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Everyone wants a dream life, don’t they?
The truth is that I laughed when a close friend of mine suggested that I become a tour director.
Yes, I laughed and said she must not know me very well – that tour directing was the last job I’d ever take. In the end, she evidently knew me better than I knew myself.
It took me several years to have a light bulb go off telling me that tour directing would be the perfect job for me.
Actually, a young lady came into the language school where I was teaching. I figured she was a teacher looking for work, but I was wrong about that.
And when she said she was a tour director, a light bulb went off in my brain.
I immediately said to myself “That’s what I’m going to do.”
Once that light bulb illuminated the path forward for me, I found a tour director training course, took it, and led tours for 18 years.
I finally had a job that allowed me to move around rather than reporting to an office or classroom every day.
You may have read my article Unlocking the World with a TEFL Certificate, which described one way to support yourself financially while seeing the world, but tour directing may be more appealing to you.
Could Tour Directing Really Fit the Lifestyle I Wanted?
I’ve always been someone who thrives on adventure and disliked the predictable patterns and mundane routines of the nine-to-five grind that was like a cage for me.
I craved more. I wanted a life filled with movement and excitement.
There had always been two aspects to how I envisioned my perfect life. First, I wanted to have six months free every year to do whatever I wanted, so I needed a job that paid me enough in six months of work to survive when not working.
Getting the free time I wanted each year was easy since tour directing is seasonal. I had told many people over the years that I would do any kind of work for six months each year, cleaning toilets or anything, if it gave me enough money to survive the other six months in freedom.
I was just lucky that I ended up tour directing rather than cleaning toilets!
What I would do during that leisure time would probably be different from year to year. Such freedom! Maybe one year I would spend six months creating art. Another year I could devote my time to writing a great, or not so great, novel. The point was that I would have the luxury to choose.
Second, I wanted both dogs and travel to be significant parts of my life – two things that do not go very well together. Who would take care of my dogs when I was traveling?
I expected the part of my dream life that involved having dogs to be difficult. For someone who lives alone, having dogs generally makes it difficult to travel. I did not want to put my beloved dogs into a kennel every time I went on tour for several months.
Tour Directing Changed My Life
To be perfectly honest, when I decided to become a tour director, I didn’t realize that my new career would allow both parts of the lifestyle that I wanted.
Since there are not many tours November through May, I was thrilled to work only five to six months every year. Goal number one accomplished.
The solution to goal number two was already in place since I had moved to Indonesia before I became a tour director, and as an international tour director, I could live anywhere in the world.
My live-in housekeeper has been with me since 1989, and my doggies have been as important to her as they are to me, so I felt totally confident when I went out on tour. I knew they would be taken care of as well as if I were at home.
From Tourist to Storyteller
Imagine waking up in a new city every few days with a group that changes every week or two. That’s the reality of being a tour director. It’s a job that doesn’t just let you see the world. It immerses you in it.
When I started leading tours, I became the storyteller, the guide, the person responsible for shaping the group’s experience.
There’s power being the one who turns a city into an unforgettable memory for others, and I took that responsibility very seriously.
I wasn’t just leading a tour. I was crafting an experience, weaving together history, culture, and the little serendipities that make travel so extraordinary.
The People You Meet
Then there’s the people you meet! My tours have brought me into contact with some of the most fascinating people – both tour members and local tour guides.
Each person brings a unique perspective, a different energy to the group. And as a tour director, you get to be the bridge that connects them all.
You learn to read people, to understand their needs, and to create a harmonious environment where everyone feels included and valued. The friendships formed among tour members are often lifelong, and many of my former travelers still keep in touch with me, usually on Facebook.
Every Day Is a New Adventure
One of the best things about tour directing is that no two days are ever the same. One day, you’re navigating the bustling streets of a major city like Beijing and the next, you’re cruising down China’s Yangtze River.
It’s a job that constantly challenges you, keeping you on your toes. I’ve had to deal with everything from lost passports to sudden changes in itinerary due to weather to roads blocked because of a strike by French truck drivers.
But that’s the beauty of it. You learn to adapt, to think on your feet, and to find solutions in the most unexpected places. And in doing so, you become more resilient, more confident, and more open to the world around you.
The Dream Life
For me, tour directing has given me the freedom to explore the world, to connect with people from all walks of life, and to make a living doing something I love. I’ve learned that fulfillment doesn’t always come from a paycheck or a job title, but from the experiences you have and the impact you make on others.
I’ve had the privilege of standing on top of the Great Wall of China and giving my cell phone to tour members to call home. I called it the Call from the Wall – a name I got from a colleague.
These are the moments that make life rich and meaningful, and they’re moments I might never have experienced if I hadn’t taken that leap into tour directing.
The Challenges and Rewards
Of course, it’s not always easy. There are long hours, demanding schedules, and the pressure of making sure everything goes smoothly.
There are times when you’re far from home, missing family and friends, or when things go wrong despite your best efforts. But the rewards far outweigh the challenges.
Every time I saw the look of wonder on a traveler’s face as they experienced something new, every time I heard the laughter of a group sharing stories over dinner, every time I helped someone tick something off their bucket list, I remembered why I chose this path.
Tour directing isn’t just a career – it’s a way of life, one that’s filled with adventure, learning, and a deep sense of purpose.
The Bottom Line
I’m retired from tour directing now and still live in Indonesia with my dogs.
It may sound corny, but every day when I look out at the beautiful bougainvillea and other flowers growing in my front yard and see my dogs running around in the grass, I recognize just how lucky I was to walk into Lynette Hining-Marshall’s tour director course at the International Guide Academy back in 1996.
If you’re someone who dreams of a life less ordinary, of waking up to new horizons and making a difference in the lives of others, then perhaps tour directing is the path for you. It’s a journey that will take you places that you never imagined.
And who knows? It might just lead you to your own dream life, just as it did for me.
