Happy Thanksgiving from Krafty Travel!

November is typically a slow month at Krafty Travel.  It is the calm before the winter storm of travel planning.  While your minds turn to the long list of tasks for the month ahead don’t forget to give yourself a gift as well.

 

Choose a gift of gathering with friends.  Meet us on December 8 at 7p for our first ever Travel Tastings event at Degage in Maumee, Ohio.  We will travel to Alaska in our minds.  Bring friends and enjoy conversation.   Give yourself the freedom to unwind.  Click here for reservations:  http://meetu.ps/c/2RbmY/ts4Vz/f

 
Choose a gift of service. This month I attended CruiseWorld in Fort Lauderdale.  It is an annual conference hosted by Travel Weekly in which I learn updates in the industry and get an opportunity to tour a ship or two.  This year I was most impressed by Fathom Travel.  Fathom offers impact and immersion travel to the Dominican Republic or Cuba. The Cuba itineraries offer people to people tours with plenty of downtime to explore on your own. Visit Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, unpack once.
When not in Cuba, Fathom sails to the Dominican Republic offering you the opportunity for social impact activities connecting with residents of the Dominican Republic.  It is a chance to have fun helping others.  Check it out then contact me to make a plan.   https://youtu.be/PkcDi8CIuDI

 
Choose the gift of travel. Now is the time to start the conversation for a winter getaway.  Take advantage of early booking promotions and put a deposit on your escape out of the cold. You will be glad you did.

 

Here is a note from Tami about their October trip to Sandals Montego Bay!

Hi everyone! It is getting to be that time of year again. I really enjoy the holiday season and love spending time with family and friends, but it does add a little more work and stress to our days.

Dave and I are thankful to have had the opportunity to spend a week in Jamaica at the Sandals Montego Bay resort last month. We had a fantastic time relaxing on the beach and by the pool. I especially loved taking a morning water aerobics class and then treating myself to a cup of coffee (with Jamaicas fine rum cream added!) from the French pastry cafe located right there by the pool. And David loved his deep tissue massage from the Red Lane Spa.

We took the shuttle over to the Sandals Royal Caribbean resort and spent a day exploring their beach, pools and restaurants. Later in the week we did some shopping and also went on a glass bottom boat ride.

Thanks for letting me share a few special moments from our trip with you! I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  Tami

Thanks for taking the time to keep in touch.  We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.
Tami and I can’t wait to send you somewhere awesome very soon!

Sarah Krafty
Krafty Travel
419-386-0425

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Travel = Love

Today is our wedding anniversary.  It is not a traditional milestone, 17 years.  If you ask me, every year is a milestone.  Life can change fast and it truly does take work to stay on the same page as partners.  When one month is good, the next month can be a challenge.  And trust me, we are learning that.  Our oldest child turned 16 this year.  She is off and er, driving, and has spun out a whole new way of life in her dust.  It’s all good.  We are proud and happy for the person she is becoming, but man, life is different at this stage more than any other.  Not to mention the recurring feeling that it is cruising along way too fast.

Travel is a way of life for us, as it should be for a travel agent.  We try to take frequent trips as a family, and I take as many options as I’m handed to do property site inspections, industry trade shows and ship inspections.  One thing that is hard to come by is travel for just me and my husband.  Our last trip together was in December 2012.  We are pretty happy to have a “just for us” vacation on the calendar next month.  Truth be told, it will include a little work to do 2 site inspections, experience service from a different tour operator than usual, and take an excursion that I need to experience so to best recommend for my clients.  But all that is wrapped up in 5 nights, just for us, at the adults only, Golden Parnassus in Cancun.  We can’t wait.

Last weekend I had great clients who are even better friends take a long weekend trip to Chicago.  These friends take 2-3 trips a year.  The trips are usually quick getaways, but they love having them to look forward to and always have a great time.  Typically they will text me and let me know how things are going.  I love that.  I love being in the vacation with them, reveling in their excitement and fun.  For them, things are almost always awesome and it is never a text I dread, considering the calls you sometimes get from travelers about things not going well.   My friends are my advocate.  They are frequently telling others how great it is to have me plan their trips for them.  He jokes that the reason I make it so easy to go on trips is because I have his credit card on file.  For some reason, I asked how long they had been together as a couple.  They replied back they have been together longer than any of their previous relationships.  I told them it must be because of all their awesome vacations, and that I had read a study about how couples that travel together have happier relationships.

I decided to find the article.  It is from the Travel Effect at http://www.traveleffect.com. The article is based on a survey from the U.S. Travel Association, conducted by Edge Research in December, 2012.  The survey resulted in 3 key findings:

1. Travel has long-term benefits for couples

2. Travel helps build and maintain relationships

3. Travel ignites romance and intimacy

If you are feeling a little disconnected and alone in your relationship, maybe it’s time to get away with your partner.  My husband and I can say from our current experience, just having the vacation booked has changed our day to day attitudes.  The countdown to our departure has begun.

During my texts with my Chicago bound friends, we came up with a new slogan for my business.  Krafty Travel, keeping couples together one vacation at a time.

Happy anniversary to the Kraftmaster!