Working at one of the country’s leading travel PR agencies, we have the great privilege of traveling all over the world to experience and strategically promote our clients’ hotels. From kick starting a new account with an in-depth site inspection during which we gather all necessary information to put together a press kit for the hotel to planning the ideal experience for journalists visiting properties on press trips, understanding the art of travel is key to our continued success.
Yet, sometimes it is essential to step back from the necessary association of travel and work to remember what it is like to enjoy a vacation purely for vacation’s sake. I had the pleasure of spending five splendid nights at Casa Bonita Tropical Lodge on the Dominican Republic’s southwestern coast last week. While I travel to the island often, this was the first trip in years where I was there purely for some good old R & R.
With no journalists to host or sources to interview, a girlfriend and I were able to experience the property as any other travelers would. The result was liberating, incredible and ultimately, inspiring. Days were spent lounging by the pool, dining on fresh fish ceviche, venturing to the spa to practice yoga in the jungle, hydrating with fresh coconut water and enjoying afternoon cocktails ranging from coco locos to good, old fashioned pina coladas. It was a true treat.
Now back home, I find my pitching newly inspired by reflections from my trip. The archives of images (totaling in the hundreds) from our vacation bring me back to the feeling of the sun on my skin, the taste of my morning green juice and the soothing aromas of the spa. So as I use my own experiences to strengthen my writing and uncover new story angles, I encourage you to step back every once and awhile to experience your destination as any traveler would, even if only for chilling’s sake. Your work will be all the better for it.