People often ask me why I became a travel agent, and the real answer isn’t simple. It’s not because I’ve always had a passport full of stamps or because I grew up jet‑setting around the world. It’s because, time after time, life handed me reasons not to pursue this path… and somehow, I kept finding my way back to it.
I finished my very first travel agent training just weeks before 9/11.
One moment, the travel industry felt full of opportunity. The next, the entire world stopped. Flights were grounded. Agencies closed. The future of travel felt uncertain in a way none of us had ever seen before.
My new career—this dream I had worked so hard for—dried up almost overnight.
I told myself, maybe it’s just not meant to be right now.
So I stepped back. But the spark never fully went out.
Years later, that spark flared again. I followed it all the way to Carnival Cruise Lines. I threw myself into the training, worked hard, completed it, and finally felt like I had found the right place at the right time.
And then, literally the day after I completed my training, the world shut down.
COVID.
Cruising stopped globally. Ships docked indefinitely. And me?
Again… I never even got to start.
Two times I chased the travel industry.
Two times the world came to a halt.
You can imagine the trepidation. The hesitation. The “Is this a sign?” moments.
Twice isn’t coincidence—it almost felt personal.
Because even when the world shut down, the desire to explore didn’t.
People still dreamed of beaches, mountains, and new cities. We still longed for connection, adventure, and the feeling of stepping into someplace entirely new.
And I realized:
My passion wasn’t really about travel itself.
It was about people.
Helping them plan moments they would remember forever.
Giving them something to look forward to—especially when the world feels heavy.
Turning their dream trips into real, lived experiences.
Travel isn’t just itineraries or bookings. It’s joy.
It’s healing.
It’s hope.
And hope always comes back.
So here I am.
Trepidations? Yes.
Excitement? Absolutely.
Determination? Unshakable.
If the world throws another disaster at me, well… I already know I can get back up. I’ve done it twice.
Becoming a travel agent wasn’t the smooth path I imagined when I first started all those years ago. But maybe that’s exactly why I appreciate it so much now. The setbacks didn’t stop me—they shaped me.
And now, I’m finally doing the work I always felt called to do.