Ogden Pacific

As far back as I can remember, my Grandma Ogden was a travel agent. I believe it was a job she was made to do. She had a warm and calming presence that you felt whether you were in the room with her or talking to her on the phone. Grandma Ogden believed in family vacations, in celebrating milestones, and in the renewing power of getting out of town... together. She created experiences that became the stories we still tell around the table like the time we hit a deer driving to the Grand Canyon, or the time we got lost in St. Thomas and ended up at a rum factory. My grandfather and father were also in the travel industry, both retired from United Airlines. I grew up hanging out in airports, observing people come and go as I waited for a stand-by seat to open up. I learned to be patient, flexible, and kind. Everyone is trying to get somewhere. I also grew up in the digital age, and witnessed the rise of online search engines that seemed to render the traditional travel agency obsolete. Even so, my grandma was proof that nothing could replace the level of personal service and trust that you get from working with an actual human. I believe there is a way to have the best of both worlds to combine the ease and convenience of digital, without sacrificing personal connection and service. The way we travel is always changing, but the way we treat one another should not. Ive been to the far reaches of the globe, but favorite trips are not the furthest or most exotic; they are the trips Ive taken with family. Road trips up the coast of California or through the Rocky Mountains, chasing flamingos and swimming in the Pacific waters near Honolulu, or marveling at the waterfalls and wildlife in Yellowstone. Looking back, these trips were more than a vacation; they were extremely formative in who I grew up to be and the worldview I came to adopt. The fact that my grandparents and parents set aside time and money over the years to travel was the greatest gift I never thought to ask for. Grandma, sadly, is no longer with us but ...Read More