Years ago, if anyone had told me that I would work in the travel abroad business for 25 years I would, of course, have laughed. I never intended to make this my career, it was sheer luck and a big divergence from my previous career in the fashion world. I had taken a break from my job for a year and a half to take care of my newborn son and make that my focus.
A family member from France was in town visiting and asked me what the job market was like in New Orleans. “I don’t know, I said, let’s look at the newspaper ads” (yes, this was much earlier than Monster and Indeed career ads on the internet). And there it was, a job that described me perfectly: “Well-traveled, at ease with budgets and fluent in French”. That was it and I was hired.
What the ad failed to mention were all the other hats that I have learned to wear through the years: counselor, salesperson, juggler, red tape negotiator, mediator, advertiser, marketer, digital media expert, nurse, travel agent, bad cop, teacher, good cop, tour guide, gladiator, and even cook and jungle trail expert. Not to mention, translator in a bull farm, frog protector and sloth finder. I have seen the melting core of an active volcano and the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower ( I still don’t get tired of this). I have negotiated train seats through a major transportation strike and I have danced with gypsy king musicians. Lived through an overnight train to Venice with 30 students who enjoyed a party the whole night and dealt with numerous broken hearts along the way. But what a ride it has been!
Montpellier 2004 Costa Rica 1996
I have never regretted taking on this challenge, the many friends I have made from staff, faculty and students are invaluable. I can count friends in several continents and I continually hear from people who have participated in my programs from all corners of the country. My own kids have grown up with summers abroad, my son Blake was four and I was pregnant for Aryelle that first, hot summer in Montpellier!row
Tomorrow, I will get to that milestone of 25 years of running study abroad programs, and honestly, I have no idea that it was that long. After all, time flies when one is lucky enough to work in something that you are passionate about. Keep traveling!
Pura Vida! Thanks to you I too have made many friends and will be visiting a few in June…
Thanks Renee, it’s always good to hear from you and I hope we can see each other there in June!