Good morning, my friend, you have no idea how happy I am to talk with you. It's that time of year again, and I'm shoulder deep in writing for Prep Traveler. It's always a fun, but all consuming project and sometimes, you just need to step away for a minute and say hi to some friends.

Mainly, we're still looking for the best student and sports travel destinations for youth groups. But we're also looking for planner feedback. The nice thing about PrepTraveler.com is that, using similar technology to that of the gargantuan Wikipedia, you can go in and edit your own content.

Find a typo? Or maybe you completely disagree with our portrayal of "The Bean" (Chicago's Cloudgate sculpture in Millenium Park)? Register yourself (all you need to fill out is five measly little fields) and start editing away. You’ll be contributing to one of the fastest growing niches in the travel market.

Anyway, I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Personally, I could have gone without the entire spectacle, of course until I came home to my boyfriend and his homemade, heart-shaped pizza for me. Ahh, young, poor love. I never thought I'd be so happy to not be able to afford filet mignon.

Until next time,

What makes group sightseeing so special in Illinois? It's both the wealth of attractions our state has to offer and Team Illinois, our group of professionals dedicated to making it easy for your group to enjoy Illinois.

Mile After Magnificent Mile

Illinois really does have it all; from the cosmopolitan culture of downtown Chicago and the glittering streets of the Magnificent Mile to the stunning natural wonders of our state parks to the warm greetings of our diverse people and the stories of their unique histories. And with attractions like the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, the Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Oak Park, and the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Hartford, we've got something to appeal to everyone on your tour.

There is a popular phrase that suggests that, if you continue to do what you are already doing, you will continue to get what you've been getting. If you're happy with how things are going, maintain that status quo. If not, then you have some very focused, yet enjoyable, work to do.

With this in mind, I ask you: "What one thing would you change right now to make 2007 the best year ever?"

People give me a number of different responses to this question, but realistically, there is only one correct answer to this career-building question. The correct answer consists of only three letters. Y-O-U.

That's it. You are the only thing that you can change. Once you begin to focus on becoming a better "you," your world will respond accordingly. You are not in position to alter the future in today's travel industry. But you are in prime position to change the only thing that needs changing if you are to make 2007 a banner year YOU.

Virginia's largest city, Virginia Beach is the perfect getaway for a group of any size that wants to enjoy the luxury of the beach and city while taking in significant historical sights along with both natural and technological marvels.

Virginia Beach offers limitless relaxation and fun, with more than 12 miles of public beach and three miles of boardwalk. The city is also seeped in historical significance and offers many ways to learn about history and science, making Virginia Beach the perfect place to revitalize your spirit and invigorate your mind.

Many of America's first European settlers made their homes in what is now the Mid-Atlantic region. Today, states like Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland are home to some of the nation’s oldest villages and modern cities, allowing travelers to witness the evolution of American architecture.

Travelers can see many fine architectural styles from each period throughout the region via foot, auto, rail and sail.

Along the way, don't forget to check out what's new and noteworthy, with two important anniversaries and several major museum exhibits. Read on as we bring King Tut, explorer John Smith and a ball worthy of Queen Anne.

Say hello to John Pope, VP Marketing at TripHub Inc. TripHub (www.triphub.com) is a Seattle-based, venture-backed company that provides an integrated suite of communication and collaboration tools that help leisure groups plan and organize gatherings and events. John's extensive online travel experience began in 1994 when he helped launch Expedia.com.

Have you ever wondered, while interviewing a candidate, how will you suspend your own personal biases during the interview? Well, if you have, you might want to read on and learn how to do just that.

Behavioral interviewing is a relatively new mode of job interviewing. Employers such as AT&T and Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) have been using behavioral interviewing for 15 years, and because increasing numbers of employers are using behavior-based methods to screen job candidates, understanding how to excel in this interview environment is becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.

What is Behavior Based Interviewing? Behavior-based interviewing focuses on your past experiences, behaviors, attitudes, personal skills and capacities that are job-related. It is based on the belief that past behavior and performance predicts future behavior and performance. You may use work experience, outsides activities, hobbies, volunteer work, school projects, family life as examples of your past behavior. However we suggest to focus on job related performance as much as possible.

On August 17-19, the 12th edition of The Great American Roadshow will be in Chicago's Southland, at the Holiday Inn Select & Conference Center.

It will bring together prequalified group travel leaders and unique prepackaged American travel destinations. This annual event is becoming one of the largest group leader marketplaces in the country. $199 includes hotel.