Wednesday, September 10, 2014

When it Comes to Business or Pleasure, Is Hindsight 20/20?

 by Daria Jones

Now that I'm a WorldVenturer, I reflect back on my travels in college, grad school and in my professional  life and think of what I did then and what I'd do differently today.


Late Teens

I rarely went anywhere but home to my parents on Spring Break or stayed on campus to earn a little extra here or there--mostly for routine expenses since I had scholarships and grants to take care of the real bills.  If I had to do that all over again, my friends would have most definitely taken a Spring Break like this:


What's included. This all-inclusive at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino Punta Cana is unlike any other. Enjoy amazing a la carte or gourmet specialties for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.
Caribbean Sand Suite accommodations feature 2 double beds or a king-size bed, a private balcony, a fully stocked mini-bar and liquor dispenser with premium brands, a double Jacuzzi tub, in-room wine, Wi-Fi, Rock Spa bath amenities, and satellite TV with an LCD screen.
Price is per person based on two people staying.
Room taxes and gratuities.
Round-trip airport transfers.
$1,500 resort credit per room.*
A 20% service fee will apply over the final price of all transactions using the resort credit promotion on all services or products available at Hard Rock Hotel Casino Punta Cana. A service fee can only be paid with cash, room charge and credit card. This fee is collected by the hotel and is due on the day of departure.
**Air transportation is not included. For additional details on this or similar Dream Trips, requestLeisure Travel Club Consultation.

We wouldn't be worried about routine expenses because my fellow WorldVenturers and I  would have making commissions and residual income on our MLM, we'd have probably come home from our holiday richer than when we'd left.

No, I didn't go to Florida or Virginia Beach or anywhere exotic, but I did go to Italy in my late teens because I wanted to see the sights and learn to speak Italian.  I went solo, armed with little more than an American Express and Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) card, I flew into Milan, took a train to Florence and tried to get over the sting of the culture shock. I managed the shock, made a few friends and made myself understood in my L2.  I was completely hooked on the world travelling bandwagon.  Of course, if I had to do that all over again today, I would have at most simply gone to college abroad--there are many countries where getting an undergraduate education is tuition-free and in many cases language would not have been a barrier. At the very least, I would have used the resources available online like Memrise, Anki, and a slew of other websites with free stuff that would have helped me avoid my first week of tearful cries of "Does anybody speak English?"


Mid-Twenties

In my mid-twenties, I was back in school again, this time working on my MBA in marketing. I took advantage of an international internship where I worked for Reuters and lived in Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It was an awesome experience.  After the internship, my travels really took off.  I back-packed it like no body's business.  Roughing it with no cell phone, no laptop, no tablet, just phone cards, the post offices and pay phone centers is not for the faint of heart.  Of course, those essential technologies weren't as affordable or prevalent then. There also wasn't a Euro, so I made frequent trips to foreign exchange centers and banks to get cash in the local currency. I was still armed with my CIEE card, but I added an Eurail pass for train travel, an International Youth Hostel card and stayed in places such as YMCAs, a Nunnery, an old castle--not luxurious but relatively comfortable and safe at that time. I visited major cities in Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Germany, Paris, and Britain before visiting old friends in Florence who then convinced me to spend time in Rome and the Vatican,  Naples and Pompeii.  If I had that to do over again, I'd have broken up my stays in economy lodgings with the a few 5 star experiences and VIP treatment at 3 star prices that we WorldVenturers are now accustomed to, like this:


What's included? A 5-day and 4-night stay at the Katerina Palace Hotel. Price is per person and based on 2 people staying.
Double-room accommodations include an en-suite bathroom, either a balcony or verandah, air conditioning, a TV, and a mini-fridge.
American breakfast daily.
1 bottle of wine per room.
Welcome fruit plate.
Taxes/VAT. Air transportation is not included.

For additional details on this or similar Dream Trips request a Leisure Travel Club Consultation.


Are you tired of paying retail for your vacations?
Even if you're using an agent, you still may not know what there is to do once you get there. 
We have carefully crafted vacation experiences for family, romance, sports, and volunteerism offered at wholesale prices.
Isn't it time you focused on seeing the world and building the memories with your loved ones rather than worrying about your wallet?

If you're ready to LIVE more while paying less, then you should click here to join up. Watch the Joe Traveler video and find out more.  You may or may not be interested but for the vacation of your dreams, but isn't it worth checking out?


Early Thirties

In my early thirties I stayed a little closer to home by visiting Montreal and Toronto Canada, both of which I had visited on family trips in my youth.  But the real deal for me was finally visiting the Mother land on my honeymoon.  I went to Cairo, Egypt and the Northern Sudan, ancient Africa at its best.  I wouldn't change a thing about that week-long stay but if I could do it over again today, I'd stay longer and see more of East Africa--a safari in Kenya and a climb up Kilimanjaro could have been checked off my bucket list as easily as...


What's included? 5-day and 4-night stay at the Temple Point Resort. 
Standard accommodations include 1 double bed, a bathroom with a shower,  a TV, air conditioning, a hair dryer, and a coffee and tea maker.
Taxes and resort fees.

Air transportation is not included. For additional details on this or similar Dream Trips request a Leisure Travel Club Consultation.

A few years after that it wasn't as stressful as I thought it would be going on a mandatory business trip to Britain with my husband and nursing, newborn girl in tagging along. She got her first taste of the world travelling.  Now that I am a WorldVenturer though, I can see its time to get back on that plane, cruise ship or train and keep it moving with the whole family.


Today


If you're not seeing the world and experiencing the good life, why aren't you? If you knew there was an opportunity out there to earn extra income and experience the vacation of your dreams with your family, wouldn't you do it? I invite you to join me and become a WorldVenturer too.

No comments:

Post a Comment