A New Chapter, A Lifelong Love of Travel

Wow, it’s been a long while since my last blog! I had the best of intentions to keep up with at least monthly blog writings. But, well here we are — almost a year has gone by since I retired last October. So, I thought I’d start with my new chapter, a new season.

The Story Behind The Walrus Travel Company

There are some things in life that simply become a part of who you are. For me, travel is one of those things.

After spending more than 40 years working in the travel industry, I suppose retirement could have meant closing that chapter of my life and moving on to something completely different. Instead, I decided to begin again.

When I retired from my longtime 9-to-5 career, I knew I wasn't ready to walk away from the travel business. In fact, I realized I finally had the opportunity to create something of my own—to take everything I had learned over four decades and build a travel company that reflected the way I believe travel should feel: personal, meaningful, exciting, and filled with possibility.

And so, The Walrus Travel Company became the beginning of my next chapter.

More Than 40 Years in Travel—and I Still Love It

Yup, that’s me back in the late 80’s working in a travel agency. Look at that phone and computer, lol! There was no taking work home back then, laptops were non-existent — no working from home at all. Actually, when I first started, the agency I worked at didn’t have computers at all — we used OAG’s and hardcopy fare-tariffs to construct airfares to handwrite carbon-copied airline tickets! Fast forward 40 years later, I’m still at it — but now I have a laptop and cell phone — and can work from anywhere! And everything’s electronic nowadays — no paper anything. It’s been quite the journey and adventure being in the travel biz and experiencing it as it has evolved over the years! I’ve been fortunate to spend most of my professional life in an industry I truly love.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with travelers, both for business travel, as well as, planning vacation travel and bucket-list adventures, while also working alongside new travel agents (now referred to as travel advisors) getting into the business. Both sides of the business have brought me tremendous joy and gratification.

There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone take an idea—a place they've dreamed about, an anniversary they want to celebrate, a family vacation they've been saving for—and helping turn that dream into an actual journey. But I've also loved helping people discover the business of travel itself. Coaching/mentoring a new travel advisor, watching them gain confidence, learn the industry, make their first booking, help their first client, and begin building a business of their own has always been so meaningful to me. I think that's one reason I never really wanted to leave this industry behind. There's still so much I want to do!

Travel Has Always Meant More to Me Than Going Somewhere

Of course, there's another reason I couldn't imagine my life without travel:

I simply love to travel. I mean who doesn’t?!

I love the anticipation of going somewhere I've never been. I love walking through a new city, sitting in a little café, seeing a famous landmark for the first time, cruising along a beautiful river, discovering a tucked-away village, meeting people whose lives may look very different from mine, and experiencing cultures and traditions that remind me just how big—and yet how connected—our world really is. Every journey teaches me something.

Sometimes I come home with wonderful photographs and stories. Other times, I come home with a new perspective, a greater sense of gratitude, or simply a renewed appreciation for life. Travel has helped me grow as a person. It has taught me curiosity, patience, openness, gratitude, and the importance of experiencing life rather than simply watching it pass by. That is something I want to keep doing for as long as I possibly can. And it's something I hope to inspire in others.

Why I Started The Walrus Travel Company

Starting my own travel business after retiring wasn't really about finding another job. It was about creating a life and a business around something I love.

The Walrus Travel Company gives me the opportunity to continue helping people see the world, plan meaningful travel, take those long-awaited bucket-list trips, and create memories with the people they love. It also allows me to continue sharing what I've learned throughout my career with aspiring and new travel advisors who are just beginning their own journeys in this wonderful business.

In many ways, it brings together the different parts of my life that mean so much to me—travel, people, teaching, discovery, family, and creating something meaningful. And perhaps that last part has become even more important to me as I've entered this new season of life.

Building Something My Family Can Be Part Of

One of my greatest hopes for The Walrus Travel Company has very little to do with how big the business becomes. It has to do with my family. As I continue to grow the company, I would love to see my now adult kids and grandkids find their own place within it. Maybe one of them will become interested in planning travel. Maybe another will take on some of the marketing, social media, technology, photography, or some other part of the business. Perhaps they'll only be involved occasionally. And that's perfectly okay.

I simply love the thought of my kids and grandkids working alongside me in some way—learning about the business, seeing the world, meeting people, discovering new places, and being part of something that has meant so much to me throughout my life. And perhaps, someday, one of them will decide to carry The Walrus Travel Company forward. I love that possibility. Not because I expect my family to follow the same path I have, but because I would be incredibly proud to know that something I created became a small part of their own story. And even if the business itself isn't what they choose, I hope I leave them with something even better: a love of travel.

I hope they remain curious about the world. I hope they take the trip. I hope they explore places they've never been, sit around tables with people they've just met, learn about other cultures, collect stories, and create memories with their own families. And maybe they'll tell their children and grandchildren that their love of travel started, at least in part, with me. That would be a pretty wonderful legacy.

This Is My Next Chapter

Retirement, I've discovered, doesn't necessarily mean stopping. Sometimes it simply means finally having the freedom to choose what comes next. For me, what comes next is continuing to travel. Continuing to learn. Continuing to help others experience this beautiful world. Continuing to mentor people who dream of building their own travel business. And continuing to grow The Walrus Travel Company into something I can be proud of—not only as a business, but as a reflection of a life spent doing something I truly love.

After more than 40 years in the travel industry, I still get excited about where we're going next. And perhaps that's the best part of this chapter. There are still so many places to see, people to meet, stories to share, and memories waiting to be made.

Here's to the journeys we've taken—and all the wonderful places still ahead.

Oh, and one last thing — I also started my YouTube channel, “A Travel-inspired Life”! Check it out some time.
Until next time ..travel well. Be kind. Stay curious.

Cheers!

Rose Snyder
Founder & Travel Advisor
The Walrus Travel Company