Just before Christmas, my husband and I received one of the best presents we’ve ever gotten: we sold our house in Washington. It had been on the market for almost nine months, and all through the fall as the economic picture and predictions grew steadily worse, we really worried about how much longer it would take to sell and whether we’d get a decent price for it. It was a beautiful home in a great community, though, so thankfully a family that really appreciated what it had to offer came along, and everyone is happy!

For the last few weeks, Harry and I have been been visiting a lot of homes within a radius of about 20 miles of his new workplace. We’re ready to move out of our temporary home of a small two-bedroom apartment, get our stuff out of storage and (for me at least) own some dirt that I can plant a garden in. One of the great things about house hunting these days (aside from the interest rates and buyers’ market) is the fact that one can do so much screening in advance online. Even just 15 years ago, far fewer homes were available for viewing this way, and the information and pictures were often limited and haphazardly organized. (And if your Internet connection was slow, well, the whole process was just too frustrating.) These days, though, virtually every listing out there can be found in moments with just a few mouse clicks.

That means that we’ve actually been looking at houses for more like the last two months. Hop on to any of the major realtors’ Web sites, select your parameters (house and lot square footage, age of the home, number of bedrooms and baths, price range, location), click “Search,” and Bingo!, up comes a list of candidates, with handy maps, links to neighborhood and school information, and even “virtual tours” of your options. Even our daughters have gotten in on the act from Chicago, searching when job hunting or studying grew tiresome and sending us links to places they like (”Hey, this one has a pool!” “Do you think that big-screen TV comes with the house?”).

Now, of course we dutifully read through the descriptions, note the amenities, days on the market, annual taxes and the like. But we most avidly check out the photos, and we have become quite adept at guessing at floor plans, room sizes and quality of a place based on just a few of these. Pictures ARE worth a thousand words, and someone could probably make a lot of money developing a class for agents on how to take good pictures and put together an appealing assortment for these online listings. I’m pretty sure, based on firsthand research, that if someone HAS created such a course, not enough agents are taking it.  

I’m immediately suspicious if there are more photos of those “amazing views” or “stunning landscaping” than there are of the house itself. I’m even more suspicious if there are only a few pictures; and when the quality is poor or the shots unflattering, I think that reflects on the quality of the listing agent as well. I saw one shot of what was probably a pretty decent master bathroom, but I couldn’t get past all of the bottles of bath products lined up on the counter and the curling iron plugged in to the wall. It looked like the agent had come in while the owner was getting ready for work, said “Don’t mind me, I’ll be done in a flash,” and snapped a few photos. I know owners are encouraged to reduce clutter and excess furniture and mess before listing a house, but it seems some of the pictures have been taken before such editing occurred–if it ever did. In other cases, one might guess that they are trying to sell the furniture instead of the home it sits in, because that nifty sofa or desk fills the whole frame while giving you no sense of the size of the room around it or the placement of windows and doors.  And someone really needs to point out that pictures taken on a bright, sunny day are often overexposed and feature strong bars of light cutting through a room, which make it impossible to see what lies in the shadows around them. Such flawed presentations of such expensive products usually leave me unimpressed and clicking on the next home without putting the poorly offered ones on my list of “to see.” On the other hand, nicely composed shots of neat, evenly lit spaces that allow me to see how the rooms relate to each other will get me itching to actually visit the house and see how I’d fit in it.

We’re gradually narrowing our search, but I think that even after we find our next home, I’ll periodically return to a little online house hunting, just to see what’s out there (especially well above my “real” price range). And every time I see some hastily thrown together photo display, I’ll think, “Now, someone should create a class for  these guys . . .”

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

As the month of February comes to a close, we wrap up our anniversary month. We thank you for joining us in taking a walk down memory lane this month with our blogs and hope you enjoyed getting to know what makes each of us tick just a little bit more. We all had good laughs recounting favorite moments and reflecting on our time with Global Traveler, a magazine that (we think it is abundantly clear) we are all extremely proud to be associated with.

Additionally, we hope that you have all had a chance to read the special anniversary recap in the February issue, where our dear friends, clients and subscribers share their thoughts, memories and recollections of Global Traveler. The staff here at GT is gearing up for another stellar celebration in March. On March 26th, we will host our official anniversary celebration at the Renaissance Times Square, with spectacular views of NYC. We are all excited to travel in from our various corners of the world and celebrate together in true GT fashion.

And, also in true GT fashion, GT‘ers are currently all over the world, gathering information and business to bring back to our loyal readers and clients. Fran Gallagher (fresh from a trip to LA and the Caribbean) and Kim Krol are currently in San Diego, scoping out the Gaslamp district for upcoming reports. They also got a chance to visit the Grand Del Mar resort — which enthusiastically gets four thumbs up! Lisa Matte, our intrepid editor, is in Istanbul, while Alex Young is off working in Seoul and Tokyo. Jackie Adam is kicking back in the heel of Italy, visiting the region of Puglia.

March is back to business as usual. It is also the kick-off month for our annual auction. On March 15, wonderful airline tickets, hotel stays and more will be up for bid on our Web site. One hundred percent of the proceeds directly benefit Pencils for Kids, Inc. Don’t miss out on all the wild bidding action, which ends May 15.

So, for one last time, Happy Anniversary Global Traveler, from a dedicated and proud staff! And thanks to all our loyal readers who make our jobs worthwhile! (And thanks for allowing us to take some time and show off this month!)

- The Staff of Global Traveler

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our seminar on starting a new business. I thought we’d try something a little different today. Instead of examining business plans, mission statements and the like from successful businesses, we will be reviewing the anniversary blogs of Global Traveler magazine, which this month is celebrating five years in the publishing business. The monthly magazine, which calls itself ”The independent source for business travelers,” has seen consistent growth in that time. The handout now being passed out will give you the numbers.

Let’s focus, though, on these entries which have been posted this past month by various staffers involved with the production of the magazine. They detail their experiences; some have apparently been involved from the beginning, while others have only recently joined the team, or “family,” as many of them like to refer to the staff. Take some time to read through them, and then let’s discuss what you see as recurring themes which might indicate how Global Traveler has attained its status . . . .

All right, first impressions? Yes, you in the back? Yes, the publisher, Francis Gallagher, is described in many blogs as being both very hard working and fun loving. He does seem to have had a very clear vision from the beginning of the kind of product he wanted to produce, doesn’t he? Mr. Jenkins, you note that he pulled in people he knew well that also have both a good sense of humor and a fine work ethic. I would have to add that it seems that as the staff grew in number, the key was continuing to hire talented, dedicated individuals whose reputations and personalities fit the needs and the, shall we say, “unique” atmosphere of the business. There is the repeated use of the term “family” which, considering that these people work in a variety of places apart from each other most of the time, is quite remarkable.

What are some other terms or ideas which are repeated throughout these entries? Passionate . . . dedicated . . . unconventional . . . committed . . . respected — and respectful . . . supportive . . . unbiased . . . responsive to readers . . . flexible . . . certainly, independent. Very good. And as many of you have noted, again and again the concepts of hard work mingled with having fun, and encouraging individuals to stretch themselves and explore new territory (literally and figuratively) rise to the fore.

Well, that takes us to the end of today’s class. Any final thoughts or questions? Yes, Ms. Mayfield? Are they hiring? I’m afraid I don’t know, but we should all be so lucky.

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

A couple weeks ago, I flew to Toronto early in the morning, and in the evening of the same day, I flew to Montreal and checked into the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth. Every time I’m in Montreal for business, I can think of only one story from the early days of GT, and it makes me laugh out loud. It was one of the few times Fran Gallagher and I were in Montréal at the same time. We had a productive day of meetings and, as any good business traveler should, we decided to sample one of the many great restaurants in Old Montreal.

In my opinion, Old Montreal offers the perfect balance of old and new. Cobblestones line the streets while sleek, modern restaurants offset the cobblestone. Many of the restaurants feature floor-to-ceiling windows that allow diners an optimal view of the streets. During this trip, it was a winter wonderland, and snow was piled waist high across the whole city.

While walking to dinner, I experienced a new element of Global Traveler — the element of surprise. I was still dressed for business — in a suit and high heels — and while stepping outside of the hotel, I felt something hit my back. What could it be? I turned around to see another snowball headed straight for my forehead. With my slick NYC skills, I quickly ducked and found the culprit. None other than Fran Gallagher himself! I quickly took in my surroundings and did what I felt was the only professional thing to do in this situation . . . fire back!

Even in high heels, I held my own, although Mr. Gallagher put up a good fight. I still claim victory, but I know he disagrees. Now, since the GT team has grown, perhaps we need to have a rematch — sales versus editorial. We shall see who prevails! What I learned that night, and throughout my career at GT, is that, even in stressful times, it is important to laugh. The diners in old Montreal that night may not agree with me, as some snowballs definitely hit those floor-to-ceiling windows!

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

I have a lot of great memories from these first five years with GT. To me though, the best memories are of the people.

I have had the pleasure of meeting fascinating people at GT’s Awards events. People like Donald Trump, Cynthia Nixon, Terry Waite, Ivana Trump and Patrick Warburton. Because of writing my blog, I have had the opportunity to meet and interview other interesting folks like David Clyde (former major league phenom and one of my childhood favorites), Andrea Evans (actress), Joe Morgan and Peter Gammons (baseball Hall of Famers) and Al Snow (wrestler/actor).

I was happy to meet each of these celebrities. It is always more interesting to be able to talk to them in a professional setting, rather than as a rabid fan who wants to discuss obscure minutiae from their career.

However, better than meeting all of those celebrities has been meeting and becoming friends with all of the GT family. It is great being around such a team.

It all starts with Fran, a longtime friend. Fran is one of the hardest working people I have ever known. He is also one of the most fun-loving.

The rest of the staff is just as special and unique. Like . . .
Dick Evans and his fascinating knowledge of NY history and architecture (and for helping me cope with the SoHo loft experience) and Alex Young and her passion for running, walking and living in New York (and for sticking by me on the 95th floor in Chicago) and Lisa Matte for her unique humor (and her agreement that GT should be a reality TV show) and Kim Krol and her feverish support of Philadelphia teams (and for continually reminding me that Billy Joel was the commencement speaker at her graduation!) and Anna Pudzianowski, Kim Harwood, Jackie Adam, Morrisa Pawl, Courtney Centeno, Chris Ottaunick, Patty Vanikiotis, Louie Atsaves and so many others.

There is not enough space to mention and reminisce about everyone.

The bottom line is that GT is a group of different individuals who really work together for the common goal. I have worked at GT since the beginning. I have worked in some capacity with almost everyone at GT. I can truly say it has been a pleasure from day one.

So I say thank you to the GT readers and the GT blog viewers. Thank you also (and especially) to my GT family for inviting me in and always making it great!

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist