#and then they get back to hopper who is about to have an ulcer from all their shenanigans

[eskawrites]

What about 18 “You look like hell.” “I feel like it.” Would there be anyway to tie that into the Russian Robin spy bits you’ve been doing because I love them sm

how did you know this perfectly aligns with what i was thinking for the Russian Robin au?

russian robin drabble part one | part two

-

Nancy isn't surprised that Hopper is furious with her. She's not surprised when Murray goes on a two hour rant about how reckless she is, and how they're all certainly going to die now that she's let Robin run back to her handlers. She's not surprised by the sad, torn look Joyce gives her, or the way Steve shuts himself in his house and stops talking to all of them.

She is, however, completely taken aback when Dustin shows up at the Wheeler house in the middle of the night, banging on the door and demanding to talk to her and only her.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" she asks, trying to pull him inside so he doesn't wake the neighbors as well as everyone in her house. But Dustin tugs his arm from her grasp and stays stubbornly on the front step.

"You need to come with me. This is top secret--you're the only one we can trust."

"We?"

"Just come on, Nancy!"

She barely has enough time to grab her backpack that's sitting by the front door before he's grabbing her and pulling her along. She's in pajama pants and a sweatshirt that once belonged to Robin, running barefoot against the pavement, and then the grass, and then through the woods.

Dustin leads her further and further away from the center of town, deeper into the trees. They're heading vaguely toward the Byers' old house, she realizes.

Mirkwood, she thinks, her heart sinking.

"Dustin," she says, "what's going on?"

He slows to a walk, but there's still something frantic to his movement as he pulls her along.

"Don't get mad, okay?" he says. "You're the one who helped her escape."

"What are you--"

"Finally!" says another voice from the trees--young, impatient, and unexpected enough to completely confuse Nancy. Erica steps into view with her arms crossed. "You've been gone for ages!"

"I went as fast as I could," Dustin protests. "Have you seen anything?"

"Nothing. You told me to stay put, remember?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you listened for once."

"What's going on?" Nancy says again, cutting off Erica's protest. "What the hell are you two doing out here?"

Erica gives Dustin a look. "You didn't tell her?"

"I was working on it!" He turns toward Nancy. "We found her, okay? But we need your help."

Nancy stares. "You--what are you talking about?"

"What do you think I'm talking about? Robin!"

"She left a week ago, she can't be--"

"Look, I've been monitoring Cerebro listening for Russian transmissions, just in case I pick up something. I figure..." He shifts his weight. "If she went back to them, I thought we should know about it."

"Bullshit, Dustin," Erica says. He throws his hands up.

"Fine! I was worried about her. Just like you, Erica. And you, Nance, 'cause you're the one who let her go. So I wanted to keep an ear out just in case she needed us. And it's a good thing I did, because we overheard them talking about her earlier tonight."

Nancy closes her eyes. The world is spinning. She kind of thinks she might be sick. She shakes her head a little.

"Cut to the chase, Dustin," she says, eyes still closed. "What did you hear, and why do you need me?"

"They found her." His voice is tight. Nancy clenches her jaw. "But apparently they underestimated her, because they reported casualties and said she got away."

"And now?"

"As far as I can tell, they have no idea where she went. But based on where they saw her last--and, okay, this is fully just an educated guess, I admit, but--"

"She's close by," Erica says impatiently. "And we need to find her. We need to help her."

Nancy opens her eyes again, glancing around. "You know, the last time you picked up confidential Russian messages, it didn't end well for anyone."

"Robin is our friend," Dustin says, his voice surprisingly sharp. "She's a lot of other things, too, but that part hasn't changed. If she needs us, I'm going to be there for her. So are you going to help us or not?"

She bites back a sigh. "How long ago were they talking about Robin?"

"It's been a couple hours."

"She could be long gone by now."

"She could've been long gone days ago, but she wasn't," he argues. "So?"

"Fine." She slides her backpack off her shoulder and digs through it until she finds the revolver. She pulls it out, checks it over, and pulls the backpack back on. "But you both do as I say, when I say it. Got it?"

They both nod. Nancy moves in front of both of them and starts walking deeper into the forest.

For a long time, they don't see anything. Nancy bites her tongue to keep from pointing out that Robin is a trained soldier, and the odds of them finding her in the middle of the woods, in the dark, with no real trail to follow are low, even if she is injured. But she thinks about the fact that Robin is very likely injured--if not freezing or starving or any other manner of nearly dead--and she keeps her mouth shut and keeps walking.

She's just about to suggest Dustin and Erica head home--her nerves are getting the better of her in the dark, in the woods, with the thought of Russians and demogorgons and whatever else might be lurking in the shadows--when she sees a tree with a patch of bark scraped cleanly off.

"There," she says, nodding toward it. "She's close."

"Because of the tree?" Erica asks.

"Look at the marks. It's too clean to be an animal. She must have done it with a knife, to make kindling probably."

Robin had taught her how to make a fire last summer, pointing out which twigs and branches were dry and which were too green still, showing her how she could figure it out for herself. But if it's rained recently, Robin had said, you might need to dig a little to get dry wood. Shaving pieces from your firewood works, but you can scrape into a standing tree too if you need to.

Nancy had asked how Robin knew all this. I went camping a lot as a kid had been her answer.

She shakes her head. "She's close," she says again.

The click of a gun cocking sounds nearby. Really close, maybe. Still, Nancy raises the revolver and reaches back to push Erica and Dustin behind her. She looks through the trees, trying to spot any sign of Robin or whoever else might be out here.

She doesn't see her, but she does hear her--a faint, disbelieving voice calling out softly, "Nancy?"

"Robin!" Dustin cries, too loud. He runs ahead of Nancy before she can grab him.

"Dustin!" She follows, heart in her throat, but he doesn't go far. He skids to a halt about twenty feet ahead, staring at--

Robin, slumped against an old, rotten stump, arm wrapped tightly around her own waist, a weak, wry smile filling her face as she sees them.

She's covered in mud, clothes torn and filthy, hair messy around her face. The hand holding her gun drops suddenly, as if giving out. She winces a little as she tries to sit up.

"You're barefoot," she says, looking at Nancy.

Nancy stares back. She's sitting awkwardly against the stump, painfully. There are bloodstains on her shirt where she's holding herself. There's a split in her lip and a bruise blooming around her eye, too. She is, though, wearing shoes. Her tattered Converse she'd been wearing when Hopper came back into town with the news that she was a traitor.

"You look like hell."

Robin gives a dry laugh. "I feel like it."

Something breaks in Nancy, tension withering away in the air between them. She stumbles forward and falls to her knees beside Robin.

"I told you to stay safe," she says, reaching out carefully to peel Robin's arm away from her waist.

"If I remember right, you told me not to fail. And I didn't. Bastards'll be running home with their tails between their legs now."

Nancy manages to move her enough to get a clear look at the wound, but the only thing she can really tell is that it's bad. Robin's skin is freezing to the touch.

"What did you do, Robs?" she whispers.

"What I said I would." Robin tries to sit up again, voice and body straining. "I--I want to protect you, Nance. I need to protect you. All of you. I--"

Nancy reaches out and stills her. Robin is breathing hard, beads of sweat gathering at her hairline, but she relaxes slightly under Nancy's touch.

"We need to get her out of here," Dustin says. Robin's eyes flick toward him.

"You shouldn't be here. Either of you," she adds, looking at Erica, too.

Erica crosses her arms over her chest. "Try and stop us."

"You--"

"Dustin's right," Nancy says before an argument can break out. "You need help, Robin."

"M'fine." Her arm falls against her waist again, trying and failing to cover the blood soaking her shirt.

Nancy leans closer and lowers her voice. "You're hurt. Badly. You didn't even try to bandage it?"

"I--" Robin stares at her, eyes wide and searching. "I don't have anything--"

"Then let us help you."

"No. There's nothing you can do, anyway."

"We can make sure you don't bleed to death," Erica snaps.

"By what? Taking the Russian spy to the hospital?" Robin laughs again, weak and hollow, and Nancy feels it scrape through her own chest. "Unless one of you is a field surgeon, there's nothing to be done. You should just go before someone finds you here."

"No way," says Dustin. Beside him, Erica crosses her arms over her chest and nods in agreement.

Robin scowls at them, then turns to Nancy, her gaze suddenly pleading.

Nancy sets her jaw. "You're coming with us, Robs."

"Nancy. Don't."

"Shut up. Dustin, come help me get her on her feet."

He does as he's told, and Robin can't do much but let them take her by the arms and help her up. Nancy lets Dustin support Robin's weight for a moment while she quickly sheds her sweatshirt and wads it up. Then she takes her place back under Robin's arm and presses the sweatshirt to her waist. Robin bites her lip, but she doesn't make a sound as Nancy applies pressure.

"Is there anyone around?" Nancy asks her quietly. Robin shakes her head.

"No one followed me. We should be fine."

"Good. Now come on. Erica keep an eye out."

"Got it."

"Nance," Robin breathes.

Nancy looks up at her and sees tears in her eyes. But whatever Robin was going to say doesn't make it out. She just shakes her head and closes her eyes, letting Dustin and Nancy help her back through the trees.

[thegloober]

Got a bloated stomach again? Here’s the REAL reason

Do you regularly get a bloated stomach and don’t know why? Sharon Walker investigates the reasons behind bloating. Clue: they’re not what you think

So it’s happened again: you’ve eat a pretty innocuous meal, nothing too crazy, not exactly a Mr Creosote blow out or anything really remotely big, but now, now you feel like you’ve swallowed a Space Hopper. Whole. Your belly is straining at your waistband and people are standing up to offer you their seats on public transport. It’s that BAD.  Soon they’ll be calling the midwife.

Midwife jokes aside bloated is no laughing matter. There’s no two ways about it, a big tight barrel of a belly is uncomfortable and embarrassing, especially when it’s accompanied – as it often is – with other gut health symptoms like flatulence and stomach cramps.

42.7% of you reported issues with bloating

And while this might be scant comfort if you’re currently nursing eight-month bloat –  you’re not the only one who’s suffering. ‘Bloating is incredible common. It can cause great discomfort and as your clothes get tighter it can be distressing,’ says leading nutritionist Katherine Pardo.

So how common are we talking? VERY. Of those of you who responded to our Gut Health Survey 42.7% of you reported issues with bloating, with an unfortunate 15% experiencing bloating EVERY time you eat. That’s a lot of swollen bellies.

Frustratingly most of us don’t know what’s causing the problem. An obvious issue is too much gas – though that’s not always the issue says Pardo – and if it is too much gas is the culprit, what’s causing the gas and what can we do about it?

Bloating cause #1: SIBO (Small Instestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

SIBO signs are similar to colon gut health symptoms but often with the added indignity of burping. Nice.

Never heard of SIBO? Nor had we until we talked to Pardo. ‘You can get bloating at different places along the intestinal tract,’ says Pardo. ‘A lot of people focus on bloating in the bowel but now we’re becoming more aware of small intestinal bloating.’

So how do you know if SIBO is the issue? You’ll see similar symptoms to those you get with bloating in the bowel, so discomfort, swelling, gas, diarrhoea and constipation, but often with the added indignity of burping. Nice.

So what’s behind this belching and bloating?  Pretty much the same thing that’s behind the cramping bloating and gas further down the intestinal tract: an imbalance in gut bacteria.  And the reason our bacteria are out of whack? That’s right you guessed, it’s usually down to diet and lifestyle

‘We need a wide variety of fruit and vegetables which break down into prebiotics and feed the good the good bacteria to help it flourish,’ says Pardo.  ‘We recommend seven to nine portions of fruit and vegetables a day,’ says Pardo.  ‘Ideally 30-40 different fruits and vegetables across the week.’ Most people don’t eat nearly that amount.

So what’s the fix?  Many health professionals including some GPs recommend the FODMAP diet, which excludes typically gassy foods like garlic, onions, bananas, artichokes, beans and pulses – you can see the full list here. For several weeks, maybe up to several months. Before gradually reintroducing them  over several weeks.

If your SIBO is very severe, with an overgrowth of negative bacteria, you might need to do a ‘clearance’ using herbal anti-microbials, like Nutri Advanced Candex SIBO, or you may need antibiotics, explains Pardo. To do this you’ll need to see a health professional – your GP, a nutritionist or naturopath should all be able to help – before replenishing the gut with good bacteria using a probiotic.

Pardo recommends the Lactobacillus Acidophilus NCFM which is one of the best researched probiotic strains in the world, backed by over 60 scientific publications.

Another helpful live bacteria strain for use in SIBO is Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07. ‘Both of these bacteria are resident in a healthy gut and both have been shown to support a healthy microbial balance in research,’ says Pardo.

Try: Nutri Advanced Ultra Probioplex Plus (£13.50 for 30) which contains 25 billion live bacteria  Lactobacillus acidophillus NCFM and B. lactis bi-07

Bloating cause #2: Crowding out

Just as the ‘bad’ bacteria can get out of hand in the small intestine, they can run amok in your colon causing bloating further along your intestinal tract, says Pardo.  That’s when you’ll be nursing a six-month bloated belly (without the baby) and clenching in yoga.

So how have we ended up in this undignified – and frankly painful situation – trapped wind hurts.  ‘Certain bacteria and yeast can ‘crowd out’ the beneficial bacteria,’ says Pardo, ‘which leads to a build-up of gases due to fermentation as the bad bacteria feed on the sugars in the gut.’

So what’s the fix? As with SIBO you’ll need to change your diet. If the problem is extreme with excessive gas, higher levels of pain and discomfort, intermittent constipation and diarrhoea, your doctor or health practitioner may recommend a FODMAP diet (see above), though most people will see an improvement with a good probiotic, says Pardo. Research shows that gut symptoms like gas respond to probiotics.

In a 2016 randomised, triple blind trial published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology adult volunteers with IBS were given either probiotic supplements containing Lactobacillus acidophillus NCFM or placebo daily for 12 weeks.

In those with severe to moderate abdominal pain, symptoms were reduced significantly compared to those who took a placebo.

Try:  A well-researched probiotic strain, like Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM.

Bloating cause #3:  Leaky Gut

All sort of things can damage the gut wall leading to a ‘leaky’ gut says Pardo. Common culprits include infections like H. pylori overgrowth (the bacteria that causes ulcers) or yeast overgrowth, alcohol and medicines like sleep medications and even common over the counter painkillers can cause damage to the gut wall that leads to a porous intestine or what scientists call increased intestinal permeability.

When you have a ‘leaky gut’ molecules of undigested food pass through the intestine wall. ‘This creates an immune response and you become intolerant,’ explain Pardo, which in turn causes inflammation, water retention and swelling.  ‘Once you’re intolerant, it’s hard to digest that food and this can lead to a build-up of gas.’

What’s the fix? ‘Taking Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs too regularly can damage the gut wall, so try not to take them if you don’t need them,’ advises Pardo. Try to get more sleep, limit stress, reduced medications. Cutting down on alcohol and eating refined foods will help too. Pardo also recommends reducing common allergens such as wheat, gluten and dairy.

Cutting down on gut irritants will allow you gut lining  to repair itself.

Try: You can speed up the healing process with nutrients such as L-glutamine, an amino acid, which provides fuel for the cells making up the gut wall.

Bloating cause #4: Antibiotics

Antibiotics cause gut bacteria imbalance – the number one cause of bloating

Antibiotics wipe out all your gut bacteria – the good as well as the bad – and without the friendly bacteria keeping the nasties in check there’s scope for gas-producing bad microbes to proliferate.   The result is dysbiosis, or bacterial imbalance, which is the number one cause of bloating.

So what can you do to mitigate the damage?  Pardo suggests taking a probiotic to repopulate your gut with good bacteria. And there’s research to show this works.

A 2009 placebo-controlled study investigated the capacity of a probiotic mixture to minimise the disruption of intestinal bacteria in people taking common antibiotics.

One group was given a placebo and the other a probiotic mixture containing the strains B. lactis Bi-04, B. lactis Bi-07, Lactobacillus acidophillus NCFM, L. paracasei Lpc-37 and Bifidobacterium bifidum Bb-02.

The ones taking the probiotic mixture had the least disruption in their healthy gut flora, the research, which was published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

Try: Nutri Advanced Ultra Probioplex IB (£36.90 for 30) which contains 60 billion live bacteria of Lactobacillus acidophillus NCFM and B. lactis Bi-07. You can even start taking a probiotic while you’re on antiobiotics to mitigate the damage, says Pardo.

But remember to take them last thing in the evening. That way they’ll have a chance to repopulate your gut overnight before you take your next antibiotic which will wipe out all the bacteria again.

The probiotic yeast Saccharomyces Boulardii is not affected by antibiotics (because it’s a yeast not a bacteria) and so you can supplement with it throughout the course of antibiotics to help prevent antibiotic-associated side effects.  You can find it in Nutri Advanced UltraProbioplex Duo.

Bloating cause #5: Stress

Stress can interrupt the digestion process, leading to a big bloated belly. ‘That’s because the stress hormones, like cortisol, divert bodily processes away from non-urgent functions such as digestion and put you into fight or flight mode,’ says Pardo.  ‘Your body is prepped for immediate work.’ That’s all very well if you’re making a dash from the nearest sabre-tooth tiger but in our daily lives we can’t run from stress – or make it stop.

If you’re struggling with stress-related digestion problems, Pardo recommends using a ‘broad spectrum digestive enzyme’ formula, to kickstart your digestion and help break foods down. And focus on your food. Eat slowly. And Chew. ‘Make sure your food is enjoyable, you’re focused on what you’re eating rather than eating on the run,’ says Pardo.  Focus on the smell of your food and how it tastes – don’t forget digestion begins in the mouth.

Try: Nutri Advanced digestive enzyme Similase (£11.95 for 42).

Bloating cause #6: Your indigestion medicine

If your body isn’t breaking the food down before it reaches the small intestine you’re going to suffer from bloating higher up in your tummy, says Pardo. ‘Inadequate digestion can be down to not having enough hydrochloric acid, which leads to protein-based foods sitting in the stomach and fermenting rather than being transported through the intestines. So you’ll get a lot of burping straight after meals,’ says Pardo.

And the older we get the more likely we are to suffer. ‘It’s quite common that we don’t produce enough digestive acid as we get older,’ says Pardo.

Another issue is the overuse of over-the-counter indigestion and heart medication which suppresses hydrochloric acid and creates a vicious cycle, as the more you use, the more you need to use. ‘You get people who drink bottles of Gaviscon and they can’t stop because the minute they do they start getting symptoms,’ warns Pardo.

Other lifestyle factors that can hamper digestion include stress, medications and nutritional deficiencies. Poor diet is also a concern.  ‘If you’re not getting enough B6 or zinc, that can cause problems as you need both for adequate hydrochloric acid.’

The fix?  Stop swigging back the antacids and take digestive enzymes, says Pardo.

Try: Similase

Bloating cause #7: Lazy bowel

So your gut hasn’t exactly ground to halt but it is rather lazy. That nice squeezing action that keeps things moving isn’t what it could be and as a result your food is sitting around for far too long and fermenting, which causes gas and bloating.

‘Gut motility is affected by nutritional deficiencies,’ notes Pardo, and if you’re not getting enough fluid or the right balance in your diet that could result in poor motility too.

The best fix here is a balanced diet and plenty of water – eight glasses a day.

Try: A magnesium supplement can help to kick-start peristalsis needed to move food along.

Related Healthista Content:

What are probiotics and how to find one that works

What’s REALLY going on with your gut health?

10 everyday lifestyle habits that could ruin your gut health

My vegan diet ruined my gut health

Source: https://bloghyped.com/got-a-bloated-stomach-again-heres-the-real-reason/

[theconservativebrief]

A map of the world, push-pinned into drywall; clocks that mark the times in Tokyo, Paris, and London; a cheesy poster of a family at the beach — this is the aesthetic usually associated with brick-and-mortar travel agencies. For those of us who grew up with Expedia, Kayak, Booking.com, and Hopper, the travel agency seems an anachronism — a vestige of unnecessary middleman services that were eliminated by the World Wide Web.

But, surprisingly enough, the travel advising industry is thriving. And millennials are increasingly turning to agents, as opposed to the internet, for help planning their vacations.

According to a 2017-’18 study by the travel and hospitality marketing firm MMGY Global, 33 percent of millennials are looking forward to hiring travel agents in the next two years. And according to data from the American Society of Travel Agents, recently rebranded the American Society of Travel Advisors, millennials are more likely than baby boomers or Gen Xers to say that hiring a travel expert was worth it. ASTA also found that a whopping 55 percent of millennials are more likely to hire travel experts and let others take care of planning a trip, compared to 42 percent and 28 percent for Gen Xers and boomers, respectively.

To be clear, no millennial is seeking travel advice from a My Big Fat Greek Wedding-style agency. Today’s agencies and advisers look quite different. They have sleek websites that feature an infinite scroll of Instagram-worthy, far-off destinations. They provide ready-to-purchase package deals that are only a few clicks away from being yours, along with one-on-one services with advisers. But most importantly, they perpetuate the idea that a vacation can change you, a concept millennials find increasingly appealing.

It’s about emotional and physical health and wellness; it’s about exclusivity; it’s about having experiences off the beaten path. Welcome to “transformative travel,” where a trip is the only thing standing between you and Your New Self.

Lenli Corbett, 35, had always wanted to visit South Africa but didn’t know where to start. She wanted to go on a safari, dive with sharks, and learn about Nelson Mandela and the history of apartheid. But she also wanted to do more low-key activities like scour local grocery stores and see how those in Cape Town and Johannesburg buy produce, something she tries to do in every country she visits. This list of things seemed unwieldy, especially with no advice and guidance from friends or family.

Then she read an article about the travel agency Explorer X. She wanted the personalized trip; she wanted to be transformed. She reached out to Explorer X co-founder Michael Bennett, and together, they planned a vacation that satisfied her bucket list but also ensured she met locals who could give her suggestions and help her navigate the country as a solo traveler.

During one of Corbett’s long layovers, Explorer X set up a trip to the Apartheid Museum, where Corbett was driven into town by a man named Donald who had grown up in South Africa and voted in the first democratic election when Nelson Mandela was elected. On her way to Cape Town, Corbett had another particularly helpful guide who drove her to a nearby market when her boat to Robben Island was canceled.

The local guides, Corbett says, made it feel more like an “experience” rather than someone just taking you around to show you sights. This is what agencies are selling: the idea that you’re not “sightseeing” in a country but “experiencing” it.

According to a poll by Skift, a business-to-business media company that reports on the travel industry, 54 percent of respondents said transformation was an important aspect of traveling. In Skift’s 2018 report “The Rise of Transformative Travel,” Beth McGroarty, director of research and public relations at the Global Wellness Institute, says travel is now seen as a “shortcut” or “shake-up.” The global travel economy is shifting from a focus on “esteem” to “self-actualization,” and travelers are buying services that they perceive as being able to induce quick and complete change.

Anyone who has been on dating app lately can attest to the fact that today, travel is not a privilege but a hobby; someone who doesn’t prioritize travel may be viewed as small-minded, uninterested in external and internal exploration. Millennials don’t want to relax and forget life, they want to learn how to live a more fulfilling one. That’s what travel agencies like Explorer X are selling — a catalyst for a more fulfilling life.

Bennett and his Explorer X partner Jake Haupert also founded the Transformational Travel Council. At Explorer X, advisers (which they call “travel mentors”) can simply provide guidance to those who want to plan their own trip (for “only” $500), or can create a custom trip for clients (also starting at $500). Corbett’s custom trip to South Africa rang in at about $6,000. “We want to get the focus off the bucket list and get back to the roots of travel and see what they are trying to get out of a trip,” Haupert says.

Explorer X does this by talking through the goals and intentions of trips with their clients (hence the word “mentor”) and by setting them up with local guides, something that users report is even more valuable than the other benefits of booking with an agent. Corbett said the convenience a travel agent provides, like figuring out flight transfers and airport pickups, is nice, but the network of locals Michael offered was what made the service really worth the cost.

Right now, about one-third of Explorer X clients are millennials, but the company is always looking for more ways to build relationships with a younger demographic. One of these efforts, Project X, launched in March: Clients only give a budget and answer a few questions about their interests and goals, and then one of Explorer X’s travel mentors will put together a trip that will be entirely unknown to the client until the day of travel. So far, those interested in Project X have been about 50 percent millennials. The first Project X trip is set to happen this October.

Transformation does not have to be a solo activity, either. Wellness retreats that focus on yoga, marijuana, or detoxing also carry the promise of change, but in a group setting. Life Before Work Travel, a company that plans group trips for people ages 18 to 35, recently pivoted from party tours to transformative travel.

Company founder Brady Hedlund started his company in 2007. But four years ago, he got an ulcer while trying to keep up with the raucous drinking happening on his tours. So for his company’s 10-year anniversary and his 30th birthday party, he hosted Island Life, a party on a small island in Panama. The 250 travelers who joined him could stay and indulge in the usual debauchery featured on Life Before Work trips, but he also hired speakers on health and wellness, yoga teachers, and self-help experts. To his surprise, the self-help portions of the event were the most highly attended.

“That changed our whole trajectory of the company to be more focused on impactful and inspiring stuff like that,” he says. “We believe that millennials want that even more. Millennials are seeking to learn and grow and gain more value from an experience.”

Virtuoso client surfs in Wyoming. Courtesy of Virtuoso

Because travel has shifted from doing things to feeling things, millennials are turning to those who have been there and done that and can tell you, “This trip will change your life.”

Misty Belles of Virtuoso, a popular travel network that matches clients with travel advisers, says that because of this preference for insider knowledge and faith in those who possess it, millennials are more likely to want to cultivate a relationship with a travel expert, as one would with a nutritionist or personal trainer. Because as anyone who has used that free personal training session that comes with your gym membership knows, there really is a difference between Googling the best workouts and getting (possibly very similar) pointers from someone standing next to you, making you do another set of crunches. It feels more valuable.

Misty also says the demographic of young people who use Virtuoso tend to be short on time but not on money. They work in tech in San Francisco or finance in New York. They want to travel but don’t have time to plan it.

ASTA representative Eben Peck says the uptick in millennials using travel agencies is a welcome, but admittedly “puzzling,” trend. According to Peck, an interest in travel agents skipped a generation, and while Gen Xers are more willing to book independently, Boomers and Millennials don’t mind a little help. But unlike their parents, Millennials don’t suffer from a lack of knowledge, more like a crushing amount of it. The internet is filled with lots of resources but also lots of misinformation and horror stories. Tweets about Airbnb bookings gone wrong litter the web, and people fear being ensnared by fake reviews.

ASTA is currently working on a new PR campaign to perpetuate these fears of bookings gone wrong. “We are gathering horror stories with the idea of driving people to a travel adviser, saying, ‘If you use an adviser, you won’t have these horror stories’,” Peck says.

Travel agencies are also capitalizing on people’s fears of the unknown, albeit in a more subtle way. Both Corbett and another Explorer X client, who also traveled to South Africa, said they had anxieties about their trips. Although both had been to Europe and consider themselves avid travelers, they said with some bewilderment that they “didn’t know anyone who had been to Africa.”

Millennial-marketed travel agencies do little discourage this trepidation, and their sites contain an undertone of exoticization. On the homepage of GeoEx, a luxury service that offers adventure trekking tours, the words “Explore Ethiopia” and “Explore India” appear over full-bleed images of locals. The travelers — all white — stick out in the crowd.

Nancy Denious planned her honeymoon to Argentina using GeoEx. Courtesy of GeoEx

The demand for more adventurous trips may also have to do with the changing perception of what luxury is. Now luxury is less about how expensive a thing is and more about how exclusive it is. “It doesn’t always mean going to a five-star restaurant,” GeoEX managing director of global sales Jennine Cohen says. “It could be a picnic at the top of the mountain you get to via helicopter.”

GeoEx says that millennials make up about one-third of their clientele, and even if they choose the same destination as their older clients, they have different interests. “I planned a couple’s trip to Iceland and they had an amazing time, but they did say they wanted more hiking or boot camp classes,” GeoEx managing director of global sales Natalie Crow says. “I would never have a mature traveler saying they want to wake up at 7 am and do a workout or boot camp class.”

Misty of Virtuoso also notices an increase in requests for exclusivity from younger travelers. “We find millennial travelers love that behind-the-velvet-rope access,” she says. “They want the backstage tours, they want the better seating, they want the VIP sections. They want all those things that they may not know how to get on their own but an adviser will.” This access — going backstage at a music festival, or watching one of your favorite TV shows shoot on set — is not only a better story to tell when you get home but also more Instagrammable, something she says is important to millennials.

There are also logistical preferences that travel advisers must adapt to. Advisers must be able to send succinct emails and texts that lay out all travel options — they can’t require a client to hop on the phone every few weeks. Boomers, however, really love printed packets of information that they can touch and take with them. To supplement a paper itinerary, GeoEx started an app that stores an itinerary and has all the necessary phone numbers and addresses.

Unlike boomers, millennials also don’t like a rigid structure where every minute of a trip is planned out for them. They want some time to reflect and explore on their own, something travel advisers now take into account: a sort of structured self-exploration time in a finely curated adventure. Travel agents must walk this line of planning something safe but not boring, convincing the traveler that this totally chiseled-out itinerary has room for serendipity.

One of GeoEx’s clients, Nancy Denious, hired a travel adviser because she wanted her honeymoon to Argentina to be hassle-free yet personalized. When asked what GeoEx provided that she couldn’t have planned for herself, she mentions convenience and expertise, but also a dinner arranged by her brother, who wanted to plan something in secret for his newly married sister.

GeoEx worked with Denious’s brother and her tour guide Andreas to arrange a private meal among the sand dunes in Cafayate, cooked by a personal chef, accompanied by a note wishing the couple well. “The whole thing was a surprise,” Denious says. “We thought maybe GeoEx had planned it, but then we saw the note and it was so special.” Without the help from an agency, Denious says, she can’t imagine her brother coordinating such a romantic night from thousands of miles away, or even knowing where to begin to make it happen. And that’s why you call in the experts.

Original Source -> How travel agencies avoided extinction and became a luxury service

via The Conservative Brief