Meeting My Friend Joe, "The Balloon Guy"

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We haven’t left yet for our year-long adventure but we are already meeting some pretty awesome people! This one in particular I have known for over 15 years!

Joe and I were in college together. At the time we were studying for something completely different from what we are actually doing today! Sometimes you think you know what your true calling is, until you realize later in life that there is something even better out there for you to do. So you start over and make the change!

This weekend Joe and his lovely wife Elissa stopped by for a short visit on their way back from a conference in Las Vegas. They literally “ballooned” our house! I don’t know if the word actually exists but when your home has balloons everywhere I believe there is no better way of defining it!

My Friend Joe, "The Balloon Guy" balloon creation

About Joe

Joe, Elissa and their two boy live in Derry, New Hampshire. They provide great entertainment with their balloons in the whole community! They create balloon designs, balloon decor and balloon shows for birthday parties as well as other events. You should check out their Facebook page. It is always updated with photos and videos from their most recent party or event. You should check it out also if you don’t live in the area. It is fun to see the crazy ideas that Joe comes up with!

After watching him interact with my kids, the first night of their arrival, I realized that he has truly found the perfect profession.

When a balloon artist is working at a party, he is creating cool balloon designs, such as hats, animals and who knows what. Most of all he is entertaining the people around him. Without any doubt Joe has a real gift in both these fields! Hiring him at a party means lots of balloon creativity and real entertainment, specially around kids!

What is it like to spend a day with someone who creates balloon designs for a living?

How can I best explain it…… my kids could not go to bed that first night, all they wanted to do was see him create something new!

I’m sure you have all seen a balloon artist at a carnival or a party. After watching Joe and listening to all his stories I have realized that there is a huge world out there, all about ballooning! I had no idea that there are contests, art shows and who knows what else! People can create the most amazing things with balloons. I wonder if this ability is truly recognized as it should!

Joe spends hours a day trying new things, perfectioning what he already mastered or simply putting a personal twist on a typical design, such as a dog. I have so much admiration for the patience and ability behind this form of art!

In the morning, once our kids went to school, we thought it would be cool to take them a little around town and enjoy some adult time. But let’s be honest, for Joe his profession is so much fun that he keeps on doing it also while sightseeing!

As we were hiking up a little mountain, he was creating a hat for each of us. We took some silly pictures and amused many of the people around us. He is always happy to gift his creations to whoever walks up to him and starts a little conversation. Balloons can be an awesome way of meeting new people!

Joe is never off his job because he has so much fun doing it!

At the end of our hike and Indian family worked up the courage to stop us. They asked to take pictures together and we gave them the hats. It was so fun to see how excited they were! Later on we went to the grocery store and of course Joe was busy making another hat. He promptly gifted it to a boy who was brave enough to go up to him and tell him how cool it was!

Balloon effect on the kids

I believe that when you are around someone who is passionate of what he does, you inevitably get inspired too. By the time Joe and Elissa left, we had ordered balloons and pumps on Amazon. Our kids have already experimented on creating some dogs and swords, which are the first balloon creations you learn. I have a feeling they are getting hooked on this new hobby.

Now all they want to do is learn more and who knows, maybe they will create some balloons while traveling around the world to make new friends……