If I were to give anyone going on a TFT trip advice, I would definitely tell them to just live in the moment and try as many new things as possible and to buy the picture package. The counsellors take great pictures and I did not buy it, so all of my pictures are blurry and have the TFT logo. Trust me, you’ll want those great pics to post on social media and they won’t look that good if they’re blurry and have a logo on them.

It can be a very busy day but when you’re travelling; every day is a busy day.

An average day would be you waking up and getting dressed then going to the hotel for breakfast. You’d meet everyone at breakfast and chat before going back to your rooms to get ready for the day ahead. You’d then take whatever transportation you have to get to your first activity and then all the activities after that.

At the end of the day, you’ll return to your hotel and go out for dinner or stay in. Either way, you’ll be with everyone on your trip.

After dinner, there might be an activity or tour, or there might be a little game you might play or quick discussion. Then you’ll return to your rooms where you chat with your roommates and go to sleep, excited for the next day of your adventure.

Being a Canadian travelling with an all American group, I was afraid that politics or stereotypes might come into conflict since there was a lot going on between our two countries at the time. I definitely overcame that fear when I met my group. Everyone was very welcoming, especially the tour guides, who made sure everything was good between all of us.

I think the company is amazing and definitely lets your teen be treated like a young adult and not a kid. Absolutely worth the money.

If they had to change anything, though, I would say a bit less tours. For example, we had a tour at the Van Gogh museum and the entire time the lady told us about Van Gogh’s life and we only go to see 3 paintings. I would’ve loved it if we could explore on our own and meet back to our counsellors at a certain time.

But everything else was amazing!

One of the best stories I have heard from a returning alum was simply that he felt like he was already part of a family by the end of his two-week trip last summer. He felt so connected to our community that he felt he could sign up for ANY of our TFT trips this summer and he would get the same experience. Further proof that ALL are welcome and included in the TFT Family!

This is a tough choice! We offer so many unique and special trips it is hard to pick just one! If I had to choose, I would probably pick our Southeast Asia for Older Teens Trip. This trip visits Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia on a whirlwind backpacking tour that is a truly a once in a lifetime opportunity! Or maybe the Croatia Island Hopping trip where you spend 8 days sailing on the gorgeous Adriatic Sea and living on a boat!

Our company is unique in many ways, but one of my favorites is our focus on smaller group sizes. I have been on teen tours where the individual is lost in a crowd of 30 teenagers. Keeping our group sizes limited means our staff can devote more attention to each traveler and tailor the experience to their interests. It also contributes to the greater sense of community that we foster as responsible world travelers.

I was especially proud of the TFT leadership for taking a stand against riding Elephants in Thailand and educating our teen travelers about the abuses these animals have endured. We only partner with local vendors who treat animals with the respect and love they deserve, and I think this is an important message to stand behind.

I don't think there is just one answer to what makes a company successful. However, I do believe that having a mission and having a staff that buys in to that mission are two very key factors. TFT strives to create global citizens through immersive and authentic travel experiences, transforming teens from passive tourists into confident and independent travelers.

Everyone who works for TFT has the same mission and we work together to make that mission happen. Every day I come in to the office with a smile on my face because I know that I and my colleagues are all striving to provide something completely authentic and transformative to every TFT Traveler. I measure our success by the smiles I see in every YouTube video, Instagram or Snapchat that our travelers and staff share with the world!