I originally wrote this article for the May 2007 Wide World Books & Maps Newsletter. If you click on any of the links in the article, you will find yourself at Wide World's site where you can purchase the books and accessories or read about things going on at the store. -Terrell

 

Ten Things I Learned from Working in a Travel Store

The time has come, I’m afraid, for me to leave the store. Family duty calls. As I look back on the last five years, I thought you might like to hear some of the things I have learned from working here.

There are no bad destinations. I’ve talked to people heading off to vacations in Paris and Mali, Vietnam and Patagonia and Oaxaca. I’ve talked to aid workers leaving for Sierra Leone and Afghanistan and Sri Lanka right after the tsunami. I talked to a woman on her way (reluctantly) to spring break in Detroit because her teenage daughter wanted to see its treasure trove of vintage buildings. Over the years I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nowhere in the world that doesn’t have something to offer a traveler with an open mind. I’m going to try to keep that in mind while I’m living in Dallas.

No, there not a best guidebook for [fill in name of destination]. Lonely Planet is really comprehensive, Rough Guides are well-written, Eyewitness has great illustrations and Rick Steves has insider tips. Time Out does wonderful city guides and Bradt has a cool, quirky point of view. My dad used to say that any college has more to teach than any student can learn and something similar is true about guidebooks. Each one has their strengths but you can learn a lot from any of them. The trick is matching up the one that best suits a customer’s needs. Which is where those nice booksellers at WWB come in.

Travel “accessories” make life easier on the road. Just think. If I had never come to work here, I might never have discovered packing cubes. And packing envelopes. And my universal sink stopper and those neat little Woolite packets and travel towels and my wonderful travel pillow from Thermarest and…and…

Tours can be a good thing. One of the great things that happened to me here at the store is that Simone gave me a chance to go to Turkey (and I mean gave in the most generous sense) with Melitour. I not only found a country I love and a new friend in Meli, I also figured out that a well-run tour can be just as good a travel experience as kicking around on my own. After listening to years of Tuesday night presentations by Matthew and Kurt and Sandy and all the rest, I know that having a tour leader who is knowledgeable and energetic and connected to the local people is a valuable thing. And having someone else to carry the luggage is priceless.

Parents who travel with their kids are doing them a favor. Taking your kids along for the ride teaches them all kinds of good things. It teaches them about other people and places. It teaches them the discipline required to sit still on a long plane ride. It teaches them that there is good food that doesn’t come from golden arches. It teaches them that hanging out with your family can be fun. It teaches them that we share this world with a whole lot of other people. And I think it teaches the parents a few things, too.

One man can make a difference. And his name is Rick Steves.

Maps are totally cool. OK, I loved maps before I came to work here. Any piece of paper that can convey so much information in so little space is bound to fascinate an odd brain like mine. Since coming to work at the store, though, I have come to see the endless variety of maps available and to appreciate the complexity of the task of producing these wonders. I’ve had National Geographic’s map of Italy on my kitchen wall for four years now and I still find something new on it every day. Speaking of which, I better buy a new map of Dallas before I leave.

Even in a specialty store like ours, there are always more books than I have time to read. One of the things I’ve tried to do in my tenure at the store is introduce more non-guidebooks. My background in general bookstores convinced me that there is plenty of “travel related” literature that would be of interest to travelers. Beyond the hundreds of great travel essays, we’ve added more novels, mysteries, current events and histories. And I have found myself in the enviable position of having to sort through dozens of new books each month trying to pick the one I most want to read. We don’t carry every book in the world, but we carry some of the best. And lucky for you guys, you’ll now have Holly, she of long experience and great judgment, choosing what makes it to our shelves.

We use 110. They use 220. If I never have to explain electrical converters and adapters to another person again, it will not be too soon.

Travelers are hopeful people. When people ask me what it’s like to work in a travel store, I always say it’s nice because the customers are usually happy. And I don’t think that it’s just that they’re excited about planning a trip. I think travelers in general are hopeful, happy people. We are people who see something good beyond the horizon. We’re open to new experiences. We’re ready to learn. We believe that the future can bring something wonderful. So I set out on this journey with hope for my future, and gratitude for what I have learned here.

Thanks everybody!