When I was a little girl, I lived on a remote special-forces military base in Alaska. I don’t know if it was conversation I overheard eating Saturday breakfast with my Dad in the officers’ quarters, or all the old books I read from the base library—somehow the title ‘ambassador’ became a title imbued in my mind with a great deal of awe.
Global Gal Colleen on the Global Gals Northern Italy Tour
References to the title date back to 1325, with ambassador most often defined as a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to be a representative either temporarily, or permanently. That definition is far removed from the rather negative definitions and ideas that surround the word ‘tourist’ and the difference between an ambassador and a tourist is one of the ‘whys’ behind Global Gals. Thus, when Global Gals looked for a good symbol to use in photos as our members travel the globe, the ambassadorial sash came to mind as a fun and meaningful item we could carry easily and slip on for a photo to not only commemorate the trip, but to celebrate what it means to travel as a Global Gal, as opposed to being a tourist.
References to the title date back to 1325, with ambassador most often defined as a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to be a representative either temporarily, or permanently. That definition is far removed from the rather negative definitions and ideas that surround the word ‘tourist’ and the difference between an ambassador and a tourist is one of the ‘whys’ behind Global Gals. Thus, when Global Gals looked for a good symbol to use in photos as our members travel the globe, the ambassadorial sash came to mind as a fun and meaningful item we could carry easily and slip on for a photo to not only commemorate the trip, but to celebrate what it means to travel as a Global Gal, as opposed to being a tourist.
Chief Global Gal Brenda in Namibia
Here in America, we have all heard the term, ‘ugly American,’ in reference to rude American tourists. However, since human nature is a universal and every country has people who behave well and people who don’t, I imagine there is an example of the ugly tourist coming from most countries. One of the main visions of Global Gals is to not only help woman make their travel dreams come true, but to equip them with knowledge about cultures and how to communicate well across cultures.
Instead of just traveling to see something new and have new experiences, Global Gals helps a woman travel with the intent of meeting new friends and being a welcome part of somebody’s day—instead of a less-than-pleasing tourist.
When I used to teach teachers about planning, I loved to use the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, that’s probably where you’ll end up.” It’s a saying that works for planning your travel, too. If you don’t set out to intentionally achieve some goals on your travels it is unlikely those goals will be reached. I love the idea that through Global Gals’ educational travel materials, Meetups, blogs and newsletters, I can learn all manner of things to enrich my travel experiences. As someone with severe health issues, some of my ‘travels’ happen by getting to read about the adventures of other Global Gals. Even that is very meaningful to me because I get to see what a difference it makes when you travel well-prepared on all levels. The first time I put on the Global Gals Ambassadorial Sash, I felt proud to be a part of a group that brings women together around the globe to share, laugh and learn how to better relate one-to-another.
It’s true that the sash is easy to pack, light-weight, can be worn by one person and passed on to another, unlike a t-shirt with a company logo; yet the sash is so much more than a practical photo prop. Like most companies, we have a company logo, but the sash is something fun for Global Gals members and friends to slip on for a photo to say we embrace the philosophy of travel being more than pleasure seeking, or even learning—we embrace the idea of being an ambassador of friendship and goodwill wherever we go.
Whenever you see a woman somewhere in the world posing for a photo with a big smile and a Global Gals sash,make no mistake. She may be beautiful, but she’s not trying out for beauty queen. She’s a caring woman who has among her travel goals a desire to be a bright spot in the day of someone she meets at destination’s end, or on her way.
