Today, January 28, 2020, is National Plan for Vacation Day!
Celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, National Plan for Vacation Day is a day to encourage Americans to plan and use their time off. American workers let 768 million vacation days go unused in 2019, of which 236 million were forfeited completely. Wow!
Let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to you! I can help you put your vacation days to use – Let’s partner and plan your next vacation.
Research shows that individuals who plan are more likely to
use all of their time off, take more vacation days at once and report greater
levels of happiness and success. And that’s where XOOM Tours can help.
I believe, whole-heartedly, that YOU deserve a travel
journey that wows you every step of the way. I’m here to help you design and
plan that, just for you. From educational journeys to anniversary celebrations,
escorted tours to family escapes, you’ll get a detailed itinerary imbued with
VIP access, local flavor, and a whole lot of heart & soul.
Through thorough research and expert design, I’ll plan a
tailored vacation that connects you to your destination in eye-opening ways—and
to the travel companions you share it all with.
And, of course, you’re not having to think of where to go
next, or how to get there. Whether it’s through a custom itinerary or an
organized escorted tour, I take care of all the logistics for you—for a
flawless escape that keeps the focus on the astounding destination you’re
exploring.
“Create experiences that leave you in awe, for these will be the highlight of your life”. ~Ryan Blair
I love experiencing a new culture and learning more about their traditions and customs. It’s enriching, exciting and quite interesting. So, one March morning while exploring Valencia, Spain I set out to see what all the excitement was in the streets and neighboring communities. I knew I was in for a really neat experience. All throughout the city, I noticed many beautiful structures, or ninots (puppets or dolls), on every street corner. Many were taller than the rooftops. Each one was quite unique and brightly colored. I just happened to be walking into the most spectacular and world-famous festival known as Fallas.
Fallas is a traditional Spanish celebration held in commemoration of Saint Joseph and the arrival of Spring. The origin began from a Valencian carpenter’s tradition of using planks of wood called parots to hang their candles on during the winter, as these were needed to provide light to work by. With the coming of the spring, they were no longer necessary, so they were burned.
To this day, crews of artists and artisans, sculptors, painters, and other craftsmen, spend months producing elaborate masterpieces to honor St. Joseph. These fanciful caricatures are created out of paper, wax, wood and polystyrene foam, with some towering up to five stories in height. Each one is produced under the direction of one of the many individual neighborhood casals fallers who vie with each other to attract the best artists, and then to create the most outrageous allegorical monument to their target.
No matter the size or the detail, each ninot tells their own story and is extravagant in their own way. Throughout the festival there is a contest for the best ninot. At the end of the celebration an award is given to one masterpiece and this statue is the only one that is not burned at the end of the festival. The winning ninot is then placed in a museum with the previous winners, which is open to the public during the festival.
The last day of Fallas is March 19th and is known as La Cremà. As day turns to night and darkness sets in, every ninot throughout Valencia is set ablaze. As each statue burns the crowd will slowly move to Plaza del Ayuntamiento where the last statue of the entire festival is burned. This is an amazing sight to see and even from hundreds of feet away you can feel the heat of the flames. Being able to go from statue to statue as you follow the path to the main Plaza is an amazing tradition that you simply need to experience first-hand.
Thousands of people travel from around the world, near and far, just to get a glimpse of this breathtaking festival. From the food to the dancing to all the amazing ninots, Fallas is an amazing and lively celebration that should be on anyone’s bucket list. This is truly a festival that you will want to visit more than once.
If you are ready to fall in love with Fallas, or another incredible travel experience, let’s get started!
Ordinary? If WOW is what you’re looking for then it needs to be EXTRAORDINARY!
You need a Travel Expert, not a Travel Agent!
Quite often I hear from prospective clients some variation of “I talked with so and so who went on a trip with you and it sounded amazing. She said it was their best trip ever.”
Or…“My friend just returned from a vacation that you planned for her family, and she can’t stop talking about it. They especially loved the dinner in a local families’ home.”
Or this, “I love your website and social media sites. Your pictures are amazing! I wish I could experience it like you do.”
Even, “My friend said they could never imagine planning another trip without you again”.
And they usually end with asking, “How do you do it?”
I smile and say, I’ll let you in on my secret…..(dramatic pause ?)…..I’m a Travel Expert!
“Oh, so you’re a Travel Agent?”. Nope, I’m a Travel Expert! I travel for my living.
Over the past 12 years, I have planned and personally led more than 60 domestic and international group tours, in addition to coordinating corporate, family and educational travel experiences, along with my personal travel.
So when you combine this extensive experience along with my global network of travel partners and suppliers, you get a Travel Expert specializing in luxury and experiential travel. It’s just the same as when you are looking for financial advice, you turn to a Financial Advisor. Or if you need legal advice, you consult with an attorney. Or if you have a medical situation, you consult with a doctor specializing in your area of need. So it makes sense when it comes to travel and planning your amazing vacations, that you seek the advice and expertise of a Travel Expert.
Here are the benefits you’ll enjoy when working with a Travel Expert:
To take it from Ordinary to Extraordinary As a Travel Expert I make sure you don’t miss out on extraordinary experiences that you may not be aware of or cannot get on your own, as they are only available through our exclusive global network of travel partners and suppliers. I’ll use inside information to arrange behind the scene tours, secure access into exclusive events, have your tours and excursions scheduled at the best times, provide upgrades and amenities when available and more. My goal is that you return from your vacation saying, “WOW! That was an amazing experience!”
Save Time, Save Money and Reduce Stress It’s easy to book a flight and a hotel online and go on an ordinary vacation. I also know it’s incredibly difficult, stressful and time consuming to plan an extraordinary one. A recent study by Google highlighted the average research time to plan a one-week vacation takes up to 80 hours. And even with all this time and effort, there is a high potential for costly booking and travel coordination mistakes. Your time, money and life experiences are your most valuable assets, so entrust them to a Travel Expert.
Attention to Detail There are so many components that go into the design of a customized itinerary, and it can become especially complex for highly specialized, group or multiple country travel. As your Travel Expert, all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy knowing I ensure every detail is covered. Before you leave, I do a detailed walk through of your final itinerary and provide your travel documents along with a mobile app customized with your trip specific information and itinerary, with links to insightful and informative destination information.
Trip Advocate If something goes wrong, and those that travel know eventually it will happen, as your Travel Expert I go to bat for you — no matter the issue – as the most important thing at that time is to get your vacation back on track. With my extensive contacts around the world, you are only one call away for immediate help and local support.
So there is a difference between a Travel Agent and a Travel Expert.
I work with clients from all over the world and would love to meet you and work together on your next adventure.
