April 14, 2011
Traveling for business this week? You may think you don’t have time to volunteer, or that volunteering is something you do when you’re at home. I used to think that. But there are thousands of organizations who would greatly appreciate even a few hours of your time.
Volunteering helps put perspective on all the hours spent traveling and doing business in other cities. Instead of groaning at the next flight delay, instead you’re grateful for the opportunity you have to travel at all.
For ideas on volunteering, even when away for business, read Enhance Your Travels: Volunteer at my companion site smartwomentravelers.com. The ideas are gender neutral!
And I’ll be meeting with a Make-A-Wish child this week – for what may be his last trip.
Posted by Carol Margolis under Current Affairs, Giving Back |
November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It is a 
perfect day for saying thanks for all of the great people in my life, for feeling gratitude for all the good things I have, and for an extra-special day with my family. No hubbub of Christmas yet . . . that will wait for the days after Thanksgiving. I have a 22 pound turkey and all the fixings on hand, and I will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while I prepare dinner on a perfect autumn day.
I am very happy that I will not be flying anywhere during this extremely busy holiday travel week. I hope your travels are easy if you are heading out this week to be with family and friends.
When it comes to travel, which is such a big part of my life, I am so thankful for:
- Pilots and flight attendants who get me safely to my destinations each week. I board your planes with total trust, so thank you.
- The ability to meet men and women from around the world, to learn of their cultures and their lives … and to know that underneath the exterior differences, we are all the same.
- To feel excitement each time I begin a new journey because I know that new people, new places and new experiences are mine to find and discover.
- To have friends all around the planet.
- To have the ability to share my love of travel with my children, so that they, too, can experience the great world we live in.
- To have you as part of the Smart Women Travelers community. It is so fun to get to know so many of you and learn about you and your travels.
I am very grateful for all of these things each and every day.
To those of you who celebrate the U.S. holiday this week, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day. And to our friends outside of the U.S, I wish you a day of family, gratitude and happiness this week, and always!
Posted by Carol Margolis under Giving Back, Random Thoughts |
July 18, 2009
Last weekend I traveled by a different mode than normal. While I usually fly most weeks, last week I walked …. and walked . . . and walked. I participated in a 39-Mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in San Francisco. There are no Avon Walks in Orlando, so for the past two years I have flown to a different city to participate. I wasn't the only one to fly in — there were walkers from 42 states! My girlfriend Laura walked in this event as well, and she's from Montana. So Laura and I count for two of the 42 states. 
The walk was 26 miles on Saturday, starting at Golden Gate Park, heading through the Presidio, over the Golden Gate Bridge (totally covered by fog in the morning), down and around into Sausalito, up into Mill Valley, and then back again to end at the Presidio. On Sunday, the remaining 13 miles were in the hilly streets of San Francisco. There were several streets that I didn’t think I’d make it to the top, but I did. There were people cheering us on at many locations throughout the walk, which kept up the motivation to keep on walking. There were about 2,800 walkers with $6million being raised in the fight against breast cancer. 
Pictures of the trek, starting with Friday’s registration and ending at the closing ceremony on Sunday are at http://tinyurl.com/AvonWalkSF2009. Click the Slideshow button (upper right side) and you’ll see the story of this weekend.
Laura and I are all signed up for next year’s Avon Walk in Washington D.C. on May 1 & 2. We’d love for you to join us!
Posted by Carol Margolis under Giving Back |
