Hey Erin!
So glad you’re getting into some of the recommended books! I love Brene Brown so much. What she writes about is SO needed and very timely!
I like that you’re breaking up your searches into 10-minute “snack size” bites. That’s a really good way to keep your momentum but not go crazy. And I love that you discovered a potential interest in combing work with your love of travel (and planning for travel!). I don’t think it could hurt to look into what kind of positions there are in travel these days, and YES, having an informational interview would be a really good way to get an insider’s take into the industry. And I don’t think it’s true that no one uses travel agents anymore! I, for one, would probably not want to plan a big trip on my own, especially if I were going to a country where I didn’t speak the language. I think there’s definitely still a market for that kind of thing.
That said, I wonder if your interest in travel–and planning for travel–might stretch beyond the obvious. Enjoying planning things in a detail-oriented way; putting together schedules and itineraries, etc.–those are things that you can do in a lot of ways that extend beyond travel. And I would imagine that a lot of support roles (Project Coordinators and that kind of thing) might do things like that as their whole job! Something for you to keep in mind, and maybe consider looking into. 🙂