Warehouse Associate Lead Yudi Frenes Simo loves traveling, especially to new places. For years, she and her family have taken annual trips together – to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, home to Cuba to visit family and friends and cruises throughout the Caribbean.
When it came time to celebrate 10 years of service at Arthrex, Yudi decided to plan something truly memorable: an 18-day trip that included four days in Barcelona, four days in Rome – and in between – a 10-day cruise designed to hit some of Europe’s most popular destinations.
In addition to her husband, Yenmys, Yudi brought along her daughter, Field Operations Loaners Technician I Jacqueline Simo, her son-in-law, Lorenzo, her daughter, Angelina, her son, Lab Ops Inventory Control Associate II Christopher Simo and her daughter-in-law Nichelle.
But that wasn’t all.
Warehouse Associate II Gabriel Salinas and Warehouse Associate Lead Gerardo Bello, both of whom recently celebrated 15 years with Arthrex, used their Trip of a Lifetime benefits to join Yudi and her family.
“We decided to coordinate the trip with Gabriel and Gerardo,” Yudi said, “because, in addition to being close family friends, they’re also my kids’ godparents.”
The group began their trip in Barcelona where they took a city sightseeing bus, visited the Plaza de la Sagrada Familia and Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, watched a flamenco show and rode the Telefèric de Montjuïc, a gondola-style cable car that transports passengers high above the city.
In Valencia, Spain, the first stop along their cruise route, they visited the neighborhoods of Morvedre and El Carmem, the old-town district of La Seu and La Catedral del Santo Cáliz.
From there, the group sailed on to Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca before continuing on to France.
“The churches in Marseille were absolutely beautiful,” Yudi said. “And the bakeries in Cannes made up for the chilly weather that day.”
And then they were on to Italy – Genoa, Livorno, Florence, Pisa and Naples.
“It was nice that Gabriel and Gerardo had both been to Europe before, so they were like our tour guides,” Jacqueline said.
Rome was their final stop, and Yudi’s favorite city.
“I loved everywhere we went, but Rome was so full of history. It was nice to hear from the people living there and learn about their everyday lives. And then there were the stores – and the food. Rome had the most delicious pastas and pizzas.”
Yudi’s already thinking about her 15-year Trip of a Lifetime, which she is hoping to use to take an Alaskan cruise.
“The great thing about going on a cruise with family and friends,” Yudi said, “is being able to enjoy the dinners and shows together. It’s also a great way to see a lot of new places in a set amount of time.”
Yudi, Gabriel and Gerardo all expressed their gratitude for the Trip of a Lifetime benefit.
“I have to say thank you to Arthrex for making this trip possible,” said Yudi. “It was a dream come true, especially being able to enjoy that time with my family and closest friends.”
For every five years of employment with Arthrex, employees are eligible for a company-paid Trip of a Lifetime to recognize their dedication. Look for more Trip of a Lifetime highlights on the Arthrex Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.