This is the content I had planned on delivering to the Third Graders at Atha Rd Elementary yesterday.  Instead I asked a lot of questions and let them ask a ton of questions. Some of their questions gave me ideas for a new blog or two.  Sit back and enjoy my now modified for more adult reading (not THAT!  This IS a family blog you know!)

Each and every day changes so much, there is no ‘normal’ day! 
I usually start out my day by checking my emails.  (Actually, I check them all day long – especially when I have someone traveling.  Every time that DING happens, I grab a quick look at my phone.)
My ‘normal’ email load in the mornings are supplier emails.  Suppliers are who I book trips through.  They could be Disney, Universal, Cruise lines, or any other Touring Office (TO)
These are generally ‘sales’ or advertisements; letting me know about what their new promotion is, or telling me about a new training or FAM coming up.  (FAM is a familiarization trip.  Much easier to say FAM!)  Training and FAMs are how I stay informed and educated on all the various destinations. Important tools in my knowledge toolbox.
Occasionally I have a client question or a quote request.  These I answer first. Then after reading the supplier emails I file them based on the supplier that sent it.  So an email from Disney would go into the Disney file, while an email from FunJet about a sale on Disney would go into FunJet.
The next thing I tackle is my calendar.  I use a CRM (Customer Resource Manager) to keep track of all my clients.  My daily workflow depends on where my clients are in the long process.  This process goes something like this:

• Questions
• Quoting
• Revisions
• Booking
• Pre-trip
• Travel
• Post Trip

This has been a very busy week for us at JMorris Travel!  Lots of trips booked for lots of families, as well as a few more trips that are in the planning stages.
 
We are also getting ready to take part in a Travel and Tourism block of study at one of the local elementary schools.  I will be having short 15 minutes sessions with several classes of third grade students. 
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Of everything I have ever done in my life, this one scares me the most!  I’ve been a Cub Scout leader, a Brownie leader, and have been the mom of a third grader FIVE times… but this terrifies me!  I’m talking on a day in the life of a travel agent.  Next week you will have the opportunity to read the notes of what I am planning on saying.  But for now I am still in the write and re-write stage!
 
Speaking of writing, I know it seems like most of my blog posts are sort of random.  But I usually do have a plan in mind, unfortunately that plan may fall to the wayside when I have something I want to say.  This is one of those times.  I had planned on writing about the wonderful fact that Disney has released the 2018 Cruise offerings and how one of the Adventures by Disney trips is a cruise through the land of Beauty and the Beast aboard one of the Ama Waterways partnered sailings. But I am thinking this may ​have to wait a bit.  Consider this a tease!

​http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Adventures-By-Disney-Adds-Beauty-And-The-Beast-Sailings