The Start Of A New Journey  

With any new beginning there is a feeling of excitement and anticipation, and the start of a blog is no different.  That’s exactly what I am feeling about the start of this journey.  

Travel Bags with Annita is a new journey for me covering radio, social media and blogging.  The blog will be a place to share personal experiences and information to help plan a smart trip.  Because if you don’t plan smart, there is a chance your trip may not be as much fun as it could be.  And, I do love to have fun on vacation or at home.  For me fun is where the good stuff lives.

So, why start another travel blog?   That’s a really good question.  And, one I asked myself.  There is no shortage of travel bloggers.  I recently attended a travel conference in New York City and one of the educational sessions was focused on travel media and blogging.  The room was packed.  This session was the most attended with standing room only.  There were seasoned bloggers, new bloggers and everyone in between.  And there I was, eyes wide open and taking in everything I could.  It was a great session and I left with my answer:  provide trends, exciting new destinations, the latest news – I can help travelers become smart about their choices.  And, have fun too.

Here I am at the starting line, ready to go!  When I think about it, my journey actually started as a little girl listening to my father talk about his travels, going on business trips with him, road trips to visit relatives and through the beautiful, fascinating pages of National Geographic Magazines.

After college and a year of working in retail management, I answered ads for Flight Attendants with several airlines.  Pan Am was my choice and to my delight I was their choice too.  Flying all over the world became my life and over my 12 year career I now had exotic and fascinating stories to share with my family.

In 1991 when Pan Am went out of business my life was at a cross roads and I had no idea of the route to take.  An opportunity with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau was my answer and I was hired to create a new volunteer program in preparation for the 1996 Olympics.  Working with them provided a new view on the tourism industry, and the opportunity to work with the Olympic planning committee was an awesome, once in a live time opportunity.

The next step on my travel journey was with Rosenbluth International Travel Management Company providing yet another view of the tourism industry working with large corporations and their traveling staff.  At Rosenbluth, I managed a training program that I took on the road to offices all around the world.  What a great opportunity to see the world as a business woman meeting staff, spending time getting to know the local residents and see their culture from a business side.  An insider’s view into the people and culture of each country; very different from my days traveling the world with Pan Am.

Now I am a partner in a vacation rental management company, Sapelo Island Birdhouses, where I oversee the rental and management of several vacation rental homes on the coast of Georgia.  Another view of the tourism industry.  I have seen tourism and travel from many vantage points and believe my experience will deliver a perspective of informative, interesting and of course fun to travel blogging.  I hope you’ll join me on this journey; check-in frequently to see what we’re talking about and what’s in the news.  Travel Bags with Annita.  Your source to help find your adventurous spirit and set you on the road as a smart traveler…. packed and ready to go!