Sister and brother bloggers, I am in day 8 of 12 days without a day off at work - and today I woke up covered in hives. I don't know if they're stress, or from some suppliments I've started taking, or a food allergy (never had food allergies before) but I am covered in itchy, red, blotchy hives. Saturday was a trade show with our destination specialists, and some seminars. Yesterday was in the office, and nothing worked. Not a thing worked, so it was interesting as could be.
So I've been a little blank-brained blonde babe. So hard to have an intelligent thought when overworked with no break. However, at the trade event, I spoke with one of our hotelliers, who told me a story about a client of mine.
About three months ago I got a call from a woman who wanted to go to New Zealand, alone. She was a recent widow and it was her first trip alone. She was nervous. She had a budget. I put together an itinearary that took her to two incredible lodges and a very sweet hotel in the city - she had a set international flight itinerary, and so I had limited time. The manager of the first lodge was at our event. I mentioned her to him and he pulled me over to look at a series of photographs - all hers, many with her in them - he told me that they completely VIPed her, and that at the end of her stay, she said to him it was the first time since her husband died that she'd spent two days NOT thinking about him. It was the first time she felt she could move forward. By the end of our conversation I was in tears, I was so happy for her. And that is the reason I can do 12 days in a row, break out in hives, and still go to the office.
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14 comments:
these moments in life make all of the bull crap seem less. it is easy to get caught up in the mundane and stressful- but the difference that you make in someone's life cannot be replaced.
That's such a great story, divajood. A great testimony to the restorative powers of travel. It must feel especially good to have helped usher in those wonderful moments for that woman.
Hope your health is restored soon, as well. Aren't you going traveling soon too?
Stories like that give me faith in humanity, It sounds more like an allergy the splotches then stress, If you started to take something new I would stop to make sure
Betmo, it really is why I do what I do - because nobody is in the travel business to make money, believe me. When I know I've been able to contribute to someone's well-being, it makes me happy.
Robin Andrea, it really was a great moment to hear what happened. I'm pretty sure this is an allergic reaction, and I've stopped taking the stuff - and yes, I travel beginning of September, to Australia. Can't wait to post pictures of my afternoon city tour from a Harley-Davidson - that's going to be smokin!
Dawn, yep, it is definately allergic, and itches like mad. I may have to go to the doctor for something, because this is awfully uncomfortable. Thank god I don't handle any of the walk-ins - the other agents do that - seniority has its rewards.
Hang in there and keep on thinking of the wonderful thing you did for that lady.
I so want to go to New Zealand and maybe just stay there.
POP, New Zealand is a very nice place to escape from certain insanity going on in other parts of the world. Like, oh, the USA.
It's the little rewards that make our jobs more bearable. Unfortunately for me, the little reward is called a paycheck.
Lew, the paycheck for me is little. I mean, really. We don't sell travel to get rich.
Divajood, your lovely story made me realize how (maybe) most of us can not expect that sort of "bonus" in our mundane jobs. Think about a gal/guy working on the GM's production line for instance. He/she sees no customers, which in the GM's case might be good, does exactly the same tasks on and on and nobody even wants his "creations" thus making his pending unemployment unavoidable.
You are one lucky lady, Divajood!
That's a great story. You're an inspiration to a frog who's struggling with the decision to go back to work for somebody or to ditch it and work for himself.
That story is great Diva. But hives can happen due to stress. I've had it happen once in college when I was facing 4 final exams in one day, my father was having spinal surgery, I had a wisdom tooth come in that was killing me, and I got 2 speeding tickets exactly 5 days apart. I have never had them happen since.
Lookit: You've been in emotional turmoil since this Israel/Hezbollah trainwreck began, our nation is speeding even faster towards that steep cliff, you've been working w/no breaks, and you're trying to tie up all loose ends before you get to go on vacation next month. That is a heaping helluva lot for anybody. But try a soothing bath to help... it helped me: Add 6 tablespoons of oatmeal and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to your bathwater. Apply Benadryl cream to the hives after bath.
Pekka, I am lucky, I know it.
Kvatch, follow your heart. Frogs can do well as independent creatures.
Tina, thanks for the bath recipe, that's great. I took benedryl last night, feel hung over now, and have to go to work. What fun.
Diva,
That really sucks (the hives bit). The end of the story is great. You remind me of all the people in my life I truly love. You are the greatest, and I have not taken a Qualude!!
Karena
Karena, back at you (not the hives, or the Lude). Excuse me, though I have to put some stuff on the red spots. Lordy, lordy, this itches!
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