5 Things You Learn about Your Co-Workers after Traveling Together

I’ve attended so many passports International Teacher Conventions, I have lost count.  But one thing that I’ve taken away from those adventures is how well I’ve gotten to know my colleagues while traveling with them.

There’s something very special about a group of people who can work together and travel together year after year!  We enjoy sharing that experience with our teachers on our annual bonus trips.

Here are five things I’ve learned about my co-workers after traveling with them so many times:

1. Everyone is on time.  “The bus is going to leave without you” isn’t a veiled threat from your courier and bus driver!  The bus WILL leave without you!  Those of us who work here know that, and we’re never late for an excursion.  We may be tired, we may have to skip breakfast (and coffee, heaven forbid), we may have to take the fastest shower in history… but we are always on time.
2. We clean up “good.”  Our jobs in student travel are stressful.  I’m not talking about EMT or air-traffic controller stressful, but there is a level of hectic stressfulness in our jobs that makes it necessary for us to relax somehow.  To remove some of the pressure, “casual Friday” is every day at our office.  At the conferences, we like to dress up for some of the events (the Welcome Reception; the Farewell Dinner) and we always look at each other and say “Wow, we clean up pretty ‘good’!”  (Poor use of English, we know.)
3. They’re really nice people.  I’m not just saying that to score points with my colleagues.  I’ve observed my employees interact with the teachers on tour at the conventions, and I’m continually impressed.  Teachers constantly come up to me and tell me about this-or-that employee with whom they really connected.  
4. They know how to have fun!  If you haven’t been to one of Dale’s “pool parties”, it’s a must for you the next time we have a conference at a warm destination!  We’ll watch NFL championship games between “our” team (the New England Patriots) and the rival, we will lose, and we’ll take that loss in stride with laughter, toasts to the winning team (and a bit of ribbing from teachers who rooted for the winners). We’ve been known to commandeer a piano and have sing-alongs!
5. Individual talents are brought to the surface.  One colleague is great at navigating streets and roads, the other is better at navigating the subway system.  One employee is great at interacting with conventioners face-to-face, another is effortless at seemingly-invisible “behind the scenes” activities.  One fellow worker can speak several languages; another only speaks English but can get everyone’s mobile phones connected to the hotel wi-fi!  One person has never touched a camera, the other documents the entire tour in both still photo and video. This balance of talents somehow “clicks” and makes our conventions very memorable experiences.

NOT JUST ONE FREE TRIP, BUT TWO!

This year's International Teacher Convention will be in Rome!