Business ProfileforThe Travel Store

I have found only expertise, precision, courtesy and friendliness within "The Travel Store". Since 2001 when the Twin Towers came down in NYC, The Travel Store came out of nowhere and secured a school field trip for our daughters' then entire 6th grade class to Charleston, SC. as well as our adjoining High School Band to London. At that time, the previous travel agency, who's name I remember to this day, stole "Our" money after our Washington DC field trip was no longer accessible. I was privileged to go on the Charleston field trip as a parent as well as my husband for two field trips after with both our sons, knowing how smoothly the trips were handled and our money well spent in the planned educational events, meals and accommodations done by management, the office and coordinating staff. In the years since, I've had many professional and pleasurable opportunities to interact with "The Travel Store", of course to my benefit.

Ms. Brewer,
It certainly is an honor and a privilege to not only work with students and teachers every day but to receive letters and comments like this, that's when the honor and privilege goes even deeper. When I am asked what I do for a living and I'm always excited to share that I plan student field trips for all over the United States. I am always empowered by their reactions. "What an amazing job!! I wish I could do that!" or "How can I apply?" I can't think of anything more satisfying than hearing these comments over and over. Well.. there are a couple of exceptions, now that I think about it. When a student who is visiting the ocean for the first time on their 8th grade Savannah Trip and they express pure amazement as to how big the ocean is. Or.. when a group emerges from the Times Square subway tunnel for the first time and the only sound I hear are the unmistakable gasps for air as their jaws drop and their eyes widen to the size of saucers as they realize they are in deed standing in the middle of one of the brightest locations on the globe!! Or.. when a band of 70 students is marching down Constitution Avenue in the Cherry Blossom Parade with the Capitol Building in the background and the Lincoln Memorial in front. Or... when a choir of 300 high school students is standing in St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City and they hear their angelic voices ring out and over and over again reverberating from every surface after the first few notes from their warm up! THAT takes my breath away every time. How fortunate I really am to be a tiny part of these once in a lifetime experiences, whether for the students or for me, I absolutely love and am proud to do every day. To me, education is about more than a text book or cinder block walls; it's all about the experiences. And when those experiences take students beyond those four walls and out into the world, the personal gain is far and away worth more than any test score could hope to be!!! Students are simply the best and the teachers and directors who make it their daily choice to stand in front of them and yet are still willing to invest time and effort into a field trip for other parents' kids deserve a unanimous standing ovation and a rousing round of applause because it's not easy but field trips are the ultimate way to learn! Thank you again, Ms. Brewer for your kind memories from days gone by. Those trips obviously left their mark right where it was intended.
Kathy Freund, General Manager The Travel Store, Inc.