Get Inspired This Summer!

by Lindsay Stout, Vollmer Public Relations Dallas

Every summer, my family vacations on a little island that’s part of the southern Outer Banks of North Carolina.  (In fact, as you read this, I’m probably in my beach chair, reading my summer book and sipping some lemonade.)

I find the beach to be a magical place.  Porpoises dance through the waves, fragile seashells wait to be discovered, endangered loggerhead turtles venture onto land to lay their eggs in the protection of the sand dunes, and lifelong friendships are made with people from all over the country.  For me, it might even be the most magical place on Earth (sorry, Disney World).

But recently I’ve been to a few other magical places where I found some new inspiration.

Camp For All near Houston definitely fits into the magical category.  Adults and kids with special challenges come here throughout the year to enjoy a barrier-free camping facility.  Camp For All is the host site for groups serving people with special needs, including those with HIV, epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, autism, hearing and sight impairments, and brain injuries,,   Camp For All helps people with these challenges discover life by learning what they can do, as opposed to what they can’t do.

A few weeks ago, I spent a day at camp watching kids with muscular dystrophy participate in a ropes course that I would never have the courage to try.  The kids also rode horses, tried archery and paintball, and panned for gold. Most of the kids were in wheelchairs.

I wish you could have seen the light in their eyes during these activities!  Watching them was completely inspirational to me.  They’re brave, they have a contagious energy, and yet they have gone through more in their young lives than I can imagine.

Another magical place I’ve been to recently is Fenway Park, home of my beloved Red Sox.  Don’t ask how an Oklahoma girl fell in love with them; it just happened.  I had the good fortune to squeeze in a trip to the nation’s oldest active major league ballpark during a recent trip to Beantown for the Association of Travel Marketing Executive’s 30^th annual conference. 

The Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) is a  professional association made up of senior-level travel marketers representing all segments of the industry.  ATME is the only organization of its kind and is committed to enhancing skills, recognizing excellence and advancing the highest standards of travel marketing leadership.

A large part of the conference focused on social media and mobile marketing. I left Boston feeling energized, with a new passion to always be on the forefront of PR and marketing trends in order to provide the best possible service to clients.  (I also left with a new Red Sox shirt).

So this summer, whether you find yourself taking in the glory of a beautiful beach, realizing how precious and fragile life truly is, or accepting a new challenge to be better in your career, I hope you feel inspired and energized, ready for the second half of 2010!