Lauren is the first new addition to the TravelBud team in Cape Town for 2018. A born and bred Capetonian, she’s recently returned from a 9 month teaching stint in Thailand which she actually organized through TravelBud!
Staff Spotlight: Lauren Mc Glenatendolf
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What is your favorite travel memory?
After 6 months of teaching in Thailand I was due for a visa run and a holiday, so I took 11 days to travel around Vietnam. I had a few friends from home teaching English in Hanoi so I thought it would be an easy way to cure any home sickness.
One night, as my motorbike taxi paused in traffic I looked over to my saw one of my Cape Townian friends just standing on the side of the road. We had just enough time to smile and say hey before the motorbike darted off again through the traffic. Hanoi was the tiny bit of home, wrapped up in an exciting new culture, I really needed at that 6 month mark.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
The soppy romantic in me comes through here because my favourite stories are the ones of participants who meet a significant other while abroad, and end up having a whole new adventure together. I have three great friends from my time in Thailand who have met people while teaching and are now living in new cities having new adventures and loving it.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
The focus of our company is to give people the best experience possible while working abroad. We offer a great and valuable service, but I am always immensely proud of my team because they are honest with applicants about whether our service is right for them. They focus on fulfilling the needs of the applicant over trying to get sign ups.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think the biggest factor to success is having staff that believe in their product. Like the rest of my staff, I have been through the exact process, which I now provide to others. I have witnessed incredible impact this program can have on all aspects of a persons life, so I can whole heartedly encourage and support others to embark on the same journey.