When I Grow Up, I Want to be...

...a killer whale trainer! At least that's what I used to tell everyone when I was little. One trip to SeaWorld-Ohio and I thought I had found my life calling. I wanted to be the girl flipping off Shamu and teaching the audience about this majestic animal. However, there was only one small obstacle standing in the way...I don't know how to swim. I was that girl that failed out of swim lessons because I didn't want to go in the arctic Chicago water on a cold summer morning. Being wet and cold is the quickest way to put me in a bad mood.

Looking back at my childhood dream, I now know why I chose this particular career path. Yes, I loved killer whales more than the average kid, with an entire bedroom of collectibles to prove it; however, the bigger reason is I love to entertain and teach people in a nontraditional setting. I have a constant thirst for knowledge. I want to learn as much as I can about something and then passionately tell people all about it.

Maybe this is the reason I love to lead tours. As of yesterday, I have now led tours in four countries: United States, Canada, England, and Australia. I've led student tours, private family tours, coach-full-of-foreigners tours, etc. It genuinely thrills me to learn about a city, country, or particular topic and then regurgitate this information to a group of people, big or small. Learning is addicting. Once I start, I want to learn as much as I can! I bet I was one of those kids that always asked, "Why?" and genuinely wanted to know why things were the way they were.

Leading my first tour in Brisbane!

"We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing."- Maria Mitchell