If I told you I was afraid of flying when I was younger, you would probably look at me like I was mental, especially since I’ve been in the travel industry for years. It’s 100 percent true! When I was younger and an inexperienced flyer, travel led to a whole slew of anxieties and concerns; the list was never-ending. I had a mental checklist of things that needed to be done to ensure my safety, which I won’t even get into here as they’re far too embarrassing. You may be asking, “What the heck happened to change your mind?” Well, I landed a job at American Airlines Publishing Group and started traveling A LOT. I took the job because I didn’t like being a nervous wreck when I traveled and I wanted to see the world (the free flights didn’t hurt, either). The best way to get over a phobia is just to drive in head first and figure it out, which is exactly what I did. I became smitten with travel for business, as well as dropping everything to head out for a weekend somewhere fun (and usually far away). My passport never left my bag, and I enjoyed every minute I had seeing the world.

Fast forward to April 2020. I was laid off and pouring over endless job postings when I noticed an opening at Global Traveler for an account executive. I didn’t hesitate to send my resumé and emailed a quick cover letter detailing my interest to Francis X. Gallagher, publisher & CEO. A few of my friends thought I was bonkers, but once bitten by the travel bug, it’s where my heart was always meant to be. When I’ve worked in travel, I’ve been the happiest and most passionate about what I’m doing and the clients I serve, so I felt now is the perfect time to #ComeBackToTravel. I’m so excited to reconnect with old friends/clients and figure out how to best serve them as we navigate these unchartered waters. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be joining the team here at Global Traveler — eagerly awaiting the moment I can dust off my carry-on and hit the skies once again. You’ll see me contribute to the employee blog, and hopefully I’ll keep you entertained with a myriad of topics until I can get back to writing about what we all love and miss: TRAVEL. Stay safe, stay well.

“Traveling — It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” — Ibn Battuta

— Sarah Ward, account executive