​I’m finally getting around to organizing my photos from my Vacation in Italy.  Since Monday is approaching, it’s also a welcome distraction.  I’ve been asked what my favorite part of my two-week trip through Rome, Florence and all the little hill towns of Tuscany and I would have to say it was the day trip to Vernazza in the Cinque Terre.   Vernazza is actually in the Liguria region of Italy, which is in Northwest Italy along the Mediterranean.  It’s also known as the Italian Riviera.  We thought it would be a quick two-hour drive from our morning stop in Lucca.  Well, leave it to GPS to take us on the old route with especially worn, crumbling, narrow, winding roads.  It took us over three hours.  Once we reached the main parking lot, we were told it was another 20 minute walk down another steep hill into the village.  It was well worth the journey.  The first stop was to get water and a little bite to eat.   We were getting used to eating six times a day at this point, so we were ready for the owner of the restaurant to offer us the best cannoli in all of Italy.  It’s true.  They are the best.  He has won several awards for his cannoli.  I have to say, it was the best cannoli I have ever had in my life.  We washed our giant cannoli down with iced-cappuccinos.  Era delizioso!  So if you find yourself in Vernazza, the first place you need to stop is Il Pirata delle!
Next, we continued downhill, through the village.  It’s a gorgeous little fishing village and the views looking up at the vineyards on the steep mountains above and the ocean below are stunning.   There are many shops to buy leather goods and other trinkets to take home.  The water is so blue and the buildings are so colorful against the sky.  I think all of us were so happy we made the trek.  We found out through the owner of the parking lot that there was a better, more modern road that we could take back to San Casicano in Tuscany.  There were still some crazy hills and hairpin turns, but the roads were slightly wider and not crumbling…which is always good! #ItalianRiviera #CinqueTerre #Italy #vernazza

~Dawn​

​Final preparations are underway for the welcome reception! ‪#‎greece‬‪#‎athens‬ ‪#‎letthegamesbegin‬

I'm feeling very lucky to be going right from my meeting in California to Greece.  I'll be in Greece the next few weeks for a meeting followed by some R&R in Santorini.  #Greece #meetingsinAthens

It has been another brutal winter here in Wisconsin.  I was SO happy to plan a meeting in Orange County and escape the arctic!  There is nothing like spending time on the beach and a few fantastic sunsets when it's below zero back home.  #OrangeCounty  #LagunaBeach #CaliforniaMeetings #latitudetravelgroup

People often ask, “What is the best place you have ever traveled to?” I have traveled extensively around the U.S. and to 15 countries across the globe – so with all of those experiences I must have a favorite.

It’s a tough choice! I love so many cities and my travels have all been wonderful and very impactful, but if I HAVE to pick one destination, it would be Costa Rica. It was March 2004, and I was about to enjoy my final spring break as a college student before receiving my hard-earned bachelor’s degree. At the time, I was 26 and working nearly full-time as a group specialist selling corporate getaways and group vacations to Europe and Costa Rica. I had two other good friends/co-workers who were also interested in traveling there, so we purchased tickets on a whim when fares were low. 

I contacted a colleague from one of the tour companies that I worked closely with and asked if she could recommend an itinerary for our visit. Rather than writing back with some ideas of things to see and do, she told us not to worry at all about the trip; we would be well taken care of. “Just send your airline itinerary and we’ll handle the rest.”

Two days before the trip, we received an itinerary that was mind blowing - and all of it was hosted by our business partners. In the travel industry, these Familiarization (FAM) trips are somewhat standard. You have to be able to sell, and in order to sell, you must see!

We were supposed to be picked up by our driver for the week and spend our first night in San Jose checking out the nightlife. However, we wound up getting delayed and instead spent our first night in the U.S. After some upgrades from an apologetic American Airlines and a free change to a flight coming home a day later, we departed one day later than expected. Here’s a rundown of our week in Costa Rica…

– Keri