About me
To travel is to live
Wise words from my fellow countryman, the world-famous Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, and something I wholeheartedly agree with: when I am traveling, I feel the most alive and free.
My name is Thomas, and I prioritize travel above everything else. Although I have a degree in computer science, ever since my first 6-month backpacking tour in the year 2000, my main focus has been on traveling.
Over the next 5 years, I managed to complete 2 more 6-month tours, a 4-month tour, and a 3-month tour. These years were among the best times of my life.
In 2005, I decided to pursue a career in the travel industry, and I have not regretted it for a single moment. I have worked as a travel agent, salesperson, and itinerary planner for group tours, but most of the time, I have worked as a tour leader.
Since 2013, I have worked full-time as a group tour leader. This means that I take a group of people, usually between 15 to 30 individuals, somewhere in the world and guide them for one, two, or three weeks at a time. I work 220 days a year this way, and the rest of the time, I have the freedom to explore on my own.
I have been fortunate enough to travel to 64 countries so far. As a tour leader, I have worked in 25 of these countries and lived in 7 of them. My job as a tour leader involves guiding groups around different countries, showing them the major attractions, and providing them with all the necessary information. During the tours, everything is taken care of for the guests. We enjoy the local cuisine at great restaurants and stay at comfortable and centrally located hotels.
Although it may seem like a dream job to travel the world and get paid for it, it is also a lot of hard work. It requires a lot of planning and studying to prepare for the tours. The information and stories I provide aren’t just about the major tourist attractions we visit. They expect information basically about everything, such as history, religion, weather conditions, the social system, such as the school system, salaries, rent, tax system, working conditions, and much more.
My goal on the tours is to give as much information as possible about the country I work in so that guests get a feeling of what it’s like to be a local. I try to make the guests feel like they get under the skin of the country and the local population.
Through my work, I have gained extensive knowledge about many countries, including their attractions, food, and cultures. I know what to see, and how to get from A to B, and in which order to see things.
And I would love to share this knowledge with you.
Recommendations...
Plan as much as you can - before you go
That’s some of the best advice I can give you…
Personally, I like to see as much as possible when I am in a new country – to try and understand the way they live and think. To achieve this, I plan my itinerary carefully, making sure to see as much as possible in an efficient manner.
One of my biggest travel regrets is missing out on an unforgettable experience due to poor planning. I hate to find out later on, that If only I had driven 3 miles more, then I would have seen a magnificent view – or something like that.
So I always strive to avoid this by researching and planning every detail of my trip in advance.
A great thing about planning is, that I can make the most of my time during the trip. Instead of spending precious moments trying to figure out what to do next, I can relax and enjoy my surroundings, knowing that everything is taken care of.
You can go to a nice restaurant, get a drink, and just recharge your batteries – instead of using your time planning for the next day.
Therefore, I highly recommend doing thorough research before embarking on your adventure. Trust me, it will make your journey much easier and more enjoyable.
Don't plan everything - as experiences will find you
This is another piece of advice I will also give to you – and yes, I know it totally contradicts my prior advice.
What I mean by this advice is that you should plan your trip, but don’t overdo it. Allow some flexibility in your itinerary and don’t be afraid to get lost sometimes. Just see what experience comes around the corner. You might stumble upon unexpected experiences and sights that you would have missed otherwise.
I have had some amazing experiences when I just wandered around an area, even if I only had a couple of attractions in mind. By leaving some spare time in my schedule, I was able to explore at my own pace and follow my instincts. This led me to witness local events like a funeral, a children’s football game, a band rehearsal, or a unique local shop.
These experiences allowed me to connect with the locals and gain a deeper understanding of their culture. Anyone can take a picture with a famous landmark, but it’s the unique local experiences that truly make a trip memorable.
Travel as much as you can - while you can
Trinidad – Cuba
