When it comes to planning out a trip and getting all of the logistics sorted, I was usually the go to person. I would create a list of activities to do, places to go, where to stay, foods to try, and everything else under the sun. I had fun doing this and because of it I usually ended up as the designated tour guide during trips. So, during my never ending job search after grad school I came across the job I have now. A big part of this job is coordinating and managing travel for hundreds of youth heading to Latin America during the summer to participate in immersive, cultural experiences. As I learned about and worked through the travel process in the months leading up to the summer, I had no idea how hectic, yet rewarding the summer would end up being.
The summer travel craziness started on the last day of May in Miami and had me hitting the ground running. These first few travel days included delayed luggage, severely delayed flights, and 12-14 hour days at the Miami airport (lots of coffee was consumed to make it through each day!). The travel days in Houston were similar, but with rarely any missed flights. Days were spent tracking flights, providing support with any travel issues that came up, learning more about the youth that were getting ready for an adventure of a lifetime, and just making sure everyone made it onto their international flight. That last part was quite the learning curve but I got the hang of it. I managed to put together a system of head counts and check-ins to make sure no one was left behind.
By the end of the summer, I managed to coordinate the travel of over 600 youth and thankfully had the support from coworkers to be able to survive the summer. Whether they were accompanying me at the airport in Houston or managing a travel day in Miami, it was a team effort to make sure everyone got on their plane. I think several of us memorized these airports by the time the travel season was over. In the end, the summer was a success and I learned quite a bit of what it takes to truly coordinate and manage travel for others. I realized that patience, being flexible, and staying calm can take you a long way when issues come up and usually help more than solely focusing on how stressful everything is. Just have to always remember that you can and will get the issue resolved in the end. A little persistence helps too!
There are also a few other things I learned throughout the summer: Always have a refillable water bottle and a jacket for the long days. My refillable water bottle came in handy to stay hydrated throughout the day. There were also moments where I would just sit and monitor flights for extended periods and would always end up in the coldest spot at the airport. On days I forgot my jacket, I would be kicking myself and would end up walking around to avoid being cold. Another thing I learned was that comfy shoes were a must on the days I had to run back and forth between arrival and departure gates. I definitely got in thousands of steps each day. After a couple of travel days, I also realized leggings would be my best friend by the end of the summer. Having to alternate between walking back and forth and sitting to wait, I was at least comfortable. It also made going through the security screening easier since I didn’t have to worry about forgetting things in my pockets. With all of these lessons in hand, I am looking forward to future travel days!
Any tips or tricks for surviving long days at the airports? Get in touch and share them! :)
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