Tag: travel show

7 Must Have Items for a Cruise

Who knew traveling on water could come with a whole different set of accessories to pack? Well, obviously you do now!  After spending 8 months a year on a cruise ship with Vacation Creation, I can now proudly say I’m a professional cruiser and here are my 7 must have items that I never get on a ship without!

Vacation Creation Season 2 Premieres!

Yay!! It’s finally here!

Vacation Creation is back for another season. It’s bigger and better- and on a new network! We’ve moved to ABC, which is a huge move for our show!

This first episode really meant a lot to us. There was an “a-ha” moment that something was very different this season. Our goal with Vacation Creation is to take deserving people on a vacation of a lifetime- it’s a way to speed up karma, if you will. We want to show them a good time, but this season we go a bit further into helping heal the families.

The Bowlick family had been through a near death experience and they were still recovering from it. We took them to an eagle rescue sanctuary in Alaska where we would help release once-injured eagles back into the wild. The parallel between the eagles and the family was not lost. As they released one of the eagles back into the wild, there was not a dry eye in the place- including mine. It circled back around to almost say “thank you” and take in the moment – and then it was gone. There is really something special about being in nature, being with animals, and being in the moment that touches your soul.

We have many moments like that throughout the season. I hope you guys like this first episode in Alaska and continue to stay tuned!

Vacation Creation is syndicated, so use this handy dandy link to find out when it’s airing around you: http://bit.ly/LWASchedule

Why I Love What I Do

I have my dream job! What is not to love?

Well, sometimes the “dream” isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Show business – in reality – is a lot of long days that are unpaid with zero recognition and lots of rejection. It’s humbling and terrifying. There’s no job security and there’s always someone prettier, funnier, wealthier, and more successful vying for your meal ticket. Traveling can also be far from glamorous. It’s a lot of wear and tear on the body, packing and unpacking, uncomfortable flights, missing friends and family, missing out on big moments, and, at the end of the day, loneliness.

BUT if you can get through the bad, there is unbelievable good. This job has been 10+ years in the making. It’s the Hail Mary pass I never thought would be caught. No one ever said I could host a travel show, and, here we are, a week away from the start of our second season.

Even with all that build up, Vacation Creation has EXCEEDED every expectation. On a working level, I couldn’t ask for a better co-host, mentor, and confidante than Tommy Davidson (and big shout out to his wife Amanda- #BossLady!). The whole team – from those on the ground shooting and producing to those back at the office putting out every fire – is supportive, kind, fun, and insanely talented! There are, of course, the destinations. I’ve been to beautiful places in the world I never thought I would go to- ummm, Bora Bora? St. Petersburg? Alaska? Norway? WHAT IS MY LIFE!!

But above all that, there are the people. The families and individuals we meet have changed my life forever. It’s easy to get caught up in what we want or what we think we deserve, but it’s impossible to do that on this show. Some of these people have been through so much and have come out the other side kinder, softer, and more giving. It’s truly inspiring. And that’s what shocked me. Vacation Creation is fulfilling on a level I never expected.

Obviously, all this couldn’t be put in a sound bite, but this is why I love my job. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and a lot of things I never thought I wanted, but absolutely needed.

Please check out the new season when it moves to ABC on Saturday Mornings starting October 7, 2017.

 

xoxo

I’M A TELLY AWARD WINNER!

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I’M OFFICIALLY AN AWARD WINNER!

Well, I’m officially an official award winner. I’ve got plenty of participation trophies – that don’t have my name on it, because they don’t do that for participation trophies – but now I have a legit trophy!

Vacation Creation won a Telly Award in the travel and tourism category!

Now, you might be asking – what? What’s a Telly Award? 
The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring the best in video and TV across all screens, receiving more than 13,000 entries annually from 5 continents. And boo yah! We won. And I’m so proud. Our team put in a ton of long hours, a lot of heart, and maybe 3.5 million gallons of sweat into the first season of Vacation Creation, so it feels great to have it recognized and rewarded.

As a gracious winner, I will say congratulations to all the winners and thank YOU to all who who have been watching! 
The best news is to come- Vacation Creation will be back– and this time airing on ABC! So make sure you keep your Saturday morning open to watch on ABC starting October 7, 2017.

Now I just need to build a mantle to put this award on… Anyone know a good carpenter? 😉

Vacation Creation Premieres Tomorrow!

Well, this is crazy! I’ve been a bit quiet recently as I’ve been caught up in the whirlwind dream that is Vacation Creation. It’s a brand new travel show that premieres tomorrow – Saturday, October 1st – at 10:30am on The CW! Be there or be square!

The premise of the show is to give deserving families a dream vacation…and this is also a dream come true for me! If you’ve been following me, you know I’ve been working hard for years building a travel brand. Whenever someone asked me what the “dream job” was, I said, “Oh, to have a network travel show,” but I never actually thought it would actually happen. It was such a big dream and there just aren’t many travel shows on US television- let alone on a major network. Vacation Creation is all so surreal.

And what makes it even better is that my amazing co-host/living legend Tommy Davidson and I are giving truly deserving people a dream vacation. It’s been inspiring to be around people who have persevered through so much and so fulfilling to end each day of work- not only visiting beautiful places – but giving people an experience that would be extremely hard to replicate on their own.

I am so proud of this show and all the producers, crew, and families who have worked on Vacation Creation. I hope you enjoy the premiere!