Growing up in rural Virginia with my pet pig, Wilbur, I never imagined I would one day travel the world for a living. College and graduate school led me to a variety of roles, including travel consultant, teacher, media specialist, production director, and speaker. One day, a friend asked me to help plan and lead a student tour to New York City. During the trip, a chaperone commented on what a fantastic job I had–as a tour guide. I explained to them that I wasn’t a tour guide… and added that I wasn’t sure that was even a real job! They assured me it was and connected me with their friend, a recent graduate of ITMI. I was intrigued by the concept and soon discovered that ITMI was the real deal. In 2010 I eagerly attended. I have spent the last ten years working full-time, leading adult and student tours across the US and thirty-eight countries. I take a few months off each year to backpack on my own and have visited an additional twenty-eight countries. What can I say? I love to travel. I believe that travel has the power to transform worldviews and bring people together. There is no greater joy than to witness the moment when travel becomes transformational. As tour directors, we facilitate experiences for people not only to see the world but to walk away changed. It is a great privilege to be a part of ITMI, investing in the next generation of tour professionals. My passion is utilizing technology to simplify and enhance our jobs while providing fantastic experiences for our guests. I love helping both the novice and the nerd get up to speed on technology and current innovations in our field. I have more resources available at ResourcesForTheRoad.com