"Most days I feel like I'm on vacation even though I'm working."
How many people can say that? Eric Teunissen can. He works as a driver
and guide with a tour company.
"My 'office' is the driver's seat of a 56-passenger, 45-foot long motorcoach,"
says Teunissen. He tours through the Canadian Rockies, up and down the West
Coast of British Columbia, and to some U.S. destinations like Yellowstone
National Park.
Teunissen's job allows him to enjoy the scenery of the Rockies every day.
He meets interesting people from all over the world and shares with them
his passion for the landscape, wildlife and history of the region.
"I feel good about my job when I see my guests' delight in seeing a grizzly
bear, moose or other wild animal, enjoying the scenery, or appreciating a
story I tell about one of our historical characters," Teunissen says.
Teunissen would encourage people to become travel guides -- on one condition.
"They have to like being with, talking and listening to people. This is
not a job for an introverted person."
In his 32-year diverse working career, Teunissen says that this is the
best job he's ever had. His enthusiasm for his job does not go unnoticed
by his guests.
"This is the only job where I've ever received fan mail. Each year, I receive
a number of letters and cards from people who have traveled with me and want
to thank me for helping them enjoy their vacation."
Since many people are making a once-in-a-lifetime trip, it is important
that travel guides help them enjoy it and leave them with lasting, happy memories
and increased knowledge and appreciation of the area they visited.
Increasing travelers' knowledge is exactly what Fritz Moriarty aims to
do. As the director and leader of a tour company in Boulder, Colorado, he
organizes travel programs that focus on community service and language learning
for students. These trips are primarily to Mexico, Central America and South
America.
"Increased globalization of the world economy and our social structure
has created a market for programs that offer foreign language learning and
cultural exchange," says Moriarty.
His program organizes home stays. These allow students to experience other
cultures on a personal basis while living with a family for a short period
of time. The experience can alter perceptions of other cultures and show
the commonality between cultures.
"One of my students, Chris, realized a change in attitude after returning
home. During our home stay in a small community in Costa Rica, Chris lived
with a humble family. This family welcomed him with open arms for his 10-day
stay in the community. It came to light that the oldest brother, Giovanni,
worked in the U.S. for four months a year to support the family.
"Incredibly, Chris realized Giovanni worked as a gardener in his hometown.
Later that year, Chris was able to return the hospitality of his Costa Rican
family by having Giovanni visit his home for dinner.
"Chris admitted to me that before this experience, he never gave much thought
to immigrants he often saw working in his community. The connection he made
with the family in Costa Rica forever changed his perspective.
"This type of experience makes me realize that the impact of traveling
goes far beyond the time spent abroad."
This makes Moriarty's job a very rewarding one for him. "It was wonderful
to work with students outside of the classroom and in environments that often
have such a dramatic effect on their view of the world."
David Fullerton's view of the world is from the seat of a bicycle.
He is a bicycle travel guide for a tour company. He works in Canada and
Europe.
In addition to making sure clients have a wonderful time, Fullerton must
look after the details of the trip. He must manage hotel and dinner reservations,
take care of clients' luggage, prepare picnics and maintain a fleet of bikes
while on the road.
"I love my job because I get to travel and I am always meeting interesting
people," Fullerton says. "I get to ride my bike and enjoy the outdoors.
It is very rewarding."
Fullerton needs top-notch people and bicycle skills to stay on top of things
in his job. He also must know about the area he's touring. Most of all,
he needs lots of energy. His average day is from 6:30 a.m. until midnight
while he's on the road.
Bicycle travel guides are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to
specialty travel.
Llama trekking is Sandra Crooker's specialty. She is a travel guide and
co-owner of a tour company in Taos, New Mexico.
"Llamas are wonderful beings and great to be with," Crooker says. "Being
around animals, being outdoors and staying active is a great combination."
A big part of her work is caring for the llamas. She and her husband,
Andrew, produce the hay for the llamas to eat. They use the manure from the
llamas to fertilize the crops, making them feel very close to the cycle of
nature.
"You get a sense that it's a positive thing to do in life. It's sustainable
and nurturing," says Crooker. She has a love for nature and enjoys sharing
that love with others while they are on treks.
"I tell people about the forest and the geology and history of the area.
I enjoy the outdoors, being active and working with people."
The trips Crooker organizes run from half a day to eight days.
For the longer trips, there are more preparations and cooking that must be
done. The llamas carry the supplies for camping and cooking. She must carefully
weigh the gear to make sure it is not too heavy for the llamas.
"Being able to enjoy the beauty of nature and the companionship of people
and animals satisfies a lot of needs. This is how we like to live," Crooker
says. "I feel it's a worthwhile job. We can feel good about running a loving,
low-tech business."