Wow, talk about hitting the tarmac – running!!  So I have been back for just over two weeks and it seems an eternity ago since I was on holiday.   I am not saying it is not fun or interesting but usually I intersperse my weeks with networking.  The return to work has meant quite a lot of serious meetings and ‘head down’ in the office.   

I have to thank so many of you!! Why – because you have contributed to one of the best August sales periods that we have ever had, with a greater percentage of you booking to travel later this year.   The travel industry has talked widely about a sea change with a far greater leaning to a later booking market.  This is definitely the case for Bales, as in previous years August was mostly about taking more bookings for the following year. I am just thrilled with your support and whenever you want to book and go on holiday we would welcome the opportunity of you booking and experiencing a Bales holiday. For many of you that will be yet another Bales experience! Thank you again – you make all the work we put into the detail (to ensure that you all have the holiday of a lifetime) worthwhile.

I find it exciting to think that every day we have organised and are sending travellers to so many countries in the four corners of the world.  I love the business so much that I am one of those ’anoraks’ that loves watching the planes- yes I don’t even mind being in a big traffic jam on the M4 near Heathrow as it means I can plane spot.  As I am stationary on the motorway I imagine all the passengers travelling for a variety of reasons and the anticipation they have for the journey they have just commenced.  I can see the stewards and stewardesses wheeling the drinks trolley (not literally you understand) and serving drinks as we have not even moved 50 yards!!  I was thrilled then that on Friday night Steve’s cousins came to stay –one of the bound back to Canada the next day – more than a little excited  to take them to the airport – and I wasn’t even travelling!! I guess for me it is the hub of activity and the people watching.   Can you imagine how excited I get when we actually travel?

I personally think to do the kind of job many of us do in travel – and to do it well we must have passion – we must be aspirational about our own desire to travel but more importantly we must love to serve the public and have the desire to exceed even excellence.  A perfect job for me then as my two greatest loves are people and travel.

Now then, – I am due to do the foothills of Annapurna in November (am I ready, well only in my head and heads alone don’t get you up mountains). We talk about couch potatoes, well right now I am feeling like a sack of couch potatoes (no comments please from those that know me and would certainly endorse that is what I look like!!).  You have to get into the correct mindset for fitness – I have never done exercise for the sake of it - I need a realistic goal for a fitness programme, and this is a goal that is in the pipeline. I must go beyond the coffee bar and the welcome cup of latte in the gym next time I go!!

Catch up with you again soon.

About Mandy Nickerson

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Mandy endeavours to share her travel experiences (where she will 'tell it like it is') and also detail the latest exciting projects that she is involved in. Mandy welcomes your feedback - please feel free to submit your thoughts, queries, comments and theories below.