​Weathering the Storm with the WP#185

I have to say as the end of September comes closer, it is finally becoming real in a lot of ways. Each week I mention about progress, and other than a drop ceiling in the hallway (corridorio), items in the bathroom, the toilet, the sink, the shower head, and yes, the bidet have been placed and set up. There was even water connected, but I believe it was turned off, so it only dripped, but that is progress and a picture to prove it, and some pre-painting on the walls, before the actual colors appear, which I understand will be this week. We shall see, but yes, seeing fixtures set up in the bagno is progess. ​

In other news from the home, last week, several sets of clients came across the pond, but not in dribs and drabs, but at one time, there were 4 sets of clients here in Italy, specifically, the Amalfi Coast and even more specifically, in Sorrento, all at different hotels to reflect their travel styles and it turns out, while client flew home from Naples the other day, two sets of clients traveled to the Eternal City yesterday and I met them at Termini Station as a meet and greet, made sure they made their way to their respective hotels here in Roma and went on my merry way for a while. In fact, these two sets of clients bound for Rome from Naples, were on the same train, but not only that, the same coach (car), and somehow, they all got to know each other. Why, well, I did their rail tickets, and I was able to assign seats. I know sneaky, so they all arrived, safely, and later in the day, Rosa and I met one set of clients for dinner near their hotel. I love what I do, and it is even more fun to meet clients in my new home. We had a very nice evening in a place that Rosa and I discovered, checked out and while slightly touristy, has an interesting history and actually, quite authentic.

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In any case, we had a nice evening and as I write this post, I am back at Termini Station, not to meet and greet more clients, but off to Tuscany to a conference called Buy Tuscany (Toscana) and away from home and Rosa for the first time since I moved here and it was weird the say the least, as I have become a bit of a homebody, but business is business, and so here I sit before my train to Pisa. The other part of this week, is I officially start the 18th year in business as Wandering Puffin LLc and that is truly exciting given all I have been through and all the industry has been through since I started, back in 1997, so actually starting my 28th year in the industry as a whole, if you don’t count my time in travel school or my time working for AAA doing TripTiks for driving trips across North America, if any of you know or remember what those are. They actually still do them, but they are computer generated, so I would have been out of a job drawing orange lines on strip maps and putting these together, but instead stronger than ever, starting the next year of my company and my participation in this amazing industry. ​

I had mentioned that I have clients here in Rome now and my guide, I’m sorry, my bride, will be taking good care of all of them. Today, she is doing both a morning and an afternoon experience at the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill for both sets of clients here now, 5 in one group, and the other, a couple, all from Minnesota, except one. We will excuse him if he is across the border in Wisconsin, but the lead couple have been clients of mine since when I worked for an agency during my early years in the industry before I started my company in September of 2007, and they have booked many trips with me over the years. Now they are bringing friends and family, which is so nice and that is how my business grew and continues to grow, repeat, referral, review, my three R’s, not rest and relaxation, as I do not know how to do that, and not right now, anyway. Tomorrow, she meets with the same sets of clients to do the Vatican experience, morning and afternoon and then the group of 5 will meet her at the Borghese Gallery in two days, for a 2-hour experience and then they are off on their own. ​

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In the meantime, the third couple, now in Sorrento will arrive here in Roma and she will be doing the Colosseum experience, the Vatican experience over a few days, and she is then taking them to Tivoli on Sunday, so she is very busy as well. That is when I return from Tuscany.  In the end, when all is said and done, she and I will need a holiday, but maybe our R & R will be in November or December as there is a second round of several sets of clients in October coming to see us. Sorry Roma, but we will have time to do a meet and greet and Rosa will be doing some guiding again. Then we will have may be settled into the new condo. They have until the 11th of October. I hope at this time next week, I will much more to share with you and many pictures of my experiences in Tuscany, as there are several experiences beyond the conference and I will be getting on an e-bike again, for the first time since I was in Catalonia, several years back. In any case, I look forward to continuing to welcome my clients to Europe as others will be arriving today or have arrived in the UK and Switzerland besides here in Italy. This for me is the most exciting time of year for me, and the fruits of my labor in this wonderful industry ripen. 

I hope you have enjoyed my offerings each week and appreciate that you have read my blog posts and look forward to sharing. As always, thank you so much for your support of Rosa’s and my crazy little world here in Rome. We truly appreciate your support. Stay safe, healthy, and most importantly happy, and as always, your shared comments and thoughts are most welcome!!!