Karen Bellas

1.) Karen, what do you do for Good Neighbor, and how does your job help non-profits, charities and/or individual travelers?

I am the manager of the individual and short-term team department. When people call in or write, I’m the one offering them the most cost effective insurance for their needs (or one of my team).  I want to make sure they have adequate insurance to meet their needs and that is not always the cheapest thing available online. But at the same time, I don’t want to sell them something more than what they need or want.

 

2.) What does “Good Neighbor Insurance” stand for to you?

Like the story of the Good Samaritan. who was a stranger to the injured man but acted like his neighbor, and was the one who took care of him.
It is doing for others what you would want them to do for you.

 

3.) Where have you traveled to/lived? What did you like about it, and what has it taught you?

I have lived in Luxembourg as a college student for one year. Later, I lived in Turkey and Bulgaria for many years. I like learning other languages and understanding other people. I’ve learned that people have similar needs around the world: Food, shelter, safety and love. Not everyone has easy access to these things.

 

4.) Your Bucket List: What are the next three places you’d like to go, or things you’d like to do, if money were no object?

I would like to see Canada, the Yucatan peninsula, and go on a river cruise on the Danube.

 

5.) Tell us your best travel tip, or bit of expatriate advice, to help those traveling or living overseas:

Always travel with a change of clothes in your carry-on, since you never know when your luggage may get lost.

Those traveling with babies and children, be sure to have something for them to suck on or eat for take-offs and landings. One of my first trips with a toddler (too small for chewing gum, but who never took to a pacifier), a fellow passenger saved us all with a box of raisins for my child to eat.