REAL HOLIDAYS TRAVEL AGENCY - Key Persons
Travel has been interwoven into every important part of my life. For me, life is a journey, and I can't imagine a time when I'm not exploring a new part of the world.
It was an amazingly immersive experience, living with a Zimbabwean family and teaching in an orphanage, then an open-jeep road trip to explore national parks and camp under the stars.
In my late teens, seven months in Africa gave me the travel bug - and malaria, but also the experience of gold-tinged sand dunes, big-hearted people, thundering waterfalls, white sand beaches and extraordinary wildlife.
Growing up in Africa, mainly in Botswana, I was the ultimate bush child having adventures that I can only dream of giving my own children. In my teens we lived in Mumbai, India and then onto Karachi, Pakistan before returning to the UK. Having experienced those fascinating places and diverse cultures at such formative years instilled a huge desire to keep exploring. I'm passionate about immersive travel whether that's a remote walking safari or simply discovering the best tapas overlooking the Med.
I've been working in bespoke travel for nearly 20 years and instinctively know what might appeal to Real Holiday's clients, sharing my appreciation of our diverse planet and its distinct cultures.
My first taste of the freedom of travel came when I was separated from a hostess as an unaccompanied minor aged 11. Being lost in the airport didn't faze me and I was transfixed with the planes landing and departing to far-off lands.
I fell in love with travel accidentally. Growing up in the Peak District I was obsessed with hill climbing and dreamt that one day I would climb Everest. So I went to teach in Nepal, where the Himalayas would be within reach. The impact that this magical land had on me was huge: the friendly faces of the Nepalese people, curry for breakfast and unbelievable views, everywhere. My eyes were open to a new way of life.
Amazingly, I'm one of Real Holidays longest serving members of staff, having started in 1998. My love of travel began from birth; I can credit my parents for nurturing an appreciation of the world.
My most formative years were spent living in Africa, where I was the ultimate bush child having adventures that I can only dream of giving my children. We also called India & Pakistan home which gave me a deep respect for diverse cultures.
I come from a long line of family that work in aviation and at a young age I was exposed to travel - I was just six weeks old when I first boarded a plane for far-off lands.
I've worked for Real Holidays for almost 20 years, and what I've loved most about my job is the huge variation in my work.
I think I must have been born with a love of travel embedded within me. As a little girl, I longed to travel to far-off lands. I finally got my chance on my gap year, when I worked in Zimbabwe for 6 months.