Barb Ortiz

My inspiration for becoming a travel agent was my high school math teacher. I was 16 years old and he said that when school let out, he planned to travel all over Europe.  So I asked him to send me one postcard, and to my surprise, he ended up sending me a postcard from every destination. I then fell in love with the idea of traveling and decided to become a travel agent. 

Eventually, I joined the travel industry, and my first job was at a small mom-and-pop agency. After a few years as a corporate agent for American Express, I began working with Tzell Travel Group, and became a African specialist.

When I returned to the business world to work as a travel manager, I realized I did not want to be a corporate agent any longer. I took a sabbatical and moved to Italy for two years, and saw most of Europe while I was there. So much of the continent is accessible by train, so if you wake up one day and decide to see Switzerland, you can do so that very day. I gained a familiarity with Europe which is invaluable to me today.

Now, when I pursue what I love and see the world, I can share my discoveries with clients and book them on VIP itineraries to destinations off the beaten path. I have also started a popular Meetup travel via Meetup.com called "I'll Take You There" for woman who to travel!