It's that time of year when we start thinking about everything that happened throughout the year, our goals, and how things went for us. We recap all that has happened, the good and the bad moments. Some people take stock and already start setting their goals for 2024.
In another #weekend-engagement, Galen brings us an interesting topic... Reliving a weekend from those experienced in 2023... This year, for me, has been quite intense, but if I had to choose one weekend to relive, it would undoubtedly be the first trip with Estilo Viajero (Travel Style).
Estilo Viajero is a travel project that my friends and I have created to have fun and make some money at the same time.
The first weekend we went on a trip, I will always remember it, not just because it was the first one, but because it marked the culmination of an intense preparation phase. Our team had little experience in sales or managing a booking agency, so the whole preparation was quite chaotic (I talked a bit about it in this article).
But let's go back in time. Our weekend started on Friday evening when we created a WhatsApp group to keep our clients updated on the trip details. We clarified some doubts, finalized the pickup times, and went to bed because we had to wake up at 2 AM on Saturday.
The chosen and offered destination was Varadero, a popular summer spot. So popular, in fact, that we opened the offer 15 days in advance and managed to fill 2 buses.
Imagine a group of inexperienced youngsters with over 70 reserved clients. It was madness, almost hard to believe, but the most challenging part was still ahead... providing a great experience.
Personally, it had been almost three years since I last went to Varadero, and that scared me a bit because it's a destination that has new places every year. However, after an intense internet search and lots of reading, I managed to catch up a bit.
We arrived in Varadero on Saturday around 8:00 AM (we had been awake since 2 AM), two buses full of clients, and my sister and I as guides. We provided our clients with information about what they could enjoy, a brief introduction to the destination, and off they went to have a great time.
The first thing we did, being early in the morning, was to take a walk and get updated on the offers available in Varadero. When I stepped off the bus and saw the sign that identified our agency, a rush of emotions overwhelmed me.
The situation in our country is not the best, and being able to create a business, provide an experience, and do it in something you love feels like fulfilling a dream. I never thought that at 23 years old, I would achieve one of my goals. Although it was the first trip, it meant a lot both economically and emotionally for my team.
The trip continued, and we guided the clients we encountered with the little knowledge we had acquired during our walk. It was a risk, but it turned out to be a good decision because the clients appreciated the freedom we gave them and the opportunity to discover offers in almost real-time.
On this first trip, our father accompanied us, one of the pioneers of this idea. It was partly a family trip, and we sat on Varadero Boulevard to enjoy some drinks and snacks.
Of course, a dip in the beach couldn't be missed, so we took some time and went for a swim. Luckily, we coincided with some clients, and we ended up playing beach volleyball in the water.
The afternoon was approaching, and we were heading back to Havana. The clients were delighted with us. Our first success. The weekend wasn't over yet, but we needed some rest before continuing.
Upon arriving home, we collapsed in exhaustion within two hours. The day had been intense, well, the past fifteen days had been intense. It felt like shedding tons of weight off our shoulders. Releasing that pressure is a feeling that can't be compared to anything else.
On Sunday, we woke up with more panda-like dark circles than ever, but it was time for the tough part of the trip... crunching the numbers. Since it was our first trip, the team had agreed to gather in a video call and tackle it together.
We're in Cuba, and let me tell you, nothing ever goes as planned here. When we were about to start the video call, the power went out. My sister and I had to rush outside with all the papers and laptops, throwing ourselves on the floor of the house's porch just to get things done.
Working like that was beyond uncomfortable, but we only had that day to balance the books and pay off debts because on Monday, we were launching our second destination.
The video call wasn't working, so, used to meeting up, we decided to reconvene in Pazillo to finish the meeting. Accounts and a few beers, what could possibly go wrong...
To my surprise, and I swear, with everyone gathered, we made more progress than we had ever done before, wrapping up the task in less than three hours (considering none of us are accountants, we did it pretty quickly).
Then it was time to celebrate as a team. Some medical students had managed to bring 77 clients on their first excursion to Varadero. It was pure glory for us. That weekend marked a turning point in what our summer would be.
We spent the summer "working" but also enjoying every destination our country has to offer.
If I had to choose a moment to relive, I would pick that weekend a thousand times. It marked a before and after in the way I think, how I see things, and it taught me so many things I didn't know.
And you? How has your year been? Remember to live in the present and make the days count.
If you've made it this far and enjoy my content, I'd appreciate it if you show your support to HiveCuba witness. They're doing some intense work to promote our blockchain in a country that poses challenges for these kinds of initiatives. Nonetheless, they've managed to bring people and businesses into Hive, including myself and Estilo Viajer. You mean a lot to us...
We'll catch up in the next #weekend-engagement!