Global Traveler‘s GT Tested Awards party provides the opportunity to fete outstanding representatives of the travel industry. I’ve also learned it gives all the guests and GT staff the chance to exchange travel stories, experiences, tips and recommendations. I always come away from these events with several new additions to my travel wish list and a great appreciation for the enthusiasm with which these global travelers share their perspectives on the world.

I began the evening in delightful conversation with Eric Chiang, one of Global Traveler‘s Globility Board members, and his friend Vicki. Eric’s travels are remarkable in their breadth and efficiency: He generally drops in to a new destination, gets the flavor of the place and is off again within 24 hours or so. However, he and Vicki stayed for at least three days on a recent visit with the pandas in Chengdu. Eric had just run the Hawai’i marathon and has competed in half a dozen others, with Boston and New York still on his bucket list.

Kay Allen from the Japan National Tourism Organization joined us, and we learned she is extremely knowledgeable about some of the more off-the-beaten-track locations in that country. Based in Los Angeles, she’s led several tours for travel writers, agents and industry professionals to familiarize them with stunning destinations beyond Osaka and Tokyo. It reminded me what excellent resources destinations’ official tourism offices are, especially when one wants to venture beyond the standard tourist stops.

The conversation that stayed with me most after the evening’s festivities were over was the one I had with Laura Stringel, a representative of Grupo Posadas, whose Fiesta Americana received the award for Best Hotel Chain in Mexico. When I learned she lives in Mexico City, I asked how the recovery from the deadly September earthquake was progressing. I noted that the story had been at the forefront of international news before it was swept aside with the succeeding disasters of the string of hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean and southern United States, but I had been wondering how those affected were dealing with the aftermath.

Laura shared that it was heartening to see how young people really stepped up and responded quickly in rescue and recovery operations, and that while certain blocks or individual buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed, the lessons learned from the last great quake 32 years ago meant that this time the damage was far less widespread. Day-to-day business in much of the city is pretty much back to normal, but she was touched that someone had remembered the recent catastrophe and asked about it. She mentioned that it meant a great deal to her that former colleagues and business acquaintances contacted her shortly after the quake to find out whether she and her loved ones were alright.

Her response brought home to me how important it is that we foster and maintain relationships throughout our travels. In times of uncertainty, strife and disaster, those connections allow us to more effectively reach out and support those in need. We can provide comfort to those who may feel forgotten or abandoned, who one day may be called upon to do the same for us or others.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor