Kenya: Completed it

A normal afternoon in my office, doing my thing, sorting those holidays and the phone rings. I answered only to be told I had won a camping trip to Kenya, Africa. First thought: ‘You’re have a laugh?’ Second thought: ‘I can’t do that!’

I had entered a competition for it so why I was so shocked, I still can’t explain. My obviously wonderful entry into the competition was a quick fire poem, written on my train journey home two weeks prior.

There once was a girl called Ella,

Who wanted to go to Kenya,

Never having been before,

There is nothing she wants more,

Camping isn’t her usual style,

But it has been a while,

Who can make her dreams come true?

Why, Intrepid always do!

I was quietly pleased with my poem, being no Shakespeare. I submitted my entry and thought what will be will be, and left it at that. Only to have the phone call, now the complicated decision of if I was capable of completing the trip.  Suffering with anxiety when it comes to travelling anyway, however this was hardly your usual fly and flop sort of holiday. I was going to be camping for 6 nights in the Kenyan Bush, some nights with no facilities (showers or toilets). Now I don’t think of myself a high maintenance person when it comes to my appearance. I don’t wear make up on a daily basis and love of bit of dry shampoo. However when simple things such as not being able to wash my face and teeth twice a day aren’t available, I wouldn’t be on top form, put it that way.

After taking of advise from family, work colleagues and friends, I somehow found myself saying yes to the trip..followed by eight weeks of panic.

Sleeping bag, walking boots, malaria tablets, just a few things from my packing list which I didn’t all ready own. I spent the weeks presiding the trip mostly in the Mountain Warehouse store, so much so the guys who worked there knew my name! This was soooooo far out of my comfort zone, I hardly camped in my own country for goodness sakes! Kenya was one thing, given the distance from home, camping was the other

 

I am not going to go into great detail of the trip as it would take 3 separate blog posts. However:

Ella’s Kenya Experience in a Nutshell

After spending the night before leaving for Heathrow telling myself I couldn’t do it and I didn’t want to go, the time had come to get on the train and head down to the airport. Crying all the way to the station with my mum driving, telling her that I didn’t want to go isn’t the ideal way to say goodbye to your nearest and dearest before heading to Africa. However she handled it and told me I was going to have a great time. Annoyingly my mother is ALWAYS right.

The kindness I have been shown on this trip has really made me think about life and how it should be lived. From the girl at Manningtree train station seeing me upset and standing next to me and chatting to take my mind of it, from the agents on this trip who made me feel so at ease and like I had known them all my life, to the Kenyan people who can live with so little, yet be so happy. All of these factors plus so many more managed to make me see that I CAN go to Kenya for 10 days, of course I can.

Anxiety can get the better of you and convince you that you can’t get over a hurdle, despite how much you want to get to the other side. But I did get to the other side, and I wouldn’t swap it for anything.

Seeing Simba sleeping in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, the elephants crossing in front of the truck, the Giraffe blocking the walkway we were in, campfire evening with the Masai, the fabulous friends made, the laughs (so many laughs) we had, the amazing food prepared by Albert the camp chef, the superb driving in some dicey conditions from Stoney and lastly our spectacular tour leader Mambo who I think could run for president!

Intrepid Travel are an escorted touring company trying to change the way we travel for the better, using responsible methods such as:

Our style of travel involves:

• Real life experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding.
• Using public transport (where possible).
• Staying in smaller-scale locally owned accommodation (where possible).
• Buying locally produced food and drink, and purchasing souvenirs from local artisans.
• Spreading the economic benefits of travel by purchasing from a range of local suppliers.
• Minimising plastic waste (where possible).
• Careful management of limited energy and water resources.
• Avoiding the exploitation of the vulnerable – including women, children, animals and endangered species.

They were also the one of the first companies to ban elephant rides on their tours plus changing the way for many other animals. They believe that wild animals should be viewed – with no contact or interaction – doing what they do best: living in the wild.

Keep travelling with Intrepid, and they can keep it up!

Thank you Intrepid, it was a blast. If I can do this, anyone can do anything.

https://www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/animal-welfare

Humans of New York

“The great thing about New York is that if you sit in one place long enough, the whole world comes to you.” 

― Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York: Stories

Society has made turning 21 into a sparkling mirage. I personally had no need for the parties, presents or prosecco.  Birthdays now last for the month leading up to and after, not for me. I hate being the centre of attention in all situations, I must take after my mother who was mortified when we sung happy birthday at her 50th birthday party in front of 70+ people.  So..when I got around to my 21st year on earth, I wasn’t sure on how to celebrate. My mum, as all mums do.. had the answer.

My gift from my parents being a considerable amount of money, I was given instructions for it to be put towards a flight ticket. Now still being young and at the start of my career, I hardly had the funds for two weeks all inclusive in the Maldives. I pondered..and then I got it. I was buying a ticket to the mecca that was New York City. I had been before, but only for a few days on a whistle stop east coast tour. Now I was facing a whole week in the Big Apple. I was able to stay with some relatives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in their penthouse apartment. Being my grandmother’s (who has been gone for 20 years now) cousin, I had never spent a lot of time with these relatives. They opened their home to me, provided dinner on numerous occasions..not forgetting inviting me to a gala..the address for this being Number 4 Times Square. Really once in a lifetime experiences, and I will be forever grateful to them for their hospitality.

View from No. 4 Times Sqaure

Now I am not going to list my many adventures that I had in this week in the big city…I would love to but it would be very boring. I am pondering today on the acts of kindness and politeness I have witnessed while in New York. The city can sometimes be considered to be big and brash, but the humans of New York are like no other people I have met.

 The first time I went to New York with my parents, there was one experience that sounds out to me more than any other which we all still talk about today. I believe we were near Newark Airport and wanting to get back to Manhattan. We must have had the usual British tourist look about us, standing there with our map, looking around for signs to point us in the right direction. While we stood there in our confusion, a man approached us. He was a tramp, he was huge, in both directions. Big, terrifying, tall with arms as thick as tree trunks, he didn’t give one the air of someone to approach and ask for directions. Now I was only 16 at the time, I was ignorant and judgemental and I hold my hands up that I did judge this man before I gave him a chance.

‘Where you folks goin’?’

Now my mum, anyone who knows her will agree that she doesn’t have a judgmental bone in her body. She turned around to him and said ‘oh yes, thank you, we are trying to get to Manhattan, which train do we need to get on?’ We were told to follow him.

Mum keeping up with him, which was no mean feet as he was so tall and one of his strides was two of hers, me and Dad followed on behind. I remember looking at him, and he looking at me, we were both thinking ‘that’s it, we are going to be kidnapped and taken hostage, what is she doing?!?!’ If Mum hadn’t have been doing such a good job of keeping up with him, we would have run in the opposite direction. But she was steaming on ahead, so we had no choice. The only silver lining was that we would be together.

We could not have been more wrong, he was nothing but kind, polite and respectful. He took us to the ticket machine on the platform, pressed some buttons and told us it will be $15. As Dad took out his wallet (one thing I had been extremely nervous about) the tramp stood so far back from the machine to show that he had no intentions of swiping it. The transaction was done. Dad gave him a couple of dollars for his trouble and he said:

‘You want that side, it’ll be 3 minutes’

As we said goodbye and he was off on his way, the relief swept over me. This taught me a valuable lesson. I have always used the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ which I thought I had been good at living my life by. But this really did hit home for me what assumptions can be made by someone’s appearance..and how wrong I was.

On my more recent trip to NYC, as it drew to a close, we thought we should get a gift for my relatives who had housed us for the week. We decided that some flowers would be a nice gesture. We googled while we were in Starbucks, looking for a reasonable but quality florist that would be able to make us a bunch of flowers to take back to Brooklyn. We found Starbright Floral Design, 140 West 26th Street. We entered and told the girl on the desk what we wanted and that we wanted to spend about $40, she left to make up the bouquet. She came back from time to time to check we liked what she was doing. It looked great and we were very pleased. It came to pay and I took out my purse. Being our last day we were keen to use our change, so there was a moment of confusion before I approached the desk with the correct money. We still aren’t sure if this was just a random act of kindness or she thought we didn’t have the money to pay the full amount, but she turned to me and said:

‘Just give me twen’y’

I stammered and was caught off guard so I pushed the $40 into her hands, but she rung it through and gave me twenty back. We were amazed. That someone who uses their hands and craft to make a product to sell, was able to give us half our money back. The amount of flowers in the bouquet must have totalled more than twenty bucks, so she wasn’t earning anything for her time. Again another lesson for me, that selfishness doesn’t make the world go round, selflessness does.

The generosity, respect and kindness I have been shown on both trips, not just from my own family, is really was like another world. In London everyone goes from A to B, no one acknowledges anyone else. We are invisible to one another and what we have to say is more important than what anyone else can contribute.

If you see someone lost in your local city or town, ask them if you can help. Ask if they need any guidance. I was asked numerous times while in New York if they could point me in the right direction. I remember looking for the Guggenheim, and a lady in her 60s gave me directions, despite me not openly asking for them. I have a feeling she was impressed that someone of my age was looking for a museum, instead of where Sarah Jessica Parker lives!

We could learn a lot from the people of New York.

 

 

the customer is always right…

 

There are many questions/statements and queries that we get asked every day, as I’m surely is the case in many customer services offices. In a non travel agents mind I’m sure, probably sensible questions. The statement ‘the customer is always right’ springs to mind. Having worked in two busy customer service industries, I have pondered in this statement many times. I thought I would summarise a few of the things we us travel agents get asked on a daily basis, I will leave it up to you to decide.

 

 

‘In your spare time, do you check prices for holidays?’

Frustrating for two reasons. The first one being we are a travel agency. We aren’t going to be checking house prices in the local area, or the rise and fall of the stock markets. The second, we are a small but busy store, and as well as seeing the customers in the shop, on the phone and on emails, we don’t exactly have ‘spare time’ in office hours. There is always something that needs doing, even if it’s filling the brochure stands, the store wouldn’t run unless those jobs get done.

‘What deals have you got on at the moment?’

Ask any high street travel agent in the country and find one who doesn’t get asked this at least once a week. The word ‘deals’ is enough to put you off your cup of cold coffee. We always look for the best price holidays, but in the 21st century world that we live in, a holiday price can change within minutes. The days of looking in a brochure and booking it for the price stated are long gone, if indeed were ever here. We don’t have a catalogue of cheap bargain holidays. It would need updating every ten minutes! Ain’t no body got time for that!

‘How much is Madeira?’

A colleague was asked this with no further explanation. No dates, no duration, for how many, from which airport. You may as well be asking how much to buy the whole island! 

‘I know you haven’t booked my holiday yet, but I want to know when can I book my seat numbers on the plane?’

The bane of our life’s (I speak for all travel agents everywhere). Maybe for me the most insignificant part of my holiday would be were I sat on the plane. Customers will be more concerned about their exact position on the aircraft than actually having a confirmed booking. Trying to explain that you have to book a flight for them first before being able to choose their seat, we may as well be speaking Swahili. And to ask them to pay for them?!? It’s your own funeral.

‘But surely if you tell these companies your customers aren’t happy paying a single supplement they will change it?’

As much as we would love to have the power to slash prices, tick every box and meet every criteria, I’m afraid it just isn’t going to happen. We should take it as a compliment that our clients think we have so much influence. We are just the massagers, don’t shoot us please!

‘Will it rain in Vietnam on November?’

Enough said…

‘How much is the Pez Espada?’

Sorry what is that? A Spanish flu?

‘How much will this cruise be if I book it after I get back from my holiday?’

Now, we wish more than anyone that we were telepathic and could see into the future. Believe me, we would have made our fortunes elsewhere a good long time ago. 

‘Why has there not been an arrangement made for my online check in to be done earlier?’

Personally I think I am no more important than anyone else on our beautiful planet.  But some people for one reason or another, think differently. Being under the impression one of the biggest international airlines in the world would make an exception so they could check in earlier than anyone else. Put it this way, if Richard Branson only has 24 hours, so do you.

‘As repeat passengers, I think the cruise line should make an exception to their bringing on board policy’

Similar lines to the previous statement, being one of millions of passengers on cruise ships every year, your repeat custom won’t make much of a difference I’m afraid.

‘If I go to France, will I find someone who speaks English? How would I know if they speak English before asking them?’

If you need to ask this question, I wonder if you should be going at all!!

 

I hope this gives you some small insight into a day of a travel agent. Sometimes we scream, cry or bang our heads on our desks. Most of the time we laugh, giggle and that makes the day go a quicker. But the general public and their quirks is what makes the world go round. The customer isn’t always right but it would be a very boring world if we all thought in the same way…wouldn’t it? 

 

 

 

Scrap-books

 A compulsory part of my holidays/fam trips/weekend away, is a scrap-book. Nothing is more satisfying than a full book full of photos, souvenirs, bits of rubbish really to other people. But for me, a scrapbook is full of things that I will remember forever.

 The first one I completed was during my trip to Disneyland Paris in 2016. Believe it or not this was my first time out of the country without at least one of my parents, or at least I think it was. And being the most magical place on earth, I had nothing to worry about. With my best friend by my side, we had a great weekend in Disneyland, with only a slight hiccup at the end.

 Not having started my job in travel, I used the travel agency which, little did I know was to become my place of work in 6 months time. I booked my Eurostar and four nights at the Kyriad Hotel. A short bus ride from the parks it was ideal. We were on a bit of a budget so it was perfect for us. On arriving in St Pancras train station, we thought we had plenty of time so we stopped for a coffee. Only when we sat down did we realise we had five minutes to check in or we would miss the train. This is so typical of our travels, a younger (and slightly prettier, we hope) version of the Chuckle Brothers. After a mad dash to the gate and through security, we did make it. Sitting here thinking how I now do this most days now to catch my train too and from work. Ahaha.

 

 

 After four fabulous days in the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney Studios, getting up at the crack of dawn to meet Mickey, queuing forever to meet my Disney Queen, Jessie from Toy Story we were about to head home. I forgot to mention that my friend had fractured her ankle 3 days before we left for Disneyland, so she was hobbling about after 4 days in Disney. We headed to the Eurostar Station for our 14:00 train, just to find out that the train didn’t actually leave until 6:30pm! My dyslexic head got my numbers confused and we now had just less than 5 hour to kill. As my friends ankle was double the size it usually was, we thought it was better to sit and wait it out. Luckily for us it was a beautiful September day in the Disney Village, so much so I had to keep moving to hide from the sun. As a ghostly pale red-head, the rays aren’t my friend.

 So with just over 4 hours to kill, we needed something to occupy our time. We had both bought a signature book which we had got a couple of characters to sign. With lots of empty pages and time to fill, with the use of nail scissors and first aid tape we both made a scrap-book to show all that we had done during our weekend. Hence, my tradition was born. On my return home, I filled the spaces I had left with photos and it was complete. A few months later, while routing around in the loft through the photo boxes, I found a whole pile of scrapbooks made by my grandparents during their holidays in their camper van. Not being keen on flying and not being quite the same experience as it is today, they drove all over Europe in their camper van, doing the same as me along the way. I always knew these books existed, but me being able to carry on this tradition me very happy.

So for every place I go I have a scrapbook. I also have a note-book which I list all the things I have done during this trips. The things I necessarily don’t have a photo of, but that I don’t want to forget. When I’m old and grey and can’t get out of my chair, let alone the country, I will be able to relive all of the memories.

absolutely, the best part

‘fam trip (plural fam trips) (Britain, hospitality industry) A free (or low cost) trip for travel agents or consultants, provided by a travel operator or airline as a means of promoting their service.’

Now, this isn’t to say we spend most of out time out of the country. 95% of the time we get up, go to work and go home. But that other 5% and (in my opinion) the best part of being a travel agent is the trips to different corners of the world.

Some call them educationals, some call them fam trips. Whatever you call them, I don’t think there is any greater perk in any other job. During my first fam trip, I had to constantly reminding myself that I was being paid to go to the most beautiful part of Italy, sit on the beach, eat, drink, swim and drink. Now, don’t get me wrong. They aren’t all like that, colleagues have reported visiting 20 hotels a day, with no let up in-between.  I have been incredibly lucky with both of my trips. There were incredibly chilled out, and I love every minute of it.

Here, just a snippet of what I got up to on my educationals last year, the best (not full weeks) of my life.

PUGLIA – 20th May 2017

As stated in my previous post, being away from home hasn’t always been the easiest thing. Anything out of my comfort zone really, I would rather not take part in. However, that had to change when I was offered 4 nights in Puglia Region of Italy..completely free. Forgive me for the cliché, but it did honestly change my life.

Puglia is an undiscovered gem of Italy. With hardly any tourists around, beaches like the Caribbean, the freshest food and local wine, I don’t know what more you could ask for from a holiday destination. For a family, couples, friends, anyone! You don’t need an excuse to go to Puglia.

SÖLDEN – 12th Dec 2017

After my trip to Italy, when the opportunity of the a skiing educational turned up, I was that hands in the air emoji (if only there was a ginger one). I have skied my whole life and the chance to ski for free, meet amazing people and travel to Austria which I had never done before, was too good to turn down.

Personal highlight for me, Sölden is the location where the latest James Bond film Spectre. One of my favourite films! I don’t think he actually skied in the film, but I like to pretend I have skied in the same place as Daniel.

It is for reasons I have mentioned already which is why the travel industry is such a good place to work. I have made friends on these trips which I am still in contact with on a regular basis. They will be friends for life and memories forever.

If there is anyone out there thinking a job in travel might be for them, but scared to take the plunge, all I can say is go for it. It was the best choice I ever made and I know that you won’t regret it.

If I can do it, anyone can.

Just starting out

If you’d have told me a year ago, I would be winding my way to Norwich on the train everyday, I would have said you’d had to many Bailey’s over the Festive period.

Twelve months since I started my new career, save to say, the best year of my (nearly) 22 years on this planet. On the 21st December 2016, I had my first day as a Trainee Travel Consultant. ‘What have a let myself in for?’ and ‘take me back to my comfy bank job’ springs to mind. With so much to learn and everyone else knowing what they were doing, it seemed like a mountain to climb, to be back to the standard I was at in my previous job. From knowing everything inside and out, back to front and the right way round, to being back at square one, in an industry I knew nothing about was very daunting. I have since lost my trainee status and moved offices, I feel things couldn’t be better.

The main reason for me applying/accepting a job in travel was for personal reasons as well as a change in career. Never being that comfortable with staying away from home, wanting to experience different cultures and places in the world but never feeling I could, was annoying me. It was time for a change and to go out of my comfort zone.

And here I am a whole year on, looking back in 2017 as the best year ever. I have met some incredible people, friends that I will have for life. Been to some beautiful places. Travelled half way across the world on my own!! Met family members I never knew I had. And found myself a career that I will have forever. Not many people can say that at the age of (nearly) 22. Also, there aren’t many people who can say they love their job as I do.

During this blog, I’m hoping I will be able to show others into the weird and wonderful life of a travel agent. The day-to-day and year-to-year events that happen in a travel agency. Personally, I think a ‘One born every minute’ style documentary of a travel agency office would go viral, but this will have to do for now.

I’m going places, and I’m taking you with me.