locked with a man on the opposite side of the road.  In my usual manner, I smiled and carried on walking.  He smiled too.  It wasn’t long before I realized he was trying to engage my attention by smiling whenever I looked in his direction.  If I walked faster, he kept pace, and if I slowed, he did the same.  I was concerned but not overly frightened because we were on a busy street.  I decided to go to the recreational plaza near to the riad where I was staying and sure enough, he followed me there.  I sat in the square where mothers with their children and older men gather to socialize.  He lingered too.  I kept a watchful eye on him.  He kept on looking at me.  I sat at an angle where I could see him and waited until he became distracted to make my move.  I ran to the riad as fast as I could to elude him.  I didn’t look back.  Whether he was trying to be friendly, wanted to harm me or some other sinister act, I was not sticking around to find out.   Knowing what to do in suspicious circumstances may help to pre-empt any mishaps or disasters.  However, even with adopting the utmost care in itinerary planning, stuff happens, like the guy following me and the kidnapping case in Uganda (even though the gravity of the latter is much more serious than the former).

Solo travel has been my modus operandi for many years.  I love the freedom it gives me, and I have good and bad memories of such times at home and abroad.  It is imperative that one pay close attention to all that is going on and not become too immersed in the events or happenings around them.  Keeping your wits about you is paramount to being safe.   So, what can women do to safeguard themselves in questionable or dangerous places?  Try these simple tips when you vacation alone:

1. Do not take any questionable risks. Read travel advisories before you embark on your trip.
2. Always leave a daily plan with your close friends and family.
3. Use social media to keep everyone in the loop on your whereabouts. Take lots of photos and post daily commentaries of your activities to your chat sites, forums or media page.
4. Do not deviate from your planned daily itinerary. If for some reason a change must be made, alert others of the change immediately.
5. Do not attract attention to yourself by being obnoxious, rude, or flashy.
6. Wear loose fitting clothing that does not hug the body or draw attention to your curves. While this may not be a reason to precipitate an attack, it is a sensible approach to eliminate any unbalanced desires to do so.
7. Stay close to your guide, large groups or within crowded areas.
8. Complete your sightseeing activities within time frames that have the most pedestrian traffic.
9. Avoid walking or traveling lonesome roads. Stay in well lit areas if out at night.
10. Know where you are going and what to expect when you get there. Be vigilant and observant of your surroundings at all times.

Community Peeps, especially my female counterparts, enough cannot be said about adopting safe travel practices whilst on vacation.  Have you or any of your loved ones encountered a situation that was a cause for concern, or because of the safety measures you used you were able to avoid a danger?  Share about the encounter in the comment box provided below.  Equally, your thoughts or tips would be appreciated too.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comments in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are always appreciated.  Thank you for reading.

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Itinerary Planner

 

What’s Your ID?

There are many reasons why people blog, but the most basic reason is to share.  It is just that simple.  Everything shared may not be interesting, worthwhile, or profound.  However, whatever is shared has an audience.  No matter what is written or how it is written, the post will appeal to someone.  It will ring a bell, resonate and find a home in the heart of another blogger or reader.  That is why blogging is so intriguing.  It does not have to fit one particular mold.   It is flexible.  If you don’t like what you read/see, you move on.

For me, blogging and maintenance has become a relaxing activity to engage in at the end of the day.  My once-a-week posting commitment and daily perusal of other blogs works well with my busy schedule.  Since starting this online regimen, it has proven to be enlightening, informative, and even hilarious.  Over the course of time, responses are more forth coming and I am getting to know my followers, recognizing their work and receiving their feedback.  Likewise, I am more apt to comment on what I like, send kudos, and thumbs-up more readily.

A by-product of blogging is following and liking another blogger’s material.  One of the first things that capture my attention is the blogger’s pseudo-name.  I am drawn into wondering how they came about their name and the story behind it.  Some names are easy to identify especially when you can tell it’s a person’s name or their pet’s.  To help you understand what’s behind the name, their articles bare out their interests and makes the name choice clearer.

Paying close attention to those who connect with me through likes and follows, I often find myself reading their identifier to figure out what they are all about before I read their actual post (I know I’m not the only one who does this😊).  For example, I go by the name “Itinerary Planner.”   Self-explanatory, right?  At least I hope so.  Not all identifiers are that easy, but that may be the intention of the blogger.  If so, mission accomplished.  Still, many that I come across are puzzling and beg my attention, in such a way, that I conjure up possible meanings if it is unclear even after reading the post or from their specific posting tags and categories.

My moniker if you guessed, appropriately hints at what I like to do – organize events and plan customized vacations.  I even have the tag all to myself on WordPress 😊.  Other categories such as: itineraries, lifestyle, travel tips, places visited, food, accommodation, and more are of interest to me too.  When these categories are intertwined with travel, then I receive palmary inspiration for the blog.

Some IDs are creative, some combined names, some phrases even.  I simply like to guess what they are all about.  I may be dead wrong at first, but hooked, I must find out who they are and where their interests lie.

So, what does your ID say about you?  Does it make others go ‘hmmmm’ or is it clearly understood?   Here are a few pseudo-names from my community of followers (sorry guys I can’t list all of you).  Look at them, then check out their blogs to see if you guessed correctly.  Your guess may be spot on or you may be in for a surprise.

Readers, I’ve playfully involve these few in this exercise, but alternatively, I hope it gives them more exposure and drive a lot of traffic their way.  To do so you must click the links to their blogs below:

Sportsdiva64

PT Passages

Globetrotting Grandpa

Roadtirement

Nuh Mock Sport

Travelingpersecond

Alaska or Bust

Crank and Cog

Nikkidiscovers

Meshasexperience

Community Peeps tell me if you like to unscramble names and guess what the blogger is all about too.  It is always great when I hear from you.  Please share your thoughts.  Next post will talk of upcoming travel plans and what is on the horizon for 2019.

Readers, as usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comments in the box below.  Your interest, time and attention are appreciated.  Thanks for reading.

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Itinerary Planner

Comments Matter

Itinerary planning can be an involved and consuming process when plotting vacation activities, a customer may request.  You know, the kind of holiday they would want to talk about and comment on for the rest of their life.  The one that meets their needs, covers all the bases and scores a home-run in terms of fun and excitement.  A bespoke itinerary requires lots of research and double-checking.  The planner many times goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the agenda is doable, affordable and possible.  While man hours are clocked, it behooves the planner to ensure the I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed for a happy client.  No stone is left turned just to satisfy the patron.

The astute planner knows the voice of satisfaction gives much impetus to future referrals.  By the same token, a dissatisfied customer affects future referrals or a lack thereof with a negative impact. The traveler’s opinion and satisfaction can cast a ripple effect far and wide to other travelers seeking information on particular subjects related to their travels.  For example, every time I travel to a foreign country, I check the reports of others.  Their tell-all experience at hotels/hostels/Airbnb’s, and selecting tour operator/agencies, whether true or lie help to shape my decision.  Not a few are reviewed, until I am satisfied and can make a more educated decision.   Once I begin to scout opinions, experiences, and references, the search may reveal general commonalities among the many reports.

What am I looking for specifically, you might ask?   A vote of confidence, a cohesive review, a recent testimonial, and/or clear warning signs.  Common sense should prevail.   Some grievances may be taken with a grain of salt (one’s subjective experience may not be another’s), but glaring violations should be heeded.  I still believe the adage, “where there is smoke, there is fire.”  Comments usually have a measure of truth to them.

For every planned destination, I peruse the comments section in travel forums and chat sites, of surveyed guests, or read columns of gurus, who for a living commentate on subject matter relevant to my interests, and just to get an idea or bearing on a place, activity or accommodation.  Customer comments carry much weight and can help or hinder a business’s progress.  In the past, I have received after every travel, surveys, seeking my honest opinion of my experience or stay at the hotel.  Whether the survey is given during a tour or taken after, the client’s comments have the power to positively or negatively impact the business.

Public accounts or travel sites that posts acknowledgements of grievances with a positive response to fix, to make better or even to look into the customer’s complaint, proactively deflects further negative comments, at least for a while, and may still elicit the interest of itinerary speculators such as myself.  Wherever I go on my travels and whenever I am surveyed, my responses are always honest and straightforward, but never unkind.  Comments matter and are a useful tool to effect change.  Therefore, one should always be keen on adding their two-cents for a better outcome.

Community Peeps, how much weight do you put into the research comments you read before travel, or your survey responses after travel?  Never surveyed?  Or, surveyed but never got any feedback on action taken?  How about sharing your experiences here and now?   Let me know your thoughts on the subject.  Post your comment in the box below.

As usual, I invite you to click follow to receive timely updates, select like to show your love and support.  Share this post on your social media site.  Write your comments in the box below.  Thanks for reading.

More times,

Itinerary Planner