Why Now?

I thought I'd make my first blog post a little about the why I'm doing this.

So, what about travel is so important to me?

Travel has always been something I've loved. Seeing new things, experiencing the new areas you go to, and being with people you love. As a kid, we traveled with both of my parents. Dad took us out west to experience all that had to offer, and Mom took us to Florida. When I got married, we decided we would take at least one trip a year, especially after we started having kids so that we could get away from real life and show our kids different places. Now, we travel at least three times a year, and this year it could be four. To say we are beyond blessed to do that, is an understatement. And we have some really awesome memories from each trip we have taken.

We've been able to go to Disney World, swim with the dolphins in the Cayman Islands, ride a Hawaiian Canoe in Maui and swim with the sea turtles. We've seen 10 different Caribbean islands, and have zip lined and held monkeys on the beach while at a couple of them. We've celebrated Christmas at Sea and this year (2023) we will get to celebrate New Years on a cruise ship too. I could keep going, but a lot of these experiences are ones we will never forget.

And as awesome as all of these trips have been.... the ones we will always and forever remember are the ones we took with my mom to Disney. We were able to go with mom 5 different times to Walt Disney World in Orlando. Each visit was a little different, but each one was just as sweet as the last.

This photo is from our very first trip in 2011, mom is holding my youngest who was 2 at the time.

My mom passed away in March of 2019. She loved Disney. She loved taking her girls and her grandkids to Disney. And I'm so thankful my sister and I made it a priority with our families to go with her each time. Those are memories we will never have the chance to make again. And when you are in the moment of them, you don't realize how important they are until you can't do it again.

Our last trip with mom was in November of 2018. We weren't sure if she would make that trip or not because her cancer diagnosis was not great. We had planned in spring of 2018 to take that trip like normal. We signed up for all the various things we wanted to do, and we were excited. This time we randomly used a Travel Agent to see if it would make our life easier with planning it.

And we are so thankful we did. Mom was diagnosed a few weeks after we booked it. And our Travel Agent was able to help us navigate our trip in regards to mom's diagnosis. We were told by doctors it was a good goal to have in November, but we knew it would be a miracle if she made it there. So we downgraded our trip to just one night at the Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. Mom made it there.. and handled it like only she could. I will never ever forget her riding her scooter down Main Street, taking it all in again while my kids and nephew and niece walked all around her to help her get through the streets. It really was such a bittersweet moment because we knew this time, it was probably the last.

Here we got her to stand up to get a picture with us. Mom looks sad, because well, it was sad/happy all at the same time.

After we experienced Disney for a night, we headed over to the beach so mom could see the beach again with her grandkids. She loved the beach probably more than she loved Disney.

Mom is walking my littlest nephew on the beach here. She couldn't WAIT to collect shells with him.

Having dinner at the pier. Mom looks so good here!

So, I share all of this to say.....

that I want my clients to know that I understand the importance of family travel. I want to help you so much with your trip because I know how much these trips can really mean and how they are going to create such wonderful memories and experiences that you can take with you forever. For---ever.

Of course, not every family travel experience is like mine in regards to mom. All the other trips we've taken without mom, before and after she passed, are all just as important and have the best memories with them as well. But I also did use a Travel Agent when booking mom's trip to Disney the last time, and without her, I would have been even more a mess. She handled it all for us.

And that's what I want to do for my clients. I want to help you. I want to make it less stressful for you. I want your trip to be the best it can be. I want to help you create memories and not worry about anything while you are there. You just get to be there. And BE IN THE MOMENTS.

I hope you take me up on it. I don't think you will regret it.

Take the trip!

--Sarah