About

Like most kids, becoming a travel agent wasn't something I grew up dreaming about.  In school I always excelled at math and science and even got my college degree in physics.  After graduation, at 22 years young, I took a temporary job at a large bank in the mortgage line of business while I looked for a job in my discipline.  I excelled in my position at the bank and they soon hired me on full time.  I quickly learned a lot about mortgage banking and continued to move up with the company as the years went on.  I was making good money and there were a lot of perks to working for a large company; paid time off, retirement matching, health benefits, etc.  I was able to save up for things like a house, new car and most importantly... travel.  Some of my first fun trips as an adult were on cruises.  They were a great way to take a relaxing vacation without a lot of planning involved.  

As I got older my travel desires went from relaxing on beaches to exploring what new adventures places had to offer.  I got my first chance to go to Europe with my now wife, where we visited Switzerland and Italy.   The history, culture and food was something I had never experienced before.  I soon fell in love with traveling as a way to explore new destinations.  For the next few years my wife and I took several trips, both foreign and within the the US.  I thoroughly enjoyed planning and researching where to go and what to do once we got there.  My wife always says that when we go on a trip all she has to do is pack her bag and get in the car because I take care of everything else.  

Not all that long ago I had my first child and then my second.  This changed how I looked at travel.  I not only had to plan for 2 but for 3-4.  It also meant that things like naps, meals and kids activities took priority in planing where to go and what to do.  However, in a short amount of time I have been able to adapt and learn that traveling with kids can be great.  I've been lucky that I have been able to show them the enjoyment of travel at a very young age.

That gets me to where I am today.  Eventually my career at the bank got stale.  It wasn't fulfilling and the day to day grind became not worth the benefits I was getting.  I found myself wanting to spend more time doing something that would energize me.  Being a travel agent didn't come to my mind right away.  I first looked at other options that would bring me back to the sciences, where I got my degree, but I was too far beyond graduation to get back into that.  I needed to find something I had more recent experience with and loved to do.  And that is how I landed on becoming a travel agent.  Researching travel is something that gives me energy and I love to do.  I decided that I should use that energy and my skills to help others plan their travel. I quit my job at the bank, with all of the benefits, and perused something I enjoy doing.  Now I get to research travel destinations every day.  

I am blessed to have two incredible daughters that motivate me daily, and an amazing wife, Alicia, who was incredibly supportive of my decision to move out of the corporate world.  I would not have been able to do any of this without them.