20/12/2025
Long post alert…
A full-circle moment, extraordinary customer service, and what felt like a little divine intervention today.
My mom, June Boblitt, founded our travel agency in 1977 in El Cerrito. About three months ago, I received a call from clients I hadn’t heard from in over 20 years. They knew my family well and had been booking with us since nearly the very beginning. They reached out about a Christmas cruise, and it was such a joy to reconnect and reminisce about the “old travel days.”
This trip was likely their last big travel hurrah together, as mobility challenges have made travel more difficult — so it felt especially meaningful to help make it happen.
Fast forward to today — their departure day.
I happened to be running errands in El Cerrito, which is rare for me. After a dentist appointment, I felt nostalgic and made a few stops: See’s Candies, the El Cerrito Post Office, and of course — I couldn’t resist honoring my mom’s favorite haunt — Wienerschnitzel.
As I drove down San Pablo Avenue, I noticed what looked like a serious accident with police cars and tow trucks everywhere. I pulled into post office parking lot, sat in my car enjoying a chili cheese dog, thinking about our business, my mom, and those early El Cerrito days — feeling deeply connected.
Then my phone rang.
It was the clients.
They’d had a rough start and had been in a car accident. Their flight was delayed, so they could still make it, but they didn’t know how they’d get to the airport — no Uber on their phones, bags everywhere, shaken and exhausted.
My first instinct was, “Where are you?”
They were the accident I had just passed.
At that exact moment, a taxi drove through the parking lot in front of me.
Without hesitation, I jumped into action. I called the cab, explained the situation, and told the clients I’d be there in minutes — with the driver. When I arrived, police were still on scene, their luggage lined up on the side of the road, and they were understandably overwhelmed knowing they still had to get to the airport.
We loaded their bags into the cab, got them settled, and I waved goodbye as they headed off. I even used my AAA card to have their car towed back to Pinole.
I’m still not quite sure how all of that aligned — me being there, in that exact place, at that exact moment — while I was already feeling so connected to my mom, our business, and our El Cerrito roots. The timing of that cab alone felt nothing short of miraculous.
I couldn’t help but feel that my mom was right there with me, quietly nudging me forward, reminding me to give the very best service — the way she always did.
I just want to say this: I would show up like this for any client if the need arose. Today was emotional, humbling, and a powerful reminder of why I do what I do — and where it all began.
💙