Something a little different….. ‘Hats’.

Its been two weeks since I sat down to type this blog…… I have just discovered how much I miss this process of writing. I start my morning by making a strong and very large cup of espresso…yes Italian espresso… in my little mocha coffee maker. As soon as I hear the coffee pot coughing and sputtering, I turn on my desktop Mac and let it boot up as I pour the coffee into a small drop of condensed milk. I cup my hands around my coffee mug and sit down, contentedly, on my swivel chair and stare at the blank screen.

At this point my head feels like its about to explode with thoughts regarding travel, and as many of you know, my travel adventures.

So today, something a little different. Rather than tell you one of my travel stories from long ago, I thought you may be interested to know a little more about what I do for a living and as a form of recreation, now, as a tour guide.

My life is an odd one. At this point you chuckle and chortle……. I can hear your mirth emanate out of my Desktop computer so don’t deny it (I’m smiling too).

But my life is odd. Yes, for part of the year I work as a Rick Steves tour guide, but for part of the year I run my own travel company and I have to wear many ‘hats’ as I do it. As a guide contracted to work with Rick Steves, I have to host groups of Americans and escort them all over Britain on a couple of tour itineraries, whereby I have the opportunity to teach them as much as I can within the constraints of the itinerary…..and I love it. Many of the bookings for hotels and restaurants are made in advance by our head office so that my time and energy can be spent looking after my guests. This is good and as a part-time ‘gig’ its great. I also really enjoy working with a very particular sort of clientele that RS is able to attract….. intelligent, curious and happy people.

So what else do I do?

My own company is a smaller affair. I only use minibuses to move my very small groups around and I often work with another guide. Two guides must be better than one….surely! With two of us running events, we can cover much more ground and explore many more itinerary activities….. AND two of us can give more of ourselves to the group dynamic……its great fun. However, there is much more to it than just that. The ‘hat’ of ‘Tour Guide’ is wonderful.

Because ‘Seymour Travels’ is my company, I get to select the tours that we run. I also get to design them and choose which places I take my tour groups to see and to learn about. The restaurants and hotels are all places that I think would work wonderfully well for my small groups. As I write this I realise that this sounds like ‘me me me’….. I guess in a way it is because If I, an experienced (and sometimes jaded and often emotionally tired) guide think a tour is wonderful then it probably is. And of course if something doesn’t work or perhaps won’t work for specific group, then I can omit or replace it immediately…… not after a year or two’s deliberation, but immediately……. so yes, I’m a little bit selfish and therefore love wearing ‘the hat’ that is ‘Tour Designer’.

Of course, before I get to lead a tour, and after I’ve decided where I want to take people, I have to contact vendors….. the restauranteurs, the hoteliers and the local guides. These are normally people who I have worked with before and have struck up a personal relationship with…. they are often friends of mine and always people I trust. It’s another ‘hat’ and one that I can never take off. Being a public relations officer is an essential skill for a small tour company owner.

And then of course there’s the other ‘stuff’. Many of you have your own businesses and know what a chore the office ‘stuff’ can be. I have to admit that I don’t have an affinity with this part of what I must do…..and therefore I wear this ‘hat’ slightly askew on the side of my head.

Marketing is essential, of course. Im not good at this but I do try……. lol…. Im really not very good at this. I guess it’s another ‘hat’ that sits skewwhiffed on the side of my head.

So, there are a few things that this particular small group tour company owner must do and indeed needs to do as his way of life.

Its that cup of coffee that is always there in my hands as I stare at the computer screen, as I attempt to suppress the travel explosion inside my skull……. that started this conversation.

So what shall I write about today ?