7 Months on the Road in 10 Moments- Life as a G Adventures CEO

I have thought about how start this post for months now. Where do I even begin? How do I possibly put into words everything I have experienced since my last post in May? How can I sum up how much working for G Adventures has changed my life? So here it goes, my attempt to concisely detail my emotions into a logical cohesive story of my last 7 months on the road.

Let's start with why I disappeared from my blog. Back in June my laptop got stolen, yes again, along with everything that I owned. There I was, standing in NYC, with only the clothes on my back to my name and 17 strangers looking for me to drive them to our first destination. I kept it together, got us to our campsite, set up camp, fed them dinner, all while holding back the tears. It wasn't until my friend, Teala, called to see if I was okay that I absolutely broke down in tears to her. She told me it wasn't the end of the world, "its all just stuff," and that on the bright side I had an excuse to go shopping at every Walmart and every souvenir shop along the cross country trip I had just begun. Although she made me laugh, in that moment her advice seemed irrelevant...I had lost everything and I couldn't get past it. Little did I know that in losing everything, I would gain so much more. This is where my journey began.

After that day everything changed, I changed. I began to see the world through a different lens and suddenly many things that used to seem so important to me weren't anymore. Through this new perspective on the world I learned the greatest lesson of all- that happiness comes from living a life you love, living in the moment and appreciating everything about those moments. Those moments are nearly impossible to describe, but they are also what makes my job the best job in the world. As a G Adventures CEO (chief experience officer) I spent my days on the road visiting some of the most incredible places in the U.S and Canada, living in these priceless moments. It is hard to translate on a page all the incredible places I visited this season, but I am going to attempt to by giving you the top moments/places/experiences I had on the road this summer. These are the moments that forced me to stop and appreciate the world around me, and grow into the tie-dye loving, free soul that I have become.

1. When my stuff got stolen, I took Teala's advice and began buying the most ridiculous shirts I could find on the road. The "old me" never would have dreamed of wearing Walmart clothes or cheesy neon shirts from the places we visited. Yet, in losing everything none of that mattered anymore. Throughout that trip, and really the rest of the summer, I brought my groups into my wardrobe game. They would help me find "all-American" shirts at Walmart, or convince me that a Corn Palace shirt was definitely a necessity. It became this ongoing hilarious joke, but one memory will stick with me forever. During that cross country trip, we were having dinner in Keystone, South Dakota when I spotted a tie-dye custom clothing booth- which of course meant I had to buy a shirt. What came next was completely unexpected- the entire group bought matching shirts. The next morning when I woke up to set out breakfast each one of them came out of their tent wearing their new tie dye shirt- they said, if I had to wear ridiculous clothes, they would all do it too. In that moment I felt such an overwhelming sense of love from this group of people I had just met a week ago. It is not just about the places we go, its about the moments that shape you and I will never forget that day in South Dakota!

2. We explore some pretty amazing places on our trips, just take our frequent stop at one of the natural wonders of the world- The Grand Canyon. Every trip we have a tradition at G Adventures called "the great reveal", where we place paper bags over the heads of all the travelers. We then guide them to the edge of the canyon and when we take the bags off their heads, their breath is taken away at first sight of the canyon. Watching their faces is a priceless moment, one that makes me truly love what I do. The Grand Canyon is also home to some of the most incredible sunsets as the purple and orange layers fill the canyon. People ask if visiting the Grand Canyon ever gets old- never.

One of my groups right before the great reveal.

Enjoying another beautiful sunset.

3. Another spectacular place we visit is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which lies just on the border of Arizona and Utah. The sprawling red valley filled with massive sandstone buttes and formations is remarkable. When visiting Monument Valley on our tours we are taken into the park on an open air jeep led by a Navajo guide. The jeep ride is often a highlight of the experience, but when the thunderstorms come down, the open air jeep creates quite the wet adventure. On one of my trips at the end of July, a storm rolled through right as our tour began. We try and teach our travelers that attitude is everything, it is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure. I had run into fellow CEO's Brad and Chris, and we were all trying to keep the morale and energy of our groups up. In an attempt to turn the situation around we began to dance in the rain as it flooded through the giant hogan, I felt so alive and in the moment. And then something happened....the sun came up.

Brad and I dancing in the rain.

Chris and I continuing to dance.

The sun comes out!

4. One of my more unlikely favorite spots is Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. I was lucky enough to visit this place a few times over the summer and every time I left with a feeling of being at peace. It has this magical way of bringing you back down to earth. The best part is that we get to spend two nights there on our Eastern U.S and Canada trip which leaves one day for hiking and biking and one day for canoeing. I cannot tell you how relaxing it is to just spend a day on the water canoeing, taking in the surrounding beauty.

At the top of the lookout trail.

Spending the day on canoes!

5. Another highlight of our Canada trip is going to Toronto and visiting the G Adventures Base Camp (our head office). It was so amazing to meet the office staff and each visit they welcomed me with open arms. Being there puts everything we do into perspective and makes me unbelievably proud to work for such a socially conscious company with great values. Before I took this job I read Looptail, the story of how G Adventures came to be, by our founder Bruce Poon Tip. The book completely drew me into the G culture and the philosophies behind it. I knew right then that this was the company I wanted to work for. My friend Amber had a similar experience, so when we ran a trip together and visited Base Camp we were beyond speechless when we got to meet Bruce Poon Tip. We had told some of the staff how we came to fall in love with G so when Bruce came out of a meeting they called him over to meet us. We chatted with him and then he offered to sign a copy of Looptail for us. We were ecstatic and left Base Camp with huge smiles on our face.

6. I spent quite a great deal of time running East Coast trips this season which brought me to some epic destinations like Niagara Falls. I visited the natural wonder of the world more times than I can remember. Each time I was overcome with its immensity as I stared up at the falls from the Maid of the Mist boat. In October, after visiting the falls nearly 3 times in one month, I was back for one last trip. The weather wasn't great and it was slightly chilly for Maid of the Mist, but we boarded the boat and prepared to get wet. As we crept up to Horseshoe Falls, something beautiful happened- a rainbow came out. There I stood looking up at the falls as I did each time before, but in this moment I stopped to appreciate how lucky I am to have been able to call Niagara Falls my office so many times.

7. I have now mentioned the beauty of Monument Valley a few times throughout my blog. Well, as an optional activity on our trips we offer an overnight stay in a traditional Navajo home called a hogan. If the weather is nice enough we often choose to just sleep outside under the stars and enjoy the quiet peacefulness that surrounds us. The following morning we are woken up by our Navajo guide, pile into the jeep and taken to a view point to watch the sunrise. I am not going to lie, some sunrises are much better than others, it all depends on the weather. On my very last trip of the season we were lucky enough to not only experience the best sunrise I had all season, but probably the most beautiful sunrise I have EVER seen. I sat there on the cold, red Navajo sand staring into the sky having one of those moments where I just felt so happy to be living this life.

8. The first time I visited Zion National Park I couldn't believe such a remarkable place existed just a few hours from Las Vegas. The formations of Navajo sandstone also make it one of the most unique places to visit with an abundance of pretty awesome hiking trails. On my first visit to Zion during my training program, my friend Nelle convinced me to step outside my comfort zone and hike Angels Landing with her. The trail is extremely steep with switchbacks, drop offs and chains to hold onto for dear life. As we climbed to the top something else happened, we opened up to each other and became friends. Little did I know at the time that this was just the first of many crazy adventures we would have together. I came to find that hiking with someone is often the best way to get to know them. Zion will always have a special place in my heart and every time I have been back since then, I have hiked Angels Landing without any fear or trepidation.

Hiking Angels Landing with Nelle for the first time.

Back at Angels Landing during another trip, happy as can be!

9. People often ask me what my favorite National Park is, and it is a pretty difficult question to answer. Every park is incredibly beautiful in its own way. Yet, at the end of the day my answer always comes back to one place- Yosemite National Park. I cannot put into words the beauty of Yosemite. I also cannot choose a single memory from Yosemite. All I can say is that there is no emotion like driving into Yosemite and feeling like you are home. That is exactly what Yosemite has come to be for CEO's- a home away from home. We visit the park on every trip and on every trip we cannot be more excited to get there and show this spectacular park to our travelers. When we spend our lives traveling from one place to the next, nothing feels better than sitting up at Glacier Point, overlooking Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Valley and just saying "I'm home."

At the top of Glacier Point.

Classic shot of Tunnel View.

10. Last, but not certainly not least, is the city I call home- San Francisco. I didn't know what to make of the city when I first moved there. It is a pretty city, but so foreign to me. I hated not being able to navigate the subway systems like I did in NYC, or not knowing where to get a good iced coffee. To be honest, I still don't have those answers. Yet, there is something priceless about the moment you drive over the Golden Gate Bridge back into the city we are fortunate to call home. I love everything about that moment. I love seeing the look on my travelers faces when they see the grandiose bridge for the first time, and I love knowing that we are about to return to an office of smiling, familiar faces- our G/IA family. 

Driving over the bridge back into the city

On every trip in San Francisco we offer an optional sunset sail through the bay past Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge. I have been on the sailing trip numerous times, but nothing beats finishing the season and jumping on one last sailing trip with some of my closest friends. We had just a few days left in SF before we would all go our separate ways for the off-season. We spent that afternoon drinking wine, laughing, enjoying the view and reminiscing on what an incredible season we had. I leaned over the boat railing staring across the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge remembering how I felt the first day I arrived in SF and looked over at that same bridge. I was so nervous and anxious to begin this new journey with G Adventures. Questions filled my head- Had I made the right choice? What if I missed NYC? What if this job wasn't for me? Well, I did make the right choice, and I couldn't be happier with where this journey has led me.

Julie, Jennie, Teala, Carson and I on our last sail of the season.

People often think this job is all about fun- from seeing cool places and meeting awesome travelers to sunrises in Monument Valley and sunsets in the Grand Canyon. While all of that may be true, there were also many long drive days, humid nights sleeping outside, infected mosquito bites, days when cooler water spilled all over me, and of course the occasional meltdown when I could NEVER find parking in Boston. But, as I have come to learn, the highs are so much higher than any low. Being a CEO and working for G Adventures is not just a job- it is a lifestyle. In choosing to live this lifestyle I have learned more about myself and grown to be the best version of me. I have had the freedom to put my past behind me and discover the person I want to be all while taking in some of the most beautiful places in our country. 

I know this entry is long and it may seem like I rambled a bit or got lost in my own memories. Well, it is hard to put my emotions and experiences of 7 months into one post. SO, my New Years resolution is to stay on top of my blogging and keep you updated as I continue my journey next season with G Adventures. What am I doing now? Well, it is currently off season so I spent November and December road tripping from San Francisco through Central America, all the way to Panama City with some of my G co-workers/good friends- stay tuned for more on that epic adventure! Right now, I am enjoying the month of January spending time with family and friends in Los Angeles. It has been a great way to relax rejuvenate before I continue my travels in February and then start back on the road in April. I will leave you with one last thought.... life begins at the end of your comfort zone. In less than a year everything about my world has changed. People say I am lucky because I get to travel all the time...well guess what? It's not luck at all. It's making a plan, having a passion for something and not being afraid to break the social norms to get there. It is not easy to start over and completely change the lifestyle you are accustomed to. But, I will say that every bit of struggle has been worth the reward. Never get stuck living a life you do not absolutely love. I love this life I am living and appreciate every adventure that comes with it.