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Wayne Disher of Palm Springs
Wayne is one of those people whose mere presence lights up a room. He has the uncanny ability to bring out the best in anyone, and his positive, upbeat sense-of-humor keeps those around him laughing. Wayne took some time from his busy career as City of Hemet Public Library Director to talk to us about gay travel.
- What do I like about travel? Travel has a transformative ability that really appeals to me. While I enjoy seeing new sights when I travel, what moves me most is the change—the transformation—that goes on, deep and permanent, in my own ideas of what it means to be alive. In addition, traveling to strange places with strangers intrigues me because of the feeling of anonymity I get. When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. There are no yesterdays on the road. No expectations based on past behaviors. In that sense, travel is very liberating to me.
- How does traveling affect or relate to your career? As a library director, I have made a promise to uphold a professional code of ethics. One of those ethics is that librarians should “celebrate and preserve our democratic society by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas, so that all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong learners—informed, literate, educated, and culturally enriched”. I can think of no better way to broaden my mind, to respect diversity, and to become more culturally enriched than by traveling. It’s hard to obtain a global perspective by vegetating in a little corner of my own neighborhood.
- Is it true what they say about Librarians? No! Geez, and if you think overcoming the stereotypes associated with being gay is difficult, try living with the fact that you’re also a library professional. Most librarians I know are extremely funning, very tolerant, very caring, and NEVER say “shhhhhhhh!”…oh, and if I had hair, I’d probably NEVER wear it in a bun.
- How does traveling inspire you? Sometimes the smallest things astonish me when I travel that may not surprise someone else. The vibrant terra cotta rooftops over Dubrovnik, Croatia; the way the marble glistens on a Bernini statue; or, an ATM machine located within the confines of a 3000 year old palace. I find inspiration in the unexpected. Also, travel inspires me by reminding me of the similarities we all share. No matter where on this earth I am, I see people cry, laugh, eat, and worry. I’m inspired with this understanding that we have our similarities but we can still celebrate our uniqueness.
- What did you like about your trips with Zoom Vacations? It would be easy to say that the destinations attracted me. And that’s true. However, as a single traveler, when I travel I want to feel “included”, “connected”, but yet still feel “independent”. I’ve stayed away from some group travel out of the fear I’d feel like a third wheel, or I would stand out. Yet, it’s often too expensive to travel independently. The prospects of “blind date” roommate matching scared me. However, something told me that Zoom would be different and I took a leap of faith. I am SOOO thankful that I did. It has been perfect! The folks who travel with Zoom are amazing, and the fellow “Zoomer” roommates I’ve met have been phenomenal—I’ve even made life-long friends! In that respect, Zoom has been more than just a travel group. It has been a social group for me. I’ve never felt out of place, lonely, or excluded. I’ve felt, instead, as if I was traveling with family. And when I come home from a Zoom trip, I find myself missing the people I met on the trip more than I miss the places I visited.
- Why did you take the trip(s) with Zoom Vacations? It was Fate! I had returned from a particularly fun cruise with another gay travel company. On it, I developed a crush on a straight crew member who looked the spitting image of Tom Cruise. He was the biggest flirt, and he told me he was from Croatia. I was so depressed when the cruise ended and I couldn’t see my Croatian anymore. Someone told me, “The best way to get over one vacation is to start planning another”. So, that’s what I did. I started thinking, “If Croatia can produce such a beautiful man as that crew member, I’ve gotta go there”. So, as any Information Specialist worth his weight in gold would do, I went on to Google, did a search for “Gay cruise Croatia” and BOOM! There Zoom was. While it seemed so coincidental at the time, looking back on it I now realize that nothing is coincidental. Obviously someone or something out there led me right to Bryan and Joel for a purpose. Having had such wonderful and enlightening travel experiences with Zoom, I can now see why.
- What do you like about traveling as part of a gay group? For me it’s not so much about whether the group is gay or not, but whether the people in the groups are fun loving and caring individuals. In the traveling that I’ve done, I’ve found far more success finding wonderful friends and human beings when I’ve been with gay groups—especially with Zoom Vacations. Interestingly, several of the Zoom cruises I’ve been on have had mixed crowds—straight and gay. However, by the end of the cruise, the straight people are often begging to hang out with our gay crowd because they, too, recognize the warmth, care, and fun the Zoom travelers have. There’s also an appeal in sharing myself and my travel experiences with those who understand and accept my sexuality and interests. There’s nothing more enjoyable than sharing a knowing wink or a grin with a fellow gay vacationer when a good looking waiter takes your order or when your tour guide shows you a statue with a particularly large…well, you get the idea.
- Will you be taking another trip with Zoom Vacations? Not only will I be taking a Zoom Vacation again, Zoom Vacations has become my preferred travel “partner”. Zoom offers an AMAZING range of destinations and travel experiences that I don’t believe any other gay travel company can match—India, Rio, the Black Sea, Peru, Costa Rica—and so much more—I’ve no doubt I’ll go on all of them eventually! I have already booked the upcoming Zoom Sydney trip and I simply can’t wait!! Bryan and Joel have an amazing range of activities planned for that trip, and I’m sure it will be fantastic. Besides I want to hug a koala!
- What were your favorite parts of your various trips? Do you have a few hours?!?!? Meeting and getting to know Bryan and Joel has got to be right up there at the top. Within only a few minutes of our first meeting, I felt I had made life long friends. They are so warm, funny, and caring, and they insure that your Zoom Vacation is exactly what you expected. Beyond meeting the two of them, I have to say that there was a magical night in the majestic old center of Dubrovnik, Croatia which involved eating pizza under a castle wall with fellow Zoomers; finding an Irish pub and drinking beers there; adopting a young English couple later that evening; and, them taking us to a Latin disco until 4am! Then there was a dinner on the SeaDream Yacht Club cruise to the Amalfi Coast in which Bryan, Joel, and four of us Zoomers had what has to be the most hysterically funny meal I’ve ever had. Two and a half hours of non-stop laughter!
- How would your vacations be different had you not traveled with Zoom? I’d either be traveling alone, or with a large group. Traveling solo has its good points and bad points—most of them bad (it’s expensive, it’s often very lonely, it’s not as fulfilling, etc.). Traveling with a large, more well known gay travel group has its good points and bad points—most of them bad (they’re too “cookie cutter”, they’re too big and impersonal, they lack quality control, and, they’re pretty typical). Traveling with Zoom also has good points and bad points—most all of them GOOD! Bryan and Joel insure excellent quality and often have planned their trips to the most precise detail; Zoom Vacations are small enough to offer you the benefits of solo traveling when you want solitude and individuality; Zoom Vacations is big enough to offer wonderful fellow travelers who are fun loving and caring; and, Zoom Vacations are very unique and personalized—offering activities I’d probably never consider on my own. Unfortunately, a Zoom Vacation has to end sometime—and that’s the only bad thing I can honestly say about it.
- If you knew someone who was considering a Zoom Vacation, but who just wasn’t sure, what might you say to convince them? I would tell them to trust their instincts, and to trust that they will have the time of their lives on a Zoom Vacation! I would tell them that—for me-- a Zoom Vacation was a dream come true…and that they should trust that it could be a dream come true for them as well. And, after all, isn’t it the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life more interesting?
Check out Zoom's luxruy Black Sea cruise August 23-30, 2008!
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