Hi guys!
I just learned about a great travel industry internship that I am dying to get. It is for GAP Adventures, and Bruce Poon Tip (the dynamic owner) is treating the interview process like a contest - and I found out about it mere days before the deadline! I have 24 hours - and I need you guys to help me!
Creativity is key - and I thought, what better way to show off my winning personality and great salesmanship (womanship?) then to ask all of YOU, my faithful readers, for some personal references?
So why do you think I deserve the job? Let Bruce know by leaving a comment below. It'll take 2 minutes - give a lady a hand, willya?
*Note - I am closing down the commenting because I am sending this to Bruce now. Thank you so much for your kinds words, and wish me luck!
Cheers!
xoxox
Violet Dear
12 October 2009
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53 comments:
Jessica has a great sense of humor which you need traveling. She gives a different point of view to the normal travel blogs I've ever read.
Violet Dear is a captivating writer who is clearly passionate about travel, the interwebs, and sharing her experiences with us. I look forward to reading her thoughts on everything from her latest beach adventure to the fate of peoples impacted by earthquakes or just the economic status they happened to be born into. She'd be a wonderful and enthusiastic intern, and you should jump at this chance to have her working for you.
This girls knows what travelling is all about. We travelled together for two weeks trough the south of Laos and the northern part of Vietnam and well I can say this girl is a real traveller, she knows everything about the environment were she's in, knows about all the trips, all the sightseeing and of course all the (good)local food in the neighbourhood. This girl makes travelling easy. Oh and did I tell she's adorable? I didn't? well she is!
Jessica's stories take me to where ever she is. I can smell the zoo, taste the food, feel the air right in my little office. I laughf and am in awe of her experences and how she expresses them through words and pictures! I so look forward to her posts!
Violet engages her readers and makes them feel like they are there, traveling with her every step of the way. It's a raw and real description of her travels.
Plus, shes really funny and relatable.
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find another travel blog like Madness and Beauty. It is so well written, informative and hilarious.
I traveled with Jess this summer. She and S made traveling look like the easiest thing in the world. This is most definitely what Jess is supposed to do.
Jessica isn't just one of the most educated and thorough travelers I know, she's also an amazing individual to work with! We spent a lot of time in the field of retail together and she was a fantastic fellow employee to have. Her customers loved her(she was one of the top in sales!) and she worked hard to keep chaotic situations positive and under control. She brings a little spark along, everywhere she goes.
Hire this brilliant and passionate explorer and you will not be disapointed : )
Her blog showcases her wonderful personality and love for travel, and her witty writing and humour only add to that! I'm positive hiring her will be a great choice!
Please hire this fantastic, witty woman... because I want you to!
Or because she is entertaining and she has such a unique view and because she enjoys travel more than anyone I have known or read and because she is inspiring and because the world would be a better place if you did. With her in this internship the planets will realign and world peace may ensue. Is that too dramatic?
Maybe just because its the right thing to do.
I'm really glad we had this talk.
Having read a lot of blogs over the last five or so years, I can say with certainty that Jess was meant to blog! I also know that she is a born traveler and Madness and Beauty is the perfect marriage of the two.
What makes this blog so amazing is that Jess can weave an intricate tale with just the right amount of humour, humility and intrigue and describes situations and places so vividly that she transports her readers mentally to wherever she might be describing.
Since I am a naturally inquisitive person I also enjoy that Jess has a bit of history and sociology to impart in her blog and her passion for knowledge about places and cultures shines through in the wisdom she takes away from each of her adventures.
Overall (and I think this shines through in Madness and Beauty) Jess is a very capable, intelligent and well organized person - I mean how many people blog so creatively and concisely while trapped in various natural disasters?!? I also know that Jess is the kind of person who will accomplish any goal that she sets her mind to and if I were hiring someone to work for me, I would be happy to have an employee who was half as passionate and capable as she is!
V and I have been traveling together for a year now. Tomorrow I'll be stepping on a plane bound for Los Angeles - effectively 'home' for the next 3 months - so it's hard to organize my thoughts about this year without becoming tripped up on the details. I am not by my nature an adventurous person. Everyone, at some point or another, must work against the gravity toward the safe and familiar in their lives. While traveling the two most profound experiences I've had have been a result of her pushing me further than I would have gone alone. I traveled to Burma where I was able to connect my teenage ideals to something tangible and important and I, finally, at the age of 25, learned how to swim, leading me to a moment recently where I made eye contact with a meter-long sea turtle in Indonesia, something I'll remember forever. V has managed to do something that many, including myself, have failed at - she's organized her thoughts on her experiences into a product, and has inspired others in the process.
I only discovered this blog a few months ago, and it's funny, insightful and intelligent. It makes me really want to follow in Violet's footsteps and travel round Asia myself one day.
She is a born writer with amazing attention to detail.
After re-meeting Jessica in India (I previously knew her in our elementary school days), it is easy to see how someone of her character and determination could extract the most out of every travel experience. It only took a few minutes in Mysore Karnataka to realize Jessica knew more about Hindu Gods and cross-religious Indian practices then any other traveler I had met.
Good luck Jessica and whenever you are coming home, you should know it isn't so bad to be here after such a long adventure. Turns out Vancouver is also a beautiful place to explore!
Jessica has the perfect combination of skills and personality for this internship position -a combination that is quite rare. Jessica is good humored, personable, intelligent, a go-getter and dynamic. She is an adventurous traveller and a beautiful writer and photographer. She is easy going and makes the best out of any situation - essential traits for working with an innovative company. I have no doubt that she would exceed expectations.
I'm sorry to say that I'm not really interested in traveling to Asia - I'm kind of afraid of the food. So I read this blog with one eye shut - what's she going to eat now? Blech!
But I read - I just can't help it. I'm fascinated by Violet's spin that doesn't feel like spin. It feels authentic - the most natural thing in the world. And hilarious. I'm pretty much hooked & would like for her to be able to continue to entertain me this way.
Violet Dear writes about travel so well, it makes her readers want to grab a rucksack and go. She has such a true and real opinion that relates completly to her audience. Having her work for you would only be an amazing addition to your team.
.X.
Jessica is a force to be reckoned with! Her writing is vibrant, exciting, personable, and humorous. Beyond that, it is also useful! Her information is well-researched and practical. Her passion for travel and culture come across in every entry of her travel blog.
Madness and Beauty manages to wed Jessica’s professional experience and guidance with an incredible ‘in-the-moment’ sense of her encounters. She shows empathy and consideration in those cultural situations (and natural disasters that seem to keep finding her!) that much of the western world may not appreciate. She also is faithful in sharing the absurdity of her experiences even when it is at her own expense.
All in all this makes for the very best kind of writing! It is authentic in every sense of the word (just like Jessica) and it would indeed be a shame to let someone like that get away.
I had been following my friend Jess's travels since she left us from Vancouver and was super excited to meet up with her in Vietnam. She finds something amazing about everywhere she travels to, and is a wealth of intriguing and quirky facts about anywhere she goes - so she's awesome to have on those long bus and tuk-tuk trips. Upon meeting up with her in Hue, Vietnam we had a limited time there so she had already arranged a best-of-everything tour for all of us, which we could not have done with such short notice on our own. We traveled with her for a few weeks through south Vietnam and Cambodia, and if we could have stayed we'd be over there with her still!
People have already said it all! From the moment it became Blog of Note I was hooked on Madness and Beauty, I consider myself lucky to have found it seeing as I'm travelling to South East Asia next year.
Being pretty much a first time traveller I'm slowly compiling a massive list of questions, and despite knowing a few people who have travelled in the area, there's only one person I'm going to for advice and it's Jess!
Inspirational but honest and humorous but sensitive, she has it all and I think what you should mostly be doing today is hiring her!
Thanks for that!
Jessica tells the true, homespun story of travel. Its purpose; a journey in learning more about the human conditon. Where we have been, where we are and where we are going. She describes it in a ballsy, straightforward and uniquely fashionable way that I greatly admire.
Jessica would be a valuable addition to any team. She's one of the most mature & level headed people I know - qualities which certainly come out in her well-written and entertaining blog.
Her blog serves more than one purpose - to the person about to travel, we can learn firsthand from her experiences, as her recommendations and advice is insightful and goes far beyond the typical "travel blog." For those of us who are staying at home, she offers an amusing, entertaining, and above all respectful look at other cultures and countries.
If you hired Jess, you would not be disappointed.
Jessica is unique, not in her highly literate, creative, inovative writing style, but in her vision, her perception that flows from her mind to her readers with absolute integrity and honesty to herself, and the people and cultures she portrays. This is not just a jaunt journal for Jessica, but a lifestyle she embraces and shares with dedication, passion, and humour.
V's traveling, and ultimately, her writing about it, has the ability to transport you instantly from your daily life, to a more global platform.
I love Violet Dear's travel blog. She does a great job with it and really makes it something special and unique. She's definitely a favorite of mine that I make sure to check back on often.
Violet Dear writes one of my favorite travel blogs - wait, scratch that - she writes one of my favorite BLOGS, period. She brings her personality and humor into every story she relates, and her passion for traveling the world practically jumps off the web page. I don't have my own office so I can't say I'd hire her myself, but I am from Buffalo so I can say I'd take her out for some awesome wings.
So much, and so little time, that I've connected with Madness and Beauty. Violet Dear, and her quest through Asia, made me feel that I was there. Her poise, linguistic analysis and mannerism. Is just there to endure. Of all, and what's best to describe her charisma. Is to hire Violet Dear, to be part of your team.
Violet Dear would be an excellent addition to your company. She is intelligent, compassionate, and humorous - all things you'd like in an employee. Her blog has brought us all closer to her travels, as if we were right by her side. We've tasted the food and seen the sights. The only difference is, our passports don't have the stamps to prove we were there!
Knowing Jessica as I do (both as Jessica and as Violet Dear), I have first hand experience knowing what her dedication, focus, and passion can do for any cause...if you were required to make a choice, and you had two similar candidates who had very similar experiences, you would choose Jessica over the other candidate,not simply for her dedication, focus and passion, but you would choose her for how she would enrich your soul and challenge your vocabulary, and how she would make you think.
I have known her for over 20 years and she never ceases to amaze me with her life and her passion and her drive...don't miss this opportunity to have her as a member of your TEAM...
Violet Dear is one of the few travel bloggers I revisit. Her fun commentary is always interesting and I usually leave with a sense that I have learned something useful. Her love of the world is evident and her intellectual curiosity is her greatest asset. Wherever the road takes her, they will be lucky to have her.
This is the only travel blog I read, and I LOVE it! Violet Dear is dynamic, vivacious, and a great writer/photographer. I love her perspective and 'real person' approach to describing her experiences.
Violet has made S, her partner happy, and because of that she is family and deserves the world. At the least, let her see more of it.
Our Violet Dear (Jessica) is so expeperienced and well informed that she handles the extraordinary challenges of adventure travel like some of us manage a trip to the corner store. Her travel blog and photos have made us laugh aloud and weep along with her. And don't get me started on the food stories! I get hungry just reading her reviews and viweing the photos. You would be fortunate to have Jessica on your team and we would follow her anywhere.
Violet Dear (Jessica) is an experienced traveller. It is not just how she has earned her livelihood but how she lives her life. Travel is her passion and she has a gift that inspires others to try new things. Her practical approach to travel (like her blog on how she saved enough money to pay for this past year's travel) and ability to communicate with humor make her blog educational as well as entertaining. I think she would be terrific as a Gap intern and only hope thtat this would mean more photos and stories for us to read.
I love Jessicas blog! Its exciting and captivating. It almost feels like your traveling with her.
You'd be lucky to have her on your team! :)
I'm one of Jessica's newest blog readers, and I instantly fell for her great sense of humor!
I follow many travel blogs, but the Madness and Beauty blog is one of favorites and one of the few that I constantly go back to. Jessica's honesty and humor really makes it feel like you're there traveling with her. She rawks on all levels.
Violet Dear is the best. Bar none.
The perfect mix of practical tips, cultural insight, true wonder and a sense of fun and adventure. This is my fave travel blog and Violet Dear should definitely continue writing and working in this industry.
She has a unique and interesting voice in her writing. I love her sense of humor. ( I also love how she captions her pictures.)
i never want this blog to end... it's the perfect balance of entertaining, funny and informative.
Violet is an amazing woman. She's helped me with my travel plans and (very) slowly come out of my shell and fear of traveling. I don't know anyone more worthy. Her blog is fascinating and her pictures are amazing. Traveling is her thing.
Violet has balls for woman and she's not afraid to photograph people candidly and respectfully.
She is an excellent writer and clearly a "foodie."
She has no fear of traveling in underdeveloped countries on a low budget and yet she knows when and how to splurge.
Give her a paid internship. She's already earned it.
Best.
Clarity, that is why you want Jessica on your team.
Clarity of perspective when encountering new cultures and political landscapes. Clarity of writing style that is insightful without being cloying and humorous with the right twist of irony, zeitgeist and self depracation.
Clarity of vision that is apparent from the photojournalism she presents. You are not going to get a frommer/travelocity perspective, you are going to get more than you ever expected.
She has IT, make it so.
I am new to this blog, but I can say with absolute certainty Violet is the right person for this internship. She is a fantastic writer who gives life to adventures in new and exciting places. The comments on this page are a testament to her power to affect other people!
I have been following Violet's(Jessica's) blog for quite sometime now and what pulls me to the blog is the fact that she has an innate sense of going into the unknown without having any pre-notions about them.
She is willing to atleast try something new even if she knows it might not turn out the way she had expected it to be.
And Madness and Beauty is written so wonderfully well by her, that it feels like you yourself are exploring the place through her eyes.
I think it's all been said, but Violet writes with great heart. Her love for countries and their people comes through, even if she also talks about the difficulties of travelling. I also, look forward to a new post of hers each day!
Violet would make a fantastic travel intern. Her adventurous inner voice is revealed in her writing. We can’t wait to hear about impressions and insights of the world.
I've read the other posts and wholeheartedly agree with all the other recommendations.
I look forwards to V's posts everyday.
I'm especially impressed by the amount of research she is constantly doing about the places where she will travel.
I would LOVE to have her as my guide.
Bruce, this lady is not to be missed !
I have had the pleasure of reading Violet Dear's blog since she started writing it. I knew her before Madness and Beauty, but I had no idea of the scope of her talent as a writer and photographer. I am inspired and proud to know her. I travelled on a GAP Adventure Tour in Panama and had a horrible horrible time....I swore I would never go on a GAP tour again. But if you were to hire someone like Violet Dear? I would change my mind and absolutely go on a tour she leads. You have to hire her.
I left a comment on the contest blog as well. I think that you are a natural for this. Your blog is entertaining, informative and shares the wonderful cultural details that can make a trip memorable. Best of luck and good wishes to make your dream come true!!!
Jean
After reading all the comments here it's obvious how much we enjoy the blogging by Violet Dear. For me she has this incredible ability to put you where she is and to teach you so much about the environment she is in. There have been places she is writing about that before I never wanted to go to but after reading her blog I did and that is what is great about her. She educates, makes you laugh and is a great story teller. She is a joy....she is our Violet Dear.
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