I started my career in travel in 1984, booking hotels in the travel office at the World Bank in Washington DC — if ever there was a crash course in world geography, that was it! I later moved to Costa Rica to study Spanish, and then to Chicago, where I worked for a large travel management firm doing corporate travel. After six Chicago winters, I headed south to Nashville, TN, where I was a corporate agent. Some life changes called for a break from the travel business, but I never stopped travelling.

In 2010, the itch to get back in the business was too strong to resist, and I found the perfect way to scratch it in starting my own travel consultancy. It's my dream job: working with my clients to plan their cruises, tours, and foreign independent trips. I'm equally happy to book a trip for a destination or cruise line I know well, or research a new destination for a client's dream trip. If I haven’t been there, I know a colleague who has, so my information sources go much deeper than any Google search. My travel bucket list, already long, has only increased with each client trip I plan!

I am an independent contractor with Montecito Village Travel, a Virtuoso® member - CST # 2019108-10

Why Use a Travel Professional?

At tax time, you consult a professional: your accountant. When you’re sick, you consult a professional: your doctor. If you are starting a business, you consult a professional: your attorney. So why, when you need vacation time away to rest and recharge, do you book it yourself online? In the same way you use an accountant, an attorney, a doctor, you should use a professional for your travel planning.

Let's compare: Resort Vacation

DIY Version: You just go online, point, click, pay, and you're done.
And then you realize the flight was so cheap because you change planes three times and go north to head south and it takes 3 times longer than it needs to. 
And then you read the reviews of the resort, and realize it's really not that great — and whoops, it's a family resort and you were looking for some peaceful, quiet, adult time.
And when you go to change it, you find it's all non-refundable, and you're stuck with it.
And then you get there, and have to figure out how to get to the resort (since you didn't know transportation from the airport wasn't included in the package).
And then you spend most of your time fending off time-share sales people.
Great vacation? Not so much.

Travel Professional: Now, try again with a travel professional:
You're booked on non-stop or one-stop flights, get there in less than half the time of the DIY option, and you arrive at your destination at a very reasonable time of day.
You've been forewarned about the time-share sales people waiting like vultures, so you ignore them on your way to your pre-booked transfer which whisks you away.
You arrive at your adults-only resort, where the most difficult decision is where to dine every evening.
You have a fantastic trip, and it didn't cost you any more than the not-so-great vacation you could have booked online.

Which vacation would you rather have?

What’s the Virtuoso® difference?
Virtuoso is a network of the world’s finest travel advisors and suppliers. It’s a by-invitation only organization through which Member travel agencies have privileged access to exclusive amenities, travel offers, and rare experiences that you can’t get on your own.

Global Connections: With personal contacts at over 1,000 elite airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, and premier destinations worldwide, your Virtuoso affiliated travel advisor puts their relationships to work for you.

Unparalleled Expertise: Virtuoso affiliated travel advisors are among the most well traveled people on the planet. They draw upon their own first-hand experiences when customizing vacations for you.

Customized Travel Experiences: From weekend getaways to trips of a lifetime, counting on the expertise of a Virtuoso affiliated advisor ensures your greatest RETURN on LIFE®.

Confidence: When you have a relationship with a Virtuoso affiliated travel advisor, you’ll rest easy knowing your personal preferences are reflected in every aspect of each vacation experience they design especially for you.

For more information, please visit Virtuoso’s website at www.virtuoso.com.

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