Beaches Turks & Caicos, September 12-15, 2024

Installment #1: Travel Preparations

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Installment #1: Travel Preparations 〰️

Disclaimer: The opinions and experiences shared in this blog post are personal and do not necessarily represent the views of Lubinski Family Travel LLC. Individual experiences may vary. This post contains discussions about travel protection and medical considerations, but it is not intended to provide professional insurance or medical advice. Always consult with licensed insurance professionals and healthcare providers for specific guidance related to your travel needs and personal circumstances.

When I founded Lubinski Family Travel early this year, I told myself that I would take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. Since becoming a travel agent, I’ve been wisely warned of the dangers of spreading oneself too thin or trying to be all things to all clients by those in the industry with many more years of experience than me. (1) I’ve been on a one-way street of advice taking for a few months now, which has been great. It’s wonderful to learn from the mistakes of others without having to experience the pain of making them yourself.

That said, what industry veterans might not have, is the blind optimism (some might call it naivety) that comes with a fresh start. One of the many benefits of entrepreneurship is being able to call your own shots and accept or decline invitations as they present themselves. Sure, you can solicit advice, but you don’t have to listen to it! You are the captain of your own ship for better or worse and don’t know, or have a care for, what’s lurking beneath the surface of the water. Ignorance is bliss. This was my state of mind in the spring of this year. I was ready to take the bull by the horns. (2,3)

Anyways, that’s effectively a dramatized version of how I found myself at Beaches Turks and Caicos for the 2024 Family Travel Association Advisor Retreat that took place in the middle of September. Not a bad place to wind up! It’s also how I was featured in a Travel Weekly article (see link below) that ran in May of this year. No turning back, and now that my own horn is sufficiently tooted, I promise I’ll spend the rest of this blog post focusing on my time before, at and after the FTA Retreat so that readers can maybe take something away from my short, but jam-packed, conference getaway.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Meet-the-advisor-class-of-2024

A stock image of a fire extinguisher because how do you visually represent travel protection?

Travel Protection: To Be (Covered) or Not To Be

Let’s begin with the few days leading up to my departure at an ungodly hour of the night/morning (more on that soon) so that we can talk about general travel preparations. Now that I’m a part of the travel industry in a professional capacity, I’ve spent more time thinking about trip protection than I ever have before. I don’t know that I’d ever purchased a travel protection plan in my life before this trip with maybe the exception of a check the box option that was included for a negligible cost. To this point, I’ve considered myself relatively young and active and with the general sentiment about trip protection, like appliance warranties, being lukewarm, I never saw the need to spend extra money on a protection plan I most likely wouldn’t benefit from.

But oh, how mine eyes have now seen the benefits of a good travel protection plan. As a travel advisor, I’m not allowed to actively sell or solicit the purchase of travel protection. Notice that I’ve also been referring to coverage as protection rather than “insurance.” This is because I’m not a licensed insurance professional and can’t hold myself out as such. (4) However, what I can do is highlight the general benefits of having travel protection.

Think about the last time you were really sick. Outside of it coinciding with flu or cold season, were you able to predict when your throat started getting scratchy or you felt like a fever was coming on (or worse, when something urgently decided it needed to escape the confines of your stomach)? Sorry for the imagery, but unfortunately, viruses don’t take your travel plans into consideration before striking and knocking you out of commission (and if they did, they probably would use that against you). How about the last time you broke a bone? Now multiply that by the number of travelers in your party.

The unpredictable nature of events is what makes insurance a thing after all. And it’s not like when you step onto the plane or arrive at your destination the risks evaporate. Most people are unaware of the fact that many types of medical coverage don’t apply outside of the United States. Forget visions of Michael Myers keeping me up at night this Halloween season, I’m going to be shivering in terror at the thought of having to pay out of pocket for a medical evacuation.

This isn’t to push people into making buying decisions based on fear (I can’t do that remember). All of us are exposed to unavoidable risks, some insured against, as we go about daily life and travel protection remains optional. The pandemic reinforced the additional peace of mind that it can bring to some vacationers, and I’ve come to see the benefit of it myself. So much so that I purchased a trip protection plan for the first time to cover things like medical costs, trip cancellation/interruption/delay, baggage loss and so on. Did I use any of it? Of course not, but I was glad it was there if I needed it. (5) Oh, and one last thing, I did not follow the rules like the good elder child I am and purchase the policy within 14 days of making the initial trip deposit. I waited until the last minute. When it comes to trip protection, generally the earlier the better (especially if you want to add a cancel for any reason option). I’ll try not to procrastinate next time.

These are not my suitcases. I wish I had suitcases as beautiful as these. I wouldn't use them. I would *display* them.

Packing or A Game I Like to Call: What Essential Item Did I Forget This Time?

Moving on to something slightly more interesting than trip protection: packing! I do get excited about packing for an upcoming trip. It’s a sign that the trip is real and happening soon! I usually wait to pack until the day before the trip, because to do otherwise would be premature in the sense that I’m still going to need the majority of what I’m taking with me. But, when it’s time to get that suitcase out of the basement closet, it’s on!

I also am not one to use a packing list, which is probably why I have forgotten to take essential items like a belt and a bathing suit with me on past vacations. Now, usually this isn’t a problem as most destinations that you travel to will have stores where you can purchase the items that you need, but that takes time and can be a waste of money. So, absent sitting down a writing out a packing list with nice little checkboxes you can tick off as you go, I like to remind people to think about where they’re going (seems obvious) while they’re packing. The reason for that is people typically vacation in places that require items they don’t normally use on a routine basis (along with ones they do, of course). Sunscreen, bathing suits, sunglasses, sandals, beach towels for warm weather destinations. Winter apparel and equipment for cold weather locales. This is especially important when you’re going to a place that has a different climate from the one that you’re currently experiencing. For this trip, I added swimwear (which was a first for me since this was technically a work trip), sunscreen and sunglasses to my mental packing list. After checking the resort and event dress codes, I also made sure to bring appropriate attire, which included some long pants, collared shirts and a pair of casual loafers.

Since this trip was going to be a relatively short jaunt, I decided that I wanted to travel light, which meant a smaller carry-on suitcase as opposed to checking a bag. I’m usually torn between a bigger suitcase (more options) and a smaller one or a duffel bag and tend to let the duration of the trip dictate what I take. A carry-on will suffice for a long weekend, but anything closer to a week requires a checked bag. Each option has its pros and cons and, like I said, the verdict is still out for me on which one is better. Skipping the bag check, saving money on baggage fees, going straight to security and having your items close at hand are benefits of the carry-on option but with a checked bag you don’t have to worry about lugging your bag through security, complying with the TSA rules for liquids and have more room to pack your entire wardrobe if you so choose.

Access to laundry facilities at a destination will also factor into my choice of luggage. Funnily enough, there did wind up being a washer and dryer in our room at Beaches Turks & Caicos, for which I was very thankful. Something that I did not factor in ahead of time was how many times I’d need to change clothes during the day, because it was quite humid when we visited. (6)

Lastly, a quick word about packing cubes. Nothing beats having a bunch of little bags inside a big bag! Treat yourself to some before your next trip.

The Night Before: A Too Short Nap

The funny thing about my owning a travel agency business is that I don’t particularly enjoy the actual travel part, and you’ll see why. I like spending time exploring in other areas of the country and world while staying in nice hotels. They should have a different word for this act of living away from home. It’s not traveling to or from, but the exciting period in between. It’s vacationing I suppose or being on holiday. Traveling is the exhausting part on the ends.

For example, our flight from Pittsburgh to Atlanta was set to depart around 6 AM with a boarding time of 5:20 AM. I set my alarm for 2 AM because the current best practice is to get to the airport three hours before your flight departure for international flights (two for domestic). An alarm that early did not, at the time, exist in my phone because there was no rational reason for one to. I debated simply staying up until I had to leave but opted for a short, fitful nap after going to bed at my usual time. No use staring at the ceiling trying to fall asleep early. I woke up about 5 minutes before my alarm sounded at 2 and proceeded to pack the remainder of my belongings before heading to the airport to start a marathon day of travel (well maybe half-marathon, the upside of leaving so early was that we were scheduled to arrive in Turks & Caicos in the early afternoon).

Thus concludes the incomplete record of my preparation process for the FTA Retreat at Beaches Turks & Caicos. I’ve since made it there and back, so I must have done an adequate job. We’ll pick back up with my trip to the airport in the next installment. For now, I’ll leave you with the essential item that I forgot to pack for this trip which was…

Nothing! Thanks to all the self-inflicted hard lessons I’ve learned over the years! I probably should’ve packed an extra outfit, but I was bailed out by the in-room washer and dryer.

Planning a vacation or want to swap travel yarns? Drop us a line or book a free, no-obligation consultation using the “Book Appointment” button. While we try to keep things lighthearted when discussing our own travel adventures, this isn’t necessarily reflective of the way that we would approach vacation planning for our clients. Think of us as the test kitchen and your trip as the published cookbook recipe. We give ourselves freedom to experiment and are honest about our missteps, but when it comes to stewarding our clients’ resources, we stick to what we think works best. So, let us help you craft unforgettable memories, whether you're seeking a well-trodden path or a unique adventure off the beaten track. Contact Lubinski Family Travel today and let's start planning your next great escape!

Until next time. Safe travels everyone!

(1) By default, when you start a new career path, almost everybody in the industry has more experience than you since that’s how time works in our linear universe.

(2) I understand that was very melodramatic, but I’m told that you need a snappy hook to get readers engaged. Unfortunately, my penchant for long-form (like long-long form) essay writing/rambling will more than offset any curiosity that was kindled. Anyone who knows me will also tell you I’m also not really one to take uncalculated risks.

(3) That’s a metaphor, but I also literally did that too. Call me White Goodman.

(4) Fear not, my CPA license gives me all the nerd cred that I need.

(5) If you’re someone who travels more than a few times a year, most trip protection providers (and there are a lot of good ones out there) offer annual plans that could save you some money compared to buying individual plans (although this may still be necessary for some components). Any and all questions should be directed to licensed insurance professionals (one of which I am not).

(6) I think my sweat was sweating.

Family Travel Association Retreat Travel Log