Does anyone else feel like an upaid "Mommy Travel Agent"?

I do feel like an unpaid 'Mommy Travel Agent" but it is like every other unpaid Mommy job I do, except there is the travel reward. The build up to the trip can be quite exhausting and stressful, but I feel once we get to our destination everything is planned and with most of the details ironed out we can see and do everything we planned on. I guess the reward is the kids saying 'Mom , when can we come back here?". Then it's time to plan the next trip!!!

I, too, usually can enjoy the actual vacation because of the amount of time I put in prior to leaving. Friends tell me, "I should hire you to plan our vacation," and I think to myself, "You couldn't afford me because I could easily put in hundreds of hours!"

I recently wrote a post on some of the steps I take while planning that help the trip to go more smoothly. http://minnemom.com/2012/01/05/vacation-planning-basics/ Some of these are very time-consuming but reap rewards when everything falls into place, or the backups I've penciled in bail us out of a change in plans.

Perhaps you might consider using a qualified family specialist to alleviate your exhaustion and stress. There are many of us available who can assist you with planning all the major elements of any trip. We do this all day, every day; so you will appreciate working with an agent with expertise as well in regards to destinations, pricing and unique travel experiences.

Good question, Ann!
I tend to take tons of pictures when we travel, and I find that the success of a good picture is one of my rewards for the time and effort it all takes. I also try to count all the blessings along the way, and to really enjoy the unexpected moments, and the quiet moments.

Wow, "thefamilytraveler's", I didn't know there was such thing as a "family specialist" for travel. It seems to be a good niche for all of us families that love to travel. How can families find agents that specialize like you? Do we call up our local travel agency and request a "qualified family specialist", or are there national companies that specialize like this? Thanks for the info.

There are quite a few of us out there and sometimes larger agencies do have a family travel specialist in their office. Most of our families find us through referrals or through the internet. We are working with families from around the country. You can see our details at www.thefamilytraveler.com. We are moms as well, have traveled the world and love finding the best values for our families.