Category: Uncategorized

Cruising to escape, and to return home: a transatlantic repositioning cruise

Virgin Voyages is bringing a new way to cruise to the US and Europe. As an independent travel advisor, I’ve been given an inside peek at the depth and breadth of what Virgin Voyages has to offer, and I must say I’m impressed. New cruise ships, an adults only approach, and special offerings not seen before on cruises will likely bring in new passengers.

The Virgin Voyages training reminds me of the Virgin Records roots and connection to music. These new ships have actual vinyl record stores, which will appeal the generation of 80s and 90s kids who spent time at the mall culling through albums, and then did the same in second hand stores in college.

Group Yoga classes and healthy, customizable meals will be a draw. I’m especially looking forward to taking a 2 week repositioning cruise from Europe to Miami, where I can do sunrise yoga in the morning, enjoy a healthy salmon rice bowl by the pool in the afternoon, nap in the hammock on my terrace, and enjoy a bottle of wine with my husband in the evening and not worry about driving home. On Virgin Voyages, gratuities are included, as are tea, coffee, sparkling water. Add a good book or two and there you have the perfect vacation. And Virgin Voyages ships are made to be carbon neutral. That’s something you can feel good about

If you’d like to see what sailings are available for you, click here. This is my affiliate booking page with Virgin Voyages. I know you’ll have questions, too. Leave them below in my comments chat, or message me through my FORA page

This is not a paid ad, but I do earn commissions on bookings made through my link above.

I have been asked, “Do you sleep?” by well meaning friends when they hear about my multiple PA jobs AND my side hustle as a travel advisor for FORA. The thing is, I love sleep. I nap every day when I’m not working (as a PA) and faithfully get 7 hours of sleep a night. So, yes, I sleep.

How do I get my housework done? I have help, from cleaning ladies and an awesome co-parent/husband who understands that my passion for travel necessitates an irregular schedule. The dog goes to daycare once a week so I have time to get the house in order without her underfoot (cute as she is).

One of the pandemic finds I’ve embraced is grocery delivery. I’ve tried most of the services offered in my area, and have settled on Instacart. I’ve found their deliveries to be much quicker (and more available same-day), and I can use a variety of stores, both grocery and otherwise (even Staples). The convenience of having groceries delivered to my door, on my schedule, saves me hours of time per month. It also saves me from making those impulse buys – hello dairy-free ice cream and smartfood popcorn, my latest loves! If you want to save $20 on your instacart order, use my code ABARRACLOUGH1C21BF.

This grocery delivery hack gives me more time to work on my blog and travel advising. Now, I have to place my order so I can make Vegetable Yakisoba from NYT Cooking tonight!

What household hacks have you incorporated to make life easier?

Aaaaand we made it to 2023! Nice work, everyone. Happy New Year to you and yours. Kiss, kiss and all that jazz. Now let’s look at how my travel planning business, Turtle Shell Travel, is progressing.

Where we started: Let’s just say Omicron. That kept me busy in January, February, so forth and so on. I diversified my PA work life, now doing a mix of ER, Urgent Care and College Health.

Then the fun began. In February, I signed on with FORA travel to be a travel advisor. I made my first booking in March and planned football weekends for my husband for September and October. Since then, more and more travel planning business has come my way.

I attended the FORA Live Forum in November in Brooklyn and met FORA’s HQ staff and many kind and inspirational advisors on the FORA team. I have to say, we are a chatty bunch. I wish the Forum were twice as long as it was, and look forward to attending the next one in October 2023. We met with suppliers, asked questions, shared ideas. I started my FORA newsletter and grew my mailing list. Stayed at the Hoxton in Brooklyn and cannot wait to return!

I learned that a travel advisor is just a modern name for a travel agent (think rebranding). My biggest booking to date has been to Jamaica. And my Guide to a Girl’s Getaway in Portland, Maine as one of FORA’s Top 22 advisor-curated Travel Guides of 2022. Living in a destination city has been such an inspiration for my travel work, and I love any opportunity to share travel ideas in and around Maine. This past week, I even planned a breakfast meeting for a local business at a local hotel restaurant. I love connecting people with great experiences.

Personally, I’ve enjoyed family time, friend time, cousin time, and more family time. All the things that make a year a great memory. It’s been a collection of great car rides with music from WCLZ. Great times up at Bowdoin, and lots of time walking with the dog. And of course, always snacks. It’s not pictured here, but Dunkin’ Donuts has been a frequent stop on my way to and fro. But Starbucks is a close second.

What’s up for 2023? I plan to make a splash on LinkedIn … connect with me here. I’ll continue my newsletter and book more great trips for clients. Pinterest is my new obsession – creating pins and using their marketing tools. Check out my Instagram stories to see my view from the front porch, pics of the dog and my morning mood on my commute.

I plan to finally take that train trip to South Carolina, Mississippi and New Orleans. And you’ll probably find me in a window seat or two writing in my journal. I’ve have United Silver and American Gold status for 2023, so I’m hoping all of my seats will have lots of leg room.

I hope you have great plans, too. Over the past 2 years, I’ve learned the that you can’t predict the future. Control is nearly impossible with most things. So you must trust the unfolding of each day. I’m happy I get to do this with you. What are you looking forward to in 2023?

NFL preseason kicked off last night in Las Vegas, where the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. Have you seen these new helmets?

Guardian Helmet; Photo Credit: Steeler’s Now

The next preseason game is on Thursday, August 11, where the New York Giants will play the New England Patriots. I’m working that day, and I enjoy working when the Patriots are playing, not because I’m a Patriot’s fan (I’m not), but it’s fun to see the enthusiasm and commitment the Patriot’s fans exhibit, even when they’re in the ER. Quite admirable, in my opinion.

I’m at my happiest when there is a NFL game on the TV. And I’m even more happier (is that a thing) when I can attend a game – Seahawks or Bears…or maybe even the Packers. Cheering on your team in person is right up there with seeing your favorite performer in concert (Kenny Loggins), attending a lecture of your favorite author (Jenna Kutcher). One gets to experience excitement about a sport, and share that excitement with other fans. And imaging seeing many of your favorite players in ONE place, AND their coach, staff and cheering square. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s a chance to wear your NFL gear.

Ready to Travel?

Do I have you fired up to go buy that ticket and see your team play? I hope so. This month, I’m featuring a classic football destination, where you can see your team play the Pittsburgh Steelers. Check out my Sports Lover Travel Guide for Pittsburgh here. If you are a fan of Seattle, New England, Baltimore, or Las Vegas. This is the year to visit Acrisure Stadium, (renamed from Heinz Field in July 2022) to cheer on your team. Be one of the first of your friends to say you’ve been to Acrisure Stadium…

I am looking forward to seeing Russell Wilson play for the Denver Broncos against Seattle, IN Seattle on September 12. Which game are you most looking forward to this fall? Who is your favorite NFL team?