At the travel agency we receive lots of brochures from suppliers.  Many times I’ll open a packet, store the brochures and toss everything else including the packing material into recycling.  Sometimes I’ll even put the brochures right into recycling bin if it is from a supplier that we don’t really feels works best for our customers.  Oftentimes the brochures include some sort of cover letter which is usually related to telling us what we should know about any new products the supplier has or what highlights we should read in the brochures.  Recently one cover letter caught my attention and I thought I would share.

Kirk Demeter is the president of Down Under Answers (DUA).  As you’d expect with the name Down Under Answers, they specialize in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific destinations.  Kirk wrote what I feel is an inspiring cover letter to include with their 2013-2014 travel planners.

” As I cast about for positive resolutions for 2013, a bumper sticker came to mind – ‘Life is uncertain; eat dessert first’.  I decided to amend that to – Life is uncertain; take the trip first.

In our business we hear constantly from customers how their trip was ‘life enhancing’, how it fulfilled a long-held dream, how it was so much more than expected.  That it led to new friends, fueled their desire to travel even more and inspired others to travel.

There are always several items on our wish lists, and we all love new toys, but a trip is something that never loses its novelty, no matter how many times we look at the photos, or turn to each other and say ‘remember the day we…’.  Trips don’t sit in the garage or attic gathering dust; they live within us, making us feel good each time we think back.”

Trips certainly do live within us.  Our travel experiences help shape our thoughts, desires and values.  Sometimes on trips we learn grace, sometimes we learn humility, sometimes we even learn that we eat too many desserts when we are not at home!

Which would you remember more fondly 10 years from now, your new 60″ super duper plasma monster TV, or diving off the deck of your over-water bungalow in Fiji?   The TV probably won’t even last 10 years, but the memories of the island will stay with you forever.  I agree –  Life is uncertain; take the trip first.