An Unexpected Community of Joy
7 weeks ago I was in Phoenix, Arizona getting ready to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
All of a sudden, I got a call from my friend Ted, one of the founders of ITMI, the International Tour Management Institute.
ITMI helps people realize their travel dreams by turning their passion for travel into a fulfilling career. They’ve been training and certifying people to become tour and travel professionals since 1976.
Ted said, “Yasmin, we’d like for you to come to our 33rd Annual Symposium, meet some people, and do a talk.” So within 48 hours, I made a detour to Tucson, AZ for the conference instead of my adventures in nature.
Little did I know that I would be meeting the most incredible community of #JoyMakers and #JoyAmbassadors . These are people who bring joy into countless lives around the world by not only showing them places they’ve always wanted to visit, but also sharing with them a deeper connection to the people and experience.
I got a chance to interview a number of these professional tour directors / guides to ask them what brings them joy. To my surprise, it wasn’t about the travel, but much more.
I invite you to take a moment to check out this video I created to see the joy through my their eyes. As a filmmaker and curator of joyful experiences and stories, this was one of the highlights of my journey thus far.
Next time you travel, perhaps one of these #JoyAmbassadors can guide you to an even more enriching and joyful experience.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to know and connect with these amazing people as I travel across the country for my #JoyfulLivingProject. Thank you Ted Bravos and Joan Keddell for such a gift.
