What is your favorite travel memory?
I was studying abroad in Australia and my friends and I decided to plan a camping trip for a week in Tasmania. We flew into Hobart, rented a car, and started driving up the eastern coast. Our first night that we pitched our tents, we went for a gorgeous sunset hike and ate dinner around a fire.
My friends aren't the most experienced campers, and didn't know that keeping food in a tent was the best way to attract critters. And, Tasmania has a bunch of them - echidna, wallabies, and possums are the most widespread. It was about 3:00 AM and I woke to a loud thumping in the vestibule of our tent (which we accidentally left open). My friend unzipped the door to our tent to come face to face with a wallaby rummaging through her bag.
Turns out, wallabies cannot back up! And this one had no room to turn around. Luckily we were able to scare it out of our tent, only to realize that the wallaby had eaten my friend's granola bars and used her cell phone to dial her mom long distance.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Outward Bound is a company that is heavily invested into staff development. If an instructor sees a need for programming, he or she is encouraged to create it! I have become a more confident outdoor professional, a more well rounded teacher, and a pursuer of more dreams than I can count.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
We are the leader in outdoor education and our programs have been continuously evolving and improving for over 50 years.
As instructors, we don't just teach the values of our company, but live by them.
We are all committed to excellence in our craft, and within our own lives as adventurers, explorers, and teachers.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
What makes us successful is the quality of our instructors. We love our jobs, we love going on adventures with each other, and we love the places we get to work and call home. Our staff retention is very high - making it easy for our staff to maintain quality working relationships and continuously grow into our strengths.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
I would either choose our week long Oregon Smith Rock Climbing and Yoga expedition or our 45 day Oregon to India Rafting and Trekking expedition. First off, if you are unsure if an adventure sport is right for you, trying out a week long program in a world class climbing area is the way to test the waters.
But, if you already know that you want the challenge of a longer program and multi-destination travel, then you can't beat Oregon to India. It combines two unique elements: mountain travel and river rafting. In my opinion, there are not many better places to be. Not only that, but you get to learn how to run a successful expedition in India - a country renowned for its trekking and majestic rivers.
You will have the opportunity for a real world application of leadership skills where it really matters. Who has that on their resume?