11/11/2024
Honoring all who serve and have served our nation. Thank you.
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On this Veteran’s Day I am resharing one of my favorite travel memories that feels more appropriate than ever. More listening, more stories shared, more connection- these are pillars of our agency and the impact travel has on our lives.
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It started as a light-hearted conversation- just a few vacationers enjoying happy hour aboard a cruise ship. My friend and I had made the acquaintance of some of the cruise line’s “regulars,” and were enjoying their stories and antics. And then before long we went from laughter over these well-seasoned travelers and their chiding of one another, to three of us sitting there with tears running down our faces. A benign question, “where all have you traveled to,” led us to a dirt road in Southeast Asia, and a host of painful memories for the veteran sitting across from us. It was a small and yet profound moment. He didn’t dwell long and we didn’t push- drying our eyes while expressing gratitude for his service and the vulnerability to share. I have thought about that conversation many times in the weeks since- the glimpse beyond a hardened veneer feels sacred and humbling. And it inspires me to ask more questions, to initiate the conversations, to remain open and available to receive the stories. On this Veterans’ Day, I am thinking of my new friend from the Ocean Bar. Thank you for your service, Jerry. And thank you for your continued courage even fifty years later to keep telling the story. We are listening.
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