25 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS AND I'M RETIRING!!!!

YES, you read correctly. A year ago I informed the girls that I was going to retire at age 62 and that time is now. Annette has been preparing for the closure of the office by attending IVCC for the last year preparing for a degree in nursing. Becky has decided to stay home full time with Jake. I am going to take it easy and enjoy life. I plan on improving my quilting skills by taking some classes locally at our wonderful quilt shops, work on my yard and replant and plan my rock garden. We are in the process of putting in an all seasons room off our family room and I plan on spending alot of time in there just relaxing with my husband and reading a book or two. You will see Ross and I buzzing through town in his Cobra Mustang convertible and enjoying each other's company again. (Poor man hardly sees me between my working and taking care of my mom....course maybe that's a good thing) We celebrated our 44th year anniversary this month.  

We have enjoyed our years in the travel business. I once told my boss that I think the Lord made travel agencies so that I could enjoy working at a job that I loved. How blessed I have been over the last quarter of a century by going to work every day and planning your vacations and many of mine.

I started out as a rookie not knowing anything about travel. BUT the gift of gab and love of people and love of travel gave me a good start on an occupation that suited me to a tee.

In the course of 25 years I  can remember doing people's spring break, soon afterward their honeymoon, then a family vacation, and now I'm working on their retirement plans or their children and grandchildren's vacations!!

I have enjoyed your company on my group trips....People are always asking me where I'm going next. I have sailed the 7 seas and many rivers even the Amazon (which was the most fascinating trip I have ever taken)

My most enjoyable trip was probably the trip to Sicily many years ago. The company that we were planning on traveling with went belly up 3 weeks before our departure. A small group of us decided to go anyway and rented a 9 passenger van which I drove, we rented rooms at small Italian hotels, and Fr.Ronald Margherio was our guide. It was the best trip because we had such a small group of likeable and good natured people. Those same people have become lifetime friends and wonderful traveling companions. Over the years I have made close friends with my clients and I have shared their life experiences and mine also. I will miss their company and traveling with them. We have had some fascinating trips together and perhaps in a year or two we will decide to travel together again. I have visited every destination that I wanted except Israel and hopefully it will be one place I visit before I call traveling quits.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty that made Peru Travel the number 1 travel agency for so many years in a row.  We couldn't have done it without you.

For all the people that we have booked for the coming year and even into 2010, please know that we will continue to give you the same service that we gave while the office was open. Annette and I will service the people we have on the books until the last trip is completed. You will be receiving a letter in the mail with our home phone numbers and answers to any questions you might have for us.

Sue