Why should you use me to plan and book your next trip?
Well for starters, I am a huge travel nerd and nomad who has lived in five states, four countries, visited more than 200 cities, and been to 57 countries. While I specialize in Cruises, Disney, and Luxe travel, my agency (Strol Travel) is a full service travel company and I am always looking to learn something new! That being said, if I feel your needs would be better served elsewhere, I will happily make a referral – for me, the most important thing is that you have an awesome trip!
Like with many others, Covid changed my life trajectory, my job, and where I lived. I took advantage of this “crisis opportunity” to undergo an INSANE amount of study and training to become a travel agent – finally marrying my career with the single thing I enjoy doing above all else: seeing and experiencing the world!
I have traveled at pretty much every level – from extreme budget (backpacking across Europe, staying in hostels, etc.) to Luxe (fabulous resort experiences in Thailand, Seychelles, and Mauritius, as well as an amazing “suite” experience on a cruise). One of my goals as a travel agent is to identify those folks on the cusp of “moving up” to luxe travel and helping them out. One of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had when I’ve gone luxe is the added amenities that I often paid for separately when I did NOT go luxe—which meant the final price difference ended up being not as extreme as I’d feared. At the end of the day, my goal is to give you the best possible value for your budget - so let me help you “move on up” to the good life!
Another thing I can do for you is provide more firsthand, "been there, done that” knowledge for you than many other travel agents. I’ve been to 5 continents (missing Australia and Antartica), cruised over a dozen times, been to the Pyramids of Egypt AND Mexico, walked the Great Wall and saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers, gone on Safari and been to Victoria Falls, cruised Cape Horn, visited the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, floated around Venice, been awed by La Sagrada Familia, and more. I am normally a “quick hit” traveler, preferring to see a lot in a little time, but I’ve also done “deep dives” into some places, having spent a month in Thailand, another month in Indonesia, etc.
Since I have recently begun to experience “traveler's guilt” - especially around cruising – due to its environmental impact, I decided to launch Strol as an eco-conscious travel agency. I run the business itself as sustainably as possible, and in lieu of travel agency fees or service charges, I require each trip sold include a donation towards some type of environmental mitigation or protection to vetted nonprofits doing substantive work on protecting the environment.
I designed Strol Travel to be a socially-conscious agency, as well. In my previous life, I worked for a variety of non-profits, serving a variety of constituents from the Black community around HIV/AIDS to folks with developmental disabilities and their families to queer youth to a Conservation Corps to youth in the juvenile justice system, and more. I have also been a volunteer guardian ad litem, a Peace Corps volunteer, and foster/adoptive parent. I am currently going through my “second phase” of fostering and will most likely adopt my current foster son.
These experiences and background meant I couldn't, in good conscience, launch a business that also wasn’t doing some good. Accordingly, I developed and launched a sister organization called Share the World: a nonprofit that provides travel opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Strol Travel is the official travel agency for Share the World, and works for them for free.
Speaking of free, I offer my services free of charge, with one exception: flight ticketing. Airline fares are even more bizarre and complicated than I thought they were BEFORE I got a peek behind the curtain! Ever-changing rules and requirements, the availability of “hidden” fares that the lay traveler can’t find, and the fact that airlines no longer offer commissions to travel agents all conspired to make this decision for me. On the plus side, for just $19.95 domestic and $29.95 international, you can give me your preferred flight dates/times and I will go through the nightmare of “Well, this fare is $30 less, but you’ll pay $35 for a carry on, or dang, this flight is $50 more, but it’s non-stop and allows seat selection,” etc.). And yes, I’ll even read through their endless terms and conditions to make sure there’s nothing sneaky/surprising/appalling in there! I can also assure you that if you have problems with said flight, you will have more luck fixing any problem if you sic your travel agent on them rather than try to fight with them yourself.
So, in summation, pick me pick me pick me as your travel agent and you’ll get the following:
- A fully trained, licensed travel professional with more firsthand experience at home and abroad than most anyone else you’ll find;
- The best VALUE for your trip – be it an inexpensive long weekend nearby or a luxury cruise around the world, I will get you the best bang for however many bucks you’re spending;
- Less guilt over your trip since, instead of paying me a fee to book your vacation, you made a gift to an amazing organization fighting to keep this world clean and habitable for us to not only live in, but visit and experience;
- Your
business also helps to support the amazing nonprofit organization Share
the World, which provides travel opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
