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HISTORIC EXPECTATIONS
2020 started with the promise of becoming a record-breaking year in Corporate Travel’s (CTS) 55-year history. The year launched with an inaugural sailing of the now highly acclaimed Good News Cruise® in January which set the pace. CTS, by every key metric, was poised for an exciting year in executing on our mission! Our team had invested three years of planning and incredibly hard work with the highest of hopes for 2020!
The CTS team had planned a record number of amazing, once-in-a-lifetime, large-scale events: a sophisticated Beethoven choral and orchestral music Festival at the Musikverein in Vienna, more than 1,000 travelers booked for the Oberammergau Passion Play, a grand Poland music festival celebrating the 100th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s birth, our largest student event at Mackinac’s Grand Hotel, and 7 full ship music charters in collaboration with our valued partners at Star Vista Live. And this doesn’t even consider our collaboration on new and exciting endeavors with our long-time partners Steve Ray and Footprints of God, Teresa Tomeo and T’s Italy, Dr. Liz Lev and Master’s Gallery, Legatus, Ave Maria Radio, and the Vatican Patrons of the Arts. Hundreds of families and couples had also planned extraordinary dream vacations through our retail agency, Exceptional Journeys. Whew! All told, the CTS team developed, negotiated, marketed, and enrolled more than 30,000 travelers for our 2020 year as of January 2020! Little did we know that our anticipation of a historic year would be altered by a very different and unexpected historic event…
ENTER THE PANDEMIC
March ushered in a brewing, monumental storm. Borders were closed, international travel was cancelled, and “no sail” cruise orders were issued. CTS events and tours were cancelling faster than the team could even process them. Only days into the crisis, even many thousands of domestic student travel plans were being cancelled. In the midst of the uncertainty, everyone’s thoughts and concerns were consumed for the health of their loved ones.
Utter chaos, panic and fear unleashed across the globe and the CTS team was immediately thrust into an incomprehensible set of fire-fighting tasks. With less than a third of the team, CTS was forced to unwind years’ worth of work in just a few short weeks. Emergency all-nighters ensued to expatriate groups from Europe and the middle East. A tsunami of calls deluged our team from clients rightfully demanding answers on the ongoing continuing uncertainty. Resolving tours was complicated by a growing and widespread set of issues that ranged from emergency overseas legislation regarding deposits, vendor closures, and millions of dollars of obligations associated with forward Euro contracts. The deposits had been invested in every imaginable itinerary inclusion from restaurants and hotels to nearly bankrupt airlines to closed music venues. Weeks passed with no communication from these vendors other than “we are unable to return your deposit.”
There is no fair way to fully characterize the trauma or the degree of work on our shoulders. And there is no way to soften the anguish of those who have seen loved ones fall to this menacing virus. And yet, throughout and despite the hardship and loss, we work still! And we do so in hopeful expectation!
THE BRIGHTEST LIGHTS
There are too many examples of gratitude and graces to site in a book, let alone a blog. The brightest lights have been our team and our clients. CTS has the greatest, all-in, supportive team that any company has known! Not only did our team patiently bear the brunt of this hit, but they have done so with aplomb and grace every single day for 10 months. They have our deepest love and admiration.
Our amazing clients, who understood the terrible and unprecedented circumstances, have supported us in every imaginable way. There is simply no way to thank those we serve who called, texted, prayed, and ultimately trusted us to do the very best we could under unimaginable circumstances.
Among the many highlights is a simple but profound early evening text from a friend of CTS during the height of the chaos and peak of panic when outcomes weren’t as certain as today. It read “you have friends you didn’t know that you had.” This friend offered to provide whatever resources he could to help carry the company through that time. A smart and accomplished businessman himself, he intuitively knew what extraordinary trials we must be enduring and wanted us to know that our mission and our impact on the community was too great to let a pandemic threaten it. It was certainly an affirmation and consolation of the impact that our team’s work has made. Thankfully, the sentiment that accompanied the offer IS getting us through.
The unexpected graces have continued unabated for months on end: From texts of family, clients, and dear friends checking in to gift baskets, cards and generous lunch and 
dinner invitations; for the love and support we have experienced poured out on those who have lost loved ones; from quiet nights at home with family to extra miles gone by supermarket and carry out staffs to smile wide and sincerely; from Euchre and Scattegories nights to heart to heart conversations with loved ones about those things that matter most; from time with scripture to gratitude for being able to return to Church, it has, indeed, been a year of many and abundant unexpected Graces.
And it is in the spirit of trust that we have been brought through the fire and into a place in which we can more clearly see the gifts that are all around us as we start anew in 2021. Our hope does not arise from an undue expectation of a near-term better reality nor an end to very real problems, but because we are equipped with a new sense of security, one entrusted to and given by our Heavenly Father who brought us here and will safely carry us forward. If this past year has been about survival, may 2021 be about us living life as God intended. We humbly invite you to please join the CTS team in our mission to enhance lives through travel experiences that build culture so that 2021 can be all about renewal and growth with gratitude!
Travel involves taking people to different places. But not merely that. If getting people from one place to another was the crux of it, we would be talking about transportation, not travel. Travel is about going to different places for the express purpose of experiencing things. This is the essence of what we as travel-providers are focused on. Yes, we want our products to cost less. We want them to be devoid of delays or interruptions. But above all, we want them to be exhilarating, memorable and life-changing. As our mission statement here at Corporate Travel captures well, the collective purpose for which we are engaged is to enhance lives, promote culture, and to open the world to our clients.
So how is that done?
In second grade we are taught what nouns are. Nouns are words that represent people, places and things. And in our sector of the travel industry where we focus on experiential travel, all three of those feature prominently in our products. The people we introduce our clients to, the hidden places that fill all their senses, and the profound, tangible things our guests are able to contemplate first-hand are the building blocks of any experiential travel encounter. We connect our guests with the exotic, historic, and sacred places of the world in ways that could never be done without our help. But what makes these places and things worth experiencing? Why do people invest so much of their financial and emotional resources to visit and interact physically with other objects and foreign locations across our planet? The answer is because someone, somewhere, at some previous point in time suffered some strife, exerted some inspired influence, or achieved some profound accomplishment to give those locations and those things extraordinary value.
The clients we serve take millions of photos every year to prove they have encountered certain places and things. They plaster their evidence across Instagram and Facebook as if to proclaim, “Look! Here is the moment I did something that changed my life!” Here I am standing next to Michelangelo’s David, strolling atop the Great Wall of China, or marveling among the stones of Machu Picchu! Here I stood overwhelmed on the hallowed shores of Normandy where men bled for our freedom. Here I sang with my fellow choristers on the revered stage of Carnegie Hall. Here I trod the streets of Jerusalem where Jesus Christ himself walked, ate, cured, and died for humanity. In the end, they are just places and things. But they are very special places and things. And they were made special, by people.
What unknown craft or lost technology did the ancients employ to heave the megaliths of Stonehenge into place? How is Gettysburg more than a mere field in the middle of farm country, save for the epic battle that ensued there over a century ago? Is the Burj Khalifa captivating just because it’s tall, or is it the fact that its unfathomable height is made possible only by the unbridled imagination and engineering of humankind? Is St. Peter’s in Rome relevant because of the basilica that is there, or is the basilica there because St. Peter’s was first made relevant by the martyrdom of St. Peter himself on that very spot? People are behind the significant places on Earth. 
Of course, in some instances, nature provides the marvels. Majestic mountains, calving glaciers, and tropical beaches offer magnificent experiences without the influence of man. And the scenic wonders of our gorgeous planet will always supply exhilarating and recuperative options for travelers. But while nature provides beauty, man provides significance. And it is significance that draws the greatest number of guests in our organization. It is significance that makes the USS Arizona Memorial more than just a sunken vessel, the Camino de Santiago worth the rigorous hike, and a night in Mackinac’s Grand Hotel more than just a place to sleep. 
Yes, experiential travel occurs when we give people access to interact fully with the places and things that are significant to them. And the contributions of humankind are what made those places and things significant.
Which leads me to ourselves. This year our world, our nation, and specifically here at Corporate Travel, our company has weathered withering trials. The litany of threats, challenges, and assaults to our company has been continuous, destructive, and overwhelming. But as people in ages past have used creativity, persistence, and sacrifice to overcome the challenges and achievements of their day, so too have the people in our company tendered relevance to the struggles of this day. Presently, our team celebrates the arrival of promising vaccines. We anticipate with great joy the return of our peers who are sacrificing through an unavoidable but temporary furlough. We also welcome calls from loyal and supportive friends and clients who are now wisely capturing the opportunity to plan new travel experiences in a world that is about to emerge from its own confinement. As I consider all our team has and continues to endure and how we are prevailing, my mind goes to the amazing people in our midst who have fought, sacrificed, and wept to achieve something amazing in the face of this year’s adversity. I offer this article to them. I marvel at the incredible people who have lent relevance to what they have created and defended in this daunting time. Our organization is merely a thing. Our office is just a place. But they are made significant by the people who have worked here.
It’s always about the people.
As someone who loves to travel, leads pilgrimages to Italy several times a year, and writes as well as speaks about my travel experiences, I’ve realized I need to do a better job of practicing what I preach.
I am the first to offer all kids of sage advice about the most beautiful chapels, best restaurants, off the beaten path places that are a must in Rome, Florence, or Assisi. And when it comes to advising someone concerning what to bring or how to dress, I remind fellow travelers, less is more. “Oh, you don’t need much more than good comfortable shoes, a versatile jacket,” I will tell them.
But if I am honest with myself, I must admit I still struggle with that important “less is more” concept every time I prepare to pack for another journey. Surely just one more pair of black flats just in case, or another sweater, will not slow me down?
Whatever those extra items, especially items that we can easily do without, they can make a difference and not in a good way. After all, packing for a special trip is a lot like traveling through life. We pack way too much baggage for our journey with God. We certainly don’t need all the extra weight. But we just cannot seem to let go of the very issues or things that may be slowing us down when it comes to growing closer to Him. Are we really listening? Are we too consumed with the effort it takes to drag that heavy emotional suitcase behind us, to hear what He might be trying to say?
There was a time in life, even after returning to my Catholic faith and recommitting my life to Christ, I was still having a hard time packing and unpacking so to speak. There were several, shall we say, larger items that were bulging from my carry on. The heavy load of pride was the first thing that needed to go. My plans, if God would only bless them, surely were the best plans. After all, who knew better than me, myself, and I what would make me the happiest, or so I thought. Noise was the next obstacle that was really causing me to hit major bumps in the road. I spent too much time listening to the messages of the world, instead of the messages I was hearing at Mass or reading in Scripture. It was all about my career according to my agenda. Fear was also a constant companion.
As I explain in my new book, “Listening for God: Discovering the Incredible Ways God Speaks to Us” , the good Lord could have been standing right in front of me speaking loudly through a bullhorn and I would have been oblivious to whatever He had to say. It was my way or the highway, pun intended. I was fearful that not fulfilling my goals would mean an unfulfilling or boring existence.
As I mentioned earlier, like many of us, I am a work in progress, still dealing with emotional baggage from time to time. But I have learned, along with the contributors to my book, that true joy is a continual journey that begins by listening for God.
So how do we do that exactly? When a person decides to go on a tour, for example, a good travel agency does their best to prepare the traveler. We could think of God and our faith as our top travel guides. He provides a beautiful plan that brings us to the ultimate destination, a solid relationship with His son, Jesus. Our faith, including the sacraments, the Bible, the saints, and of course regular prayer, act as Google Maps, preventing us from getting lost. They enable us to enjoy life and see the signs along the way. These are all great tools and tips to pack as we take the steps needed to listen for God.
In “Listening for God”, several Catholic voyagers share how they are well prepared for their Godly adventures packing double doses of hope and trust. They highlight their own “Godcidences”, as I like to call them, those “aha” moments that catch our attention and cause us to think about what God might be trying to say. These experiences include everything from a car accident that led to a lifesaving encounter, to a business offer that suddenly landed in the lap of a woman threatened with financial ruin. There is the jaw dropping moment experienced by Corporate Travel Service President John Hale during Mass, where he felt the Lord directly speaking to him through the celebrant with the unique timing of the word “pilgrimage.” So many memorable moments put in writing, letting us know as the great saint and doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila says, “the feeling remains that God is on this journey too.”
Again, I love to travel and cannot wait to get back on the road and in the air, God willing, very soon. But my absolute favorite trip is this thing called life. And the journey of listening for God makes it even more meaningful and exciting. As they say in my beloved Italia, “Andiamo”. Let’s go!
This unsettling time in our world has caused us to change and rethink the way we live, but there have been a few silver linings as a result. I have spent more time with my family (sometimes too much…), 
getting to know my children better as they grow and learn in this crazy time. I have slowed down my professional schedule (some by choice, some not by choice) that has allowed me to focus on what I really want to accomplish in the “back 9” of my career. And I have had plenty of time (sometimes too much…) to think, read, and learn about myself.
One aspect I always knew, but was even more so confirmed, is that I am incredibly nostalgic and forward-looking. (I have gotten better, but have to constantly remind myself to appreciate the present and remember how blessed I am with a wonderful family and career!)
I love reconnecting with old friends (part of my admitted addiction to Facebook) and reminiscing on past stories, events, music, shows (LOVED Cobra Kai and can’t wait for Season 3). I also enjoy looking ahead to upcoming events, games, concerts, and trips.
And on the flip side, I enjoy looking forward to big occasions which often help me get through busy and tough weeks. One future event in which I am greatly anticipating is the Let Music Live Festival occurring in June 2022. Rescheduled and rebranded due to COVID-19, this premier festival will feature performances in beautiful Dvorak Hall at the Rudolfinum in Prague, and the historical Musikverein in Vienna. Repertoire will include Dvorak: Te Deum (performing Dvorak IN DVORAK HALL…can it get much better? Well…), movements of Brahms: Requiem (in VIENNA!), an American work, Joseph Martin’s The Awakening (its text providing us with our festival title), and another work TBA.
As Director of Orchestras at Ball State University, I am excited to provide my students with this life-changing opportunity. Group travel through music, especially in venues such as these, creates a once in a lifetime opportunity for performances, in addition to the many memories your students will make sharing this experience with their peers. I distinctly remember two international performance trips I took as a student, and they remain some of the fondest memories I have of my school years.
The Let Music Live Festival in 2022 will be just that- an opportunity to let music live, thrive, and be present in our lives as we create our new post pandemic reality. I hope you will consider joining us on this special adventure. I know I will be looking forward!
