imageAs many of youare aware,  I have embarked upon a new career as a travel ‘specialist’ or a travel ‘agent’ for you old-schoolers.  Upon learning of my new career, my skeptical friends have asked me “who uses travel agents these days?” Or have guffawed that I must be crazy because anyone can book travel on their own through the Internet!

I’ve learned to respond calmly after hearing these subtle digs, that “travel agents are for busy people who don’t want to deal with themultitude of choices and confusing reviews of hotels available on line.”  And more importantly, that “I have access to exclusive benefits that you can’t get when doing your own booking on the Internet.”That piques their interest enough to actually listen when I explain what I am trained to do.

After a short description of the free upgrades, breakfasts and airport transfers that I can provide to these ‘nay-sayers’, they’re suddenly interested. “Free stuff…what?”

“Book our next trip, Pleaseeeeee,” I’ve heard on more occasions than I care to recount.

But, it ain’t so easy to become a travel specialist. You need training. Lots of training.  I thought law school was difficult, but this travel training is downright confusing.  “Training on what,” you may ask? On the various ‘tools of the trade’, including the computer program that allows me to get my clients those upgrades, breakfasts and airport transfers, I respond.

So, alas, I find myself in Dallas, Texas of all places – for computer training.

Texas, home to all things foreign to this Chicago gal: Cowboys and Republicans.

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Although most of my time is occupied with training, networking and attending seminars, I want to make time to get to know a little bit of the city. Turning a monotonous business trip into a travel opportunity is something that can transform your business trip into something much more.

If you take the time to do a little research on the city you are traveling to, you’ll be rewarded with not only a personal enrichment opportunity, but something you can share with others when you return home.

image“What was Dallas like?”

I can hear the questions coming from friends and associates upon my return.  Had I only attended the seminars, lectures and networking meetings, I may have responded “I have no idea, I was in the hotel the entire time.”  However, I took the small step of doing a bit of research on Dallas during one of my mid-morning coffee breaks.

I learned that the location of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination took place within a 15 minute walk from the hotel in which my conference was occurring. What a strike of luck! Being in Dallas, a place I had no desire or interest to visit had turned into an opportunity for a lesson in U.S. History.

After finishing my first day of class, I dashed out of the hotel, turned on Google Maps and entered some preliminary information. Within moments, I was being guided towards Dealey Plaza, along the path taken by JFK’s motorcade and directly past the Book Repository, from where it is said that the shot was fired that killed the President.

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Walking through history, listening to rolling commentary by conspiracy theorists at the location of the shooting, bending down to look at trajectory of bullets and listening to tourists ask questions of supposed ‘eye-witnesses’ who claimed they were in the crowd on that day, was something both thrilling and unexpected. Who knew a business trip for computer training could turn out to be so interesting?

The 6th floor museum dedicated to Kennedy’s assassination details the moments immediately before and after his death, in intricate detail and is fascinating, regardless which side of the conspiracy coin you fall on.

The late afternoon sun dipped down behind the ‘grassy knoll’ as I pondered the serendipity of being in Dallas on a beautiful day – a place I never thought I’d be, and the good sense to make the idea of attending a dull seminar come alive with a fortuitous walk through history.

Make the most of your travel opportunities by taking a minute or two to find out what is interesting about the place you were not looking forward to visiting.

Travel on, my friends.