Bonnie Minutillo has been in the travel industry for 27 years, but she's had wanderlust forever. "It started when I was 5 years old, in our little town in Italy near the Adriatic Coast. I heard my father say that he was going to take the bus to a nearby town, so after he left I took my purse, put one lira in it, put on my bonnet and went to the bus stop so I could join him. If my aunt hadn't spotted me, who knows where I would have ended up, but it was exciting. This is how all my travels have been. Exciting and filled with wonder." Bonnie intends to travel until she can't travel anymore. "My goal is to visit every single continent before I go to the big continent in the sky for good."
Three words that describe you:
Outgoing, creative and kind.
Leisure-time pursuits:
Traveling, motorcycle riding, reading and spending time with my grandchildren.
Area of the world you specialize in/know like the back of your hand:
Europe.
Most unexpected thing you’ve ever discovered on a trip:
People all over the world are so different yet the same.
Country you’d most like to visit:
Australia.
If you had to live in a hotel forever, which one would it be:
Southern Ocean Lodge, Kangaroo Island.
Most out-of-the-way place you’ve ever found yourself:
Skeleton Coast, Namibia.
What makes you a smart traveler:
I’m informed, open-minded and inquisitive yet careful.
Natural wonder you can’t wait to see:
Northern Lights.
You wish you would have traveled here sooner:
Morocco.
Most breathtaking scenery you've ever witnessed:
Flying over the Maasai Mara in a hot air balloon.
What are the biggest changes you've seen in the industry?:
I've been in the business so long and traveled so extensively. I flew on Pan Am and TWA and Eastern — names you no longer hear, but they took me so many places.
What are some of those places?:
I've been to South America, just about every island in the Caribbean, many European countries, Morocco, East Africa, on cruises and more.
What is your goal as a luxury travel advisor?:
Many of you know me as only a voice on the phone, but I hope that when we are speaking and planning your trip that my enthusiasm inspires you to continue to travel, as it is a big and beautiful world out there.
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