The Travel Agent Next Door/Proctor

06/09/2024

Our TTAND trip to Jordan is coming to an end. Some final thoughts about this wonderful country and why you should visit it! Thank you, Jordan, for welcoming me!

06/09/2024

A never-to-be-forgotten day in Wadi Rum! Welcome to the desert - by jeep! Stunning rock formations everywhere you look. This is the home of the Bedouins and we got a sense of their life when we stopped for lunch at one of several tourist camps. Imagine seeing the stars from the darkness of the desert! Then it was on to Aqaba on the Red Sea, our last stop on this spectacular adventure!

06/08/2024

Day and night at Petra! A tough slog during the day with the intense heat but worth it to see all the details of the sandstone carving and hear the history from our guide. A magical return at night with lanterns to guide our way and a light and music (Jordanian flute and violin) show at the Treasury. After a drink at the Cave Bar, it was back to the hotel. Great day that surpassed my expectations!

06/06/2024

Today, following our workshops and supplier seminars, we left the Dead Sea and moved on to the Old Village Resort. This gorgeous property dates back to the 1800s and is 3.5 km from Al Khazneh, aka "The Treasury." It's Petra tomorrow, what I've been waiting to see for 40 years! Here's some nighttime pictures of our beautiful hotel.

06/06/2024

Last night's gala celebrating TTAND's first 10 years of success was magical! The story is better told in this article - and the photos are wayyyyy better than mine! Here's to 10 more years and then some, ! https://www.travelpulse.ca/news/host/ttand-celebrates-years-best-in-jordan

It felt like a Hollywood Awards ceremony Wednesday night in Jordan at the posh Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea and in a way, it was as The Travel Agent Next Door gathered to honour the host agency’s best of the year.

06/04/2024

And our conference begins in earnest with supplier awards, presentations and a great panel on booking groups. The emphasis was strictly on Jordan this evening, however, with a Bedouin party on the beach, complete with appropriate attire! Great time!

06/04/2024

After an almost 11-hour flight, we're finally here in Jordan! Before checking in to the hotel, I went with a group to the Safi Kitchen, one of G Adventures' Planeterra projects. Jordanian women from a small town have helped to create a restaurant serving authentic Jordanian food and have now expanded their efforts to include accommodation for travellers. They've developed business sense, learned to speak English, and shared their cuisine and hospitality. Very inspirational! Then it was time to head to the beautiful Crowne Plaza and take a quick dip in the Dead Sea covered with mineral-rich mud! (Didn't have my camera but may try it again!) Our White Party was next, with dinner outdoors and an amazing sunset.The conference agenda really starts today. I'm ready after a good night's sleep - and will be glad to spend some time indoors as it's going to be 41 degrees C!

05/25/2024

A week from tomorrow (June 2), I head to the place I'm most excited about visiting this year - Jordan! I'm attending The Travel Agent Next Door's annual conference. It's our 10th anniversary, so it's go big or go home! Thanks to , , and, of course, for helping me cross off a bucket-list destination! Look for photos in the coming week of my visits to and , of me floating in the , and more! I'm so looking forward to getting to know Jordan and its people, as well as spending time with and learning from colleagues, suppliers and our head office staff!

03/11/2024

When you're working the booth at the Women in Business Expo 2024, it helps to have a photographer in the family to capture the moments! Thanks, Gabe!

03/08/2024

Happy International Women's Day from the Women in Business Expo in Brantford ON! Aren't these cookies great?!

03/06/2024

You have the luck of the Irish! Visit Ireland on a self-drive vacation in April. The itinerary and arrangements are already worked out - and that incredible price includes flights. Faith and begorrah, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and visit the Emerald Isle! Contact me for more details.

02/23/2024

What are you doing on March 8? If you happen to be in the Brantford ON area, come to the Women in Business 2024 expo and visit me in person. We can talk travel and you can enter our draw for a cruise. If that's not enough to tempt you (!), there's a full schedule of guest speakers and plenty of opportunities to network. Come and be inspired to run your own successful business!

01/15/2024

Looking for somewhere "cool" to go with your kids this summer? A trip where they'll learn about their own country, its indigenous people's history and culture, and the creatures on land and in the sea that are native to Canada? Come aboard an Adventure Canada ship and have the adventure of a lifetime! Find out more by registering for our Adventure Canada virtual consumer evening on January 25.

JOURNEY TO THE ARCTIC REALM WITH ADVENTURE CANADA | Virtual Consumer Evening

01/01/2024

What a year 2023 has been travel-wise!
- we surpassed pre-COVID sales targets
- two new members joined our team - Jen and Erin - making us four agents strong and better able to help our clients
- I tried my hand at teaching the travel agent course at Conestoga College (where I met Erin)

I also enjoyed some great trips this year, both personal and professional:
* Los Cabos and Costa Mujeres in Mexico,
* a luxury cruise around the UK with Regent Seven Seas (loved it!),
* a few days in Ottawa catching up with old friends, including Jen,
* a superb river cruise along the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon Waterways on a travel agent trip sponsored by Avalon, ACTA, Air Canada and Manulife,
* a week in Calgary to spend time with my older son and his family,
* a very fun and relaxing Caribbean cruise with Nicolle, our other team member, aboard Celebrity

I'm a firm believer that being a better travel agent involves ongoing training and traveling. 2024 looks like it's going to be another banner year for both. I hope you'll join me via Facebook as I learn and experience more.

Thank you to all our clients, suppliers, friends and family. You've all helped us to hone our skills as travel agents - and enjoy doing so! Here's to more great travel in 2024!

12/03/2023

Getting ready to leave Fort Lauderdale aboard the beautiful ! Life is rough!

11/10/2023

Couldn't have said it better myself!

The benefits of booking your next trip with an experienced travel advisor are immense.

11/03/2023

What you need to know about Erin Smallwood and Jen Evans!

1. Erin (on the right) loves a good beach vacation while Jen's passion is learning to cook local specialties wherever she is.
2. Erin was previously a business analyst and Jen was the Nova Scotia Provincial Librarian. What do they have in common? Attention to detail and strong research skills they now apply to their travel careers.
3. They've both joined The Travel Agent Next Door's Proctor Team, alongside Marcia Proctor and Nicolle Guillen!

We've strengthened our team to serve you better.
Travel with confidence. Experience more.
www.proctorteam.thetravelagentnextdoor.com

10/29/2023

Back in Canada as of last night, but I wanted to close off this trip with some photos of Colmar, France, aka "Little Venice" because of the canals. We docked in Breisach, Germany, then crossed the Rhine to France and Colmar. Such a beautiful town - especially on a sunny (at last!) day! Very high on the "quaint" scale with many historic buildings. Great place to visit on a Christmas Markets tour!

10/27/2023

Why take a river cruise in October?

10/26/2023

And today, Strasbourg, France. We opted for one of Avalon's Active excursions - a walk along the town's riverside followed by a visit to the old section of town and the magnificent cathedral. It would have been a lot more fun if it hadn't been raining, but we made the best of it. Lunch consisted of a tarte flambe - a thin-crust pizza with creme fraiche, meat and cheese. Delicious!

10/26/2023

Who says 10:00 am is too early for wine tasting?! We checked out the castle in Heidelberg, sipped on a few local wines and then enjoyed a German lunch. The weather wasn't very cooperative, but it didn't stop the die-hard shoppers amongst us!

10/24/2023

Well, this wasn't your ordinary day! We were in Koblenz and set out to explore Germany's volcanic region. The volcanoes are below ground, but dormant. However, hardened lava became basalt and we explored the vast underground mines. That was a hard way to make a living! Then we sailed through the castle area of the Rhine and visited an actual castle tonight. Magical!

10/23/2023

More of a sombre day today in Cologne. Because I'd been here a few times before, I opted to take the "Cologne's Ancient Jewish Quarter" walking tour. The city was absolutely devasted during WWII - 90%+ was destroyed. The Cathedral is one of the few buildings that was mainly untouched. However, that's nothing compared to the loss of life - of Jewish residents and other races. It may not have been new "news," but being in a place where these atrocities occurred added to the impact of hearing about them. Sad, sad, sad, especially in the current environment.

10/22/2023

Another good example of the benefits of more glass in an Avalon Waterways stateroom. You're going to love the view!

10/22/2023

What did we learn this morning from our guided canal cruise and walking tour in Amsterdam?
1. Always book tickets for visits to Anne Frank's House and the Van Gogh Museum in advance.
2. Skip the Hop On/Hop Off bus as there are too many narrow streets in Amsterdam it can't go.
3. Dutch people are warm and welcoming to visitors - unless you're unintentionally standing in the bike lane and they're on two wheels!

10/22/2023

There are a couple of things that set Avalon river cruise ships apart. Incorporating the balcony into the cabin with floor-to-ceiling/wall-to-wall windows is one. That gives you a larger cabin plus brings the outdoors in. Other small touches that make a difference include two sets of towels in different colors so yours don't get mixed up with your roommate's!

10/22/2023

Having a great time on board the Avalon Vista for the inaugural European River Cruise Summit. This event is hosted by ACTA (Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and Travel Advisors), Avalon Waterways, Air Canada and Manulife. Just left Amsterdam on our way to Cologne.

10/21/2023

On my way to Amsterdam to take my first Avalon river cruise. This will be my 4th river cruise overall, all with different companies. Follow along with me and I'll tell you what makes Avalon special!