{"id":20523,"date":"2025-11-12T11:22:52","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T11:22:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siteglobal.com\/?p=20523"},"modified":"2025-11-12T11:28:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T11:28:36","slug":"journeys-that-change-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siteglobal.com\/blog\/journeys-that-change-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Journeys that change us"},"content":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to Gary Murakami, one of nine Global Conference scholarship recipients.<\/h2>

Gary will be attending our 2026 Global Conference in Abu Dhabi thanks to the generous support of SITE Foundation<\/a>.<\/h3>

Here is Gary’s winning essay where he reflects on a moving, personal transformative incentive travel experience<\/em>.<\/p>

There are journeys that change us not because of the miles traveled, but because of the people we share them with and the memories we create along the way. <\/p>

For me, that journey began as a personal reward for professional achievement \u2014 a mother\u2013son trip to Japan that would celebrate a milestone in my life while honoring the heritage and story of the woman who shaped me. <\/p>

That experience revealed the transformative power of incentive travel, both personally and professionally, and inspired this work in creating meaningful experiences for others. <\/p>

Incentive travel is often described as the ultimate motivator \u2014 traditionally as company-sponsored group experiences that recognize exceptional achievement. But incentives can take many forms, including highly personalized journeys born from the same spirit of reward and recognition. <\/p>

For me, that truth came to life through the trip I designed after reaching a major professional milestone \u2014 a once-in-a-lifetime journey with my mother to Japan that would celebrate my achievement while honoring her life story. <\/p>

Several years ago, I exceeded ambitious work goals, earning a bonus that made this trip possible. Many might have invested it, upgraded something at home, or checked off a \u201csomeday\u201d purchase. For me, the most valuable thing I could buy was an experience. <\/p>

Approaching a milestone birthday, I felt a deep pull to create a journey that would matter for both of us. My mother was getting older, and I knew that returning \u201chome\u201d to Japan \u2014 to see the places of her youth and reconnect with her roots \u2014 might not be possible if we waited too long. <\/p>

I turned that bonus into a once-in-a-lifetime mother\u2013son incentive trip, crafted with the same care and intention I bring to my professional role \u2014 helping clients curate and secure the perfect locations for their own incentive programs \u2014 a reward that would celebrate my achievement while honoring her life story. <\/p>

Japan has always held deep significance for both of us \u2014 her birthplace, her childhood home, and the source of many of the values she instilled in me. For me, it was also the country that shaped much of my identity through her influence, especially after having the privilege of caring for her in my home for over twenty years. <\/p>

This trip was an opportunity to honor that bond, to see her walk once more through the streets of Osaka where she grew up, and to immerse ourselves together in the traditions, flavors, and landscapes that were so much a part of her story. <\/p>

We began in Osaka, her hometown, where I delighted in seeing her reconnect with the streets and neighborhoods of her youth, revisiting familiar places and memories that had shaped her early life. <\/p>

She introduced me to her favorite comfort foods, from piping hot okonomiyaki to delicate mochi, each bite unlocking a memory. It felt like time travel \u2014 not just for her, but for me, as I stepped into chapters of her life I had only heard about. <\/p>

From there, we traveled to Kyoto, wandering through golden temples and under canopies of cherry blossoms, both of us in awe of their quiet beauty. <\/p>

We also visited Hiroshima, the birthplace of my father\u2019s family, where I felt a deep connection to my heritage and reflected on the resilience and history of the people there. <\/p>

At every stop, we wove together past and present \u2014 her Japan, my Japan, and the one we were experiencing together.<\/p>

That trip was everything an incentive is meant to be \u2014 a reward that couldn\u2019t be replicated, one that bonded us in ways no tangible prize could. It gave us the priceless gift of time, connection, and shared discovery over our heritage and ancestry. <\/p>

Just a few years ago in early 2023, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. When she passed away, those memories from Japan became some of the most treasured of my life. The laughter on crowded streets, the quiet conversations over tea, the memories she shared with me as she reconnected with her roots \u2014 these became my comfort in the hardest moments of grief. <\/p>

Last year, an unexpected opportunity brought me back to Japan. I was attending a global conference in our industry \u2014 a trip that also allowed me to return to the country that had given me such personal joy. <\/p>

Prior to the conference, I retraced the steps my mother and I had taken. I stood in those familiar gardens, walked the streets of Osaka, and this time, I carried with me part of her. I chose to bring some of her ashes to spread them in her birthplace as my tribute to her, honoring her life and the bond we shared. That return was a reminder of why our work in incentive travel matters so deeply. <\/p>

The impact of my personal incentive trip did not end when the plane landed \u2014 it shaped my perspective as a leader, a son, and a member of our industry community. It reinforced that what we create in this industry is not just an itinerary, but a legacy of moments that people will carry for a lifetime. <\/p>

As President of the SITE Northern California Chapter<\/a>, I now approach my role with this lens: every program we support should have the potential to move someone profoundly, to inspire them in ways that ripple far beyond the travel dates. <\/p>

These types of incentive experiences inspired me to become the founding president of this chapter, where in just one year, we achieved recognition with the SITE Chapter Award \u201cRising Star.\u201d This accomplishment validated the importance of creating a viable, dynamic chapter and underscored the role of incentive travel in shaping the industry landscape in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. <\/p>

I share my experiences to inspire colleagues and clients to craft incentive programs that go beyond recognition, creating moments of lasting significance and cultural connection. <\/p>

In doing so, we cultivate a ripple effect across the industry \u2014 incentive planners and supplier are designing programs that honor heritage, celebrate achievement, create connections, and leave enduring impressions on participants, shaping not just trips, but transformative experiences that resonate long after the journey ends. <\/p>

Winning this scholarship will allow me to continue sharing that message globally: those incentives, whether earned professionally or curated personally, can be transformational. They can deepen relationships, honor legacies, and create stories that outlast us. <\/p>

When I planned that trip to Japan with my mother, I thought I was simply creating a reward for reaching a career goal. What I did not realize was that I was also giving myself a lifelong gift \u2014 one that would shape the person and professional I am today. <\/p>

Incentive travel can motivate us to work harder, yes. But its true value is in the way it opens hearts, strengthens bonds, and leaves an imprint that time cannot erase. <\/p>

For me, that imprint will always be the trip to Japan, a place of my heritage, and the laughter and memories I shared with my mother in the country we both call home.<\/p>

Support SITE Foundation and shape the future of incentive travel with us<\/h4>

Help grow our industry! Your gift to SITE Foundation will power future grants, scholarships, and industry research.<\/p>

Donate to SITE Foundation<\/strong><\/a><\/div> <\/div>

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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