Life Changer (the heart attack) Vee is now a certified Travel Advisor!

On May 16, I had a heart attack. I know right?! At 49-years young, the gregarious, veracious Vanessa Hayden suffered a heart attack. Unbelievable!

However, in the scariest moments of that event, I never once regretted anything in my life. How many people can actually face death and come away knowing, that you have lived your life as you would have. That you have no regrets? That you have accomplish all that you wanted and even more?

Well, I did.

Do you want to know what I thought about in those moments? I thought about the beautiful life my husband (Grumpy) and I have built. I thought about all of the family vacations I planned and executed so that my kids would have a lifetime of memories. I thought about the stories my kids tell (now as young adults and teenagers) from our times at Disneyland, Disney World and the Disney Cruise line. And other trips where we were exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest: The Columbia River Gorge, Eagle Crest in Redmon, Seaside, and Depoe Bay.

I honestly also thought about my new granddaughter, who had not yet been born. I wanted to meet her and show her all about the wonderful World of Disney and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

I have plans, I have work to do, my time here is not finished! That was the message I heard loud and clear.

One of the best stories the kids tell, is about the time on the Disney Dream when Grumpy and I decided to run a 5K on Castaway Cay (Disney’s Private Island). The story goes that the girls (who were teenagers at the time) “busted” the boys out of the kids club and they went to The Enchanted Garden Dining area and proceeded to help themselves to a buffet breakfast. But after they sat down, and started eating, they were worried that they would have to pay for the meal. Especially since they were being waited on by a real waiter, such luxury must cost something! Of course, they made Zack, the youngest, ask the waiter if there was a charge for the meal. Much to their relief, the wait staff explained that dining options are all included in their cruise fare. That 5-star Disney service extends to kids as well. They still laugh when they tell this story. I am grateful that they have the story to tell.

The bottom line is, when you are faced with a live changing event, you re-evaluate everything. In my revelations, I decided to become a certified travel advisor. I have thought about it for years, and with a corporate job and four kiddos and all their activities, I was just a little busy. No, really, I was super busy. But I am letting go of the excuses, the fear and the limited beliefs. I am doing this!

I still have the corporate job and that isn’t going to change anytime soon, but I wanted to build something that I have passion around; something that I could share with others; something that I could use my skillset, talent, and knowledge to help other families feel the same joy that I have felt over the years. I want to help other families build their “deathbed” non-regrets–a lifetime of wonderful family vacation memories. Travel is my answer.

So about a week ago, I signed with a host agency (KHM Travel) and started training to learn about my favorite brands as a travel advisor. I am now certified to sell Disney, Sea World, Universal, Southwest Airlines and many many more.

Call to ACTION: If you know me, you know I always have a call to action. What does that mean? It means get off your booty and DO SOMETHING! I want you to reflect on your life.

Have you done the things you want to do or are you “waiting for the perfect time”. Waiting for more money, waiting for the right job, waiting for the sun to set? I implore you, as someone that looked death in the face and walked away, DO NOT WAIT! Pull the trigger, call that travel agent, book that trip, make that call, act like Nike and “Just Do It”!

If you would like to know more about why you should use a travel agent AC (After COVID) or if you would like me to send you a quote for that “once in a lifetime” trip, send me an email. I am more than happy to help you decide if getting a travel agent is the right plan for you. And I would be honored to be YOUR travel advisor!

GrumpyAndVee@gmail.com