What were you doing at 16?
While at Manawatu Polytechnic, in Palmerston North, way back in 1993, studying towards my Office Systems Receptionist course, I decided to singlehandedly plan and organize a tourism trip to Rotorua for my fellow classmates and me.
I was only 16 years old at the time.
I came up with the idea of spending a couple of days in Rotorua to tie in with our year long course, to learn more about the Tourism industry. That way we could classify the trip as course related and then we would be able to secure the use of a Polytechnic van without having to pay to hire it.
We were lucky enough to secure a driver who was not only a local Policeman but also the husband of one of our classmates coming on the trip.
I found a confectionary company who sold packets of sweets as a fundraiser and set about ordering enough to cover the entire cost of our trip from the profits we would make.
Each person, coming on the trip, had to sell a set number of bags in order to pay their share of the cost of accommodation, food, petrol and activities.
I became the CFO and COO and thrived on the responsibilities of ensuring that all our expenses would be covered from our fundraising efforts.
I opened a bank account, in my name, along with a cheque book so I could write cheques to pay for all our expenses along the way. No one questioned my sincerity or honesty, and all funds were accounted for. I took the responsibility very seriously.
I booked us into accommodation I had stayed in previously, Lakes Ranch Christian Camp. We bunked in together and had so much fun. It was like school camp all over again. Only this time we were young adults having fun and for some of us it would be our first trip away from home without our parents.
Our course lecturer, Cynthia, came with us and we had a great time. We loved every minute of it.
We visited places like Paradise Valley Springs, Rainbow Springs, the Luge, the Mud Pools, we even met a giant Pig who loved a good can of beer. I always wondered how they made pickled pork 😉
I loved planning every minute of that trip and came away with so many amazing memories that were shared by us all. 30 years later we still talk about that trip.
What I learnt from all that planning and organizing, was that I was more than capable of the logistics that went into event planning including the attention to detail to ensure that everyone had a great time and walked away with memories to last a lifetime.
Before I started the course, I had wanted to join the Army as a Chef. It’s a good thing the recruiter told me that I would have to run and shoot weapons. Both of which I hate doing, so out I walked and never looked back.
Event planning has always been a passion of mine. I am so grateful for the opportunities, and I look forward to making even more magic for more of our couples.
