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Erik Hernandez and Deirdre Betancourt plan their next escape.

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Impromptu adventures

Couple finds joy in spontaneous trips

Have you ever found that the much-anticipated two-week vacation you'd been planning for months turns out to be more stressful than the work life you sought to escape?

It’s often the case that simply a quick getaway— with its change of scenery, a dash of novelty, and a spark of inspiration— is what we need.

Northlake residents, Erik Hernandez and Deirdre Betancourt are enthusiastic advocates of these brief trips to relieve the stress of their busy work and family life.

As owners of It’s Bugs or Us, an exterminating business, they are keenly aware of the creativity, organizational skills and fortitude needed to run your own business. With 25 years of experience in the exterminating business, Erik and Deirdra take pleasure and pride in using their business as a vehicle for helping other people.  They both enjoy working with their clients, and customer service is always their top priority.

In addition to being successful business owners, Erik and Deirdre are enthusiastic and spontaneous travelers. Recently, they’ve taken quick getaway trips to California, Las Vegas, Wisconsin, and Florida. They enjoy trying new restaurants, swimming and visiting parks like Disneyland.

Often, the same skills necessary to run a successful business — creativity, punctuality and organization— are necessary to ensure the success of a quick getaway. For example, the nine-year age gap between their two children often presents a challenge regarding which activities to pursue.

For the most part, Erik and Deirdre successfully navigate these differences and provide their children with vacation memories that will last a lifetime. As a family, they treasure this time together, away from the tedium of the daily work routine.

The Stoic philosopher, Seneca, once remarked, “Travel and change impart new vigor to the mind."

So, if you currently find yourself burdened by excessive heat, boring work, or unruly children, it may be time to take a leap and discover the pleasures of a brief, spontaneous travel get-away