Backroads

With Backroads you will be outside under the sun (and sometimes under the rain). You will get up very early to be sure everything is ready for your guests in a luxurious hotel from the 16th century which faces the countryside or the sea. As a Trip Leader, Backroads relies on you, trusts you and gives you responsibility. Every day you will have to deal with more than a few challenges, and you will love it.

Being French, I had a few questions when I applied. Will my English be good enough? Will I be able to share what I love about my country? Will it be easy to work with foreign guests and colleagues? I had nothing to worry about. The guests love your accent and your co-leaders support and encourage you and you do the same in return. After each trip, you have learned so much about yourself and your fellow travelers.

Today I am awaiting the beginning of a new season and the only question is which amazing part of the world will I work in next.

After my one year in the navy I attended and graduated at the school for Interpreters and Translators in Rome. I then became a professor of Simultaneous Translation, and worked as a freelance interpreter. This job took me to places I would have never been able to visit on my own, and I attended peace talks and negotiations in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, the Congo, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar. I moved on to work in the safer world of fashion, art and entertainment.

On the first day of 2007, after a long night of celebration for the new year, I was checking my email when I found an ad for a job opportunity: Yes, I love to travel, cook, be in good company, share my knowledge of local cultures and traditions, and have a great time with people full of amazing stories!

I worked in Tuscany all my first season and loved it! The wine, the food, the culture...and the best part about it is the company behind all this -- a fantastic family!

A few years ago, as I contemplated a career change, someone asked me what my ideal job would be. The answer was something that involved traveling, working outdoors and satisfying my inner cub scout doing good deeds every day. I was also interested in spending a couple of months at home every year.

Six months later, I found myself leading my first Backroads trip hiking through Ireland's fabulous Kerry mountains with fifteen guests. Many things surprised me. As expected, the job was physically demanding, but it challenged me mentally as well. Both Backroads and their guests expect a lot of their leaders, and thanks to the intensive training and a great support system, you have the tools with which to excel. The guests respond in kind to your creativity and passion, making for new adventures every day. And, of course, all of the co-leaders are great "crack" (Gaelic for "fun").

Towards the end of the summer season, I led in Provence. This gave me a chance to use my French, learn about and develop enthusiasm for a region that was completely new to me, and whet my appetite for leading even further afield in the future.

This job is perfect for me because I still get to take the winters away from BR and head to the mountains for my snowboarding fix, ready to return, refreshed, in the spring to Provence. For me, as a European, the time I’ve spent working in central and northern Europe has opened my eyes to just how special and diverse our culturally rich continent can be. It’s also helped me discover just how exhilarating exploring a new place on a bicycle can be.

I think being a non–North American is something to be proud of within this company. By the end of a trip at least 25% of guests will be mimicking my English accent and I always have fun with that. You can say anything in an English accent and people will believe it! I love working for Backroads and seeing the friends I’ve made all over the world. We work hard, play hard and laugh non stop.

So, I took a job abroad working for Club Med, and then for others companies throughout Europe. These summer jobs gave me the opportunity to save some money during the season and finally discover the world during the time off. I've traveled from Pakistan to Cambodia, through Tibet, China, Viet Nam, Laos, Myanmar, and trekked in Nepal, Ladakh and Zanskar. Then, I went on to discover Latin America and finally lived the last years of the 90's in Argentina where I was a teacher at the French Alliance of Cordoba, teaching managers working in multinational firms.

Upon returning to Europe, I've lived in Spain since 2000. Looking for a change from the mass tourism industry, I started working as a biking and mountain guide. I was looking to lead for an active company with a reduced number of guests on trips in order to get more individual connections. I was hired by Backroads and have enjoyed the chance to be part of an unbelievably organized team, where each and every individual is a source of help, knowledge, happiness and kindliness.