The Best of Thailand

What position do you hold at Smaller Earth? What has been your career path so far?

I am a Customer Service/Sales representative for the Outbound Programs at Smaller Earth. Essentially, this means I am a travel consultant for citizens from the U.S. and Canada looking to volunteer, work and travel, or teach abroad through our various travel programs that we offer globally.

My career path has been a bit unconventional, focused primarily on sales, customer service, hospitality, and fundraising. But all of these experiences have shaped me and led me to the amazing opportunity of working for Smaller Earth and helping like-minded people experience the adventure of a lifetime.

Did YOU teach or Au Pair abroad? If so, where? What inspired you to go?

Yes. Although my international travel is primarily volunteer experience some of that time did include teaching. I spent nearly two years volunteering, fundraising, sports coaching, teaching and organizing life at an orphanage in a remote village in Ghana.

This experience taught me an incredible amount. It is hard to capture in a few short words all the lessons I learned, experiences I had and hundreds of ways in which my life was changed. I truly believe that travel is one of the most important things a person can invest in.

I also have experience as an Au Pair. Although it was not internationally I spent a year living with a family and caring for the children so I have a deep understanding of the lifestyle, expectations, and challenges that it can bring. I also know how rewarding it is to experience a culture first hand through a host family.

What does the future hold for Smaller Earth- any exciting new programs to share?

We are looking to increase the diversity of our programs both in location and the types of programs that we offer. While we are currently focused on Work and Travel and Au Pair, we are hoping to develop our Volunteer as well as Internship opportunities.

Which gap year destination is most underrated? Conversely, which is most overrated?

The most underrated programs to me would have to be either of the Lion Rehabilitation Programs that we offer. I mean, you get to work with Lions! Not only do you get hands-on interaction with Lions, but you also have the opportunity to work with local communities and various other projects around either of the reserves. Both of these programs are located near incredible natural wonders like Victoria Falls in Zambia or Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Did I mention you get to care for lions??

I wouldn’t say any of our programs are overrated! Everyone comes to us hoping to gain something different from their travel experience; some are looking for more independence while others want more security. Some want to be in a specific region while others are looking for a specific type of program. What we aim to do is provide enough resources and enough program variety to make travel accessible to everyone.