Extraordinary Guides & Travel Planners - Journeys International

Claire James

Robin Weber Pollak — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:23:06 +0000

My deep love for global exploration and belief in the life-changing power of travel have formed the foundation for my career in travel marketing. My path began with an opportunity to serve as a youth ambassador to Japan, hooking me on travel and teaching me its transformative potential. While earning my B.S. in Life Sciences from the University of Portland, I worked as an elephant conservation researcher and became passionate about the growth and healing that can be achieved through human connections with nature. I also cemented my commitment to responsible travel. Later, while working as a Marketing Director at small airlines with social purposes, I earned an Executive MBA with a concentration in Marketing to learn more about digital marketing and e-commerce. I’m driven to bring the message of meaningful travel to as many people as possible. With a dedication to integrity in business and marketing, I aim to align Journeys International’s marketing strategies with our core values, focusing on connection, curiosity, sustainable tourism, and authentic storytelling.

I love adventures big and small, whether I find them in my Idaho backyard with my child and pets, through a good book, or halfway around the world.

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Adele Yang

Robin Weber Pollak — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:14:03 +0000

I grew up in the vibrant city of New York and was fortunate enough to experience a diverse range of cuisines and cultures without having to venture far. However, my insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge led me to explore and study abroad, which ignited my passion for travel. My first taste of the travel industry came when I took a tourism course in Switzerland, “the home of hospitality,” and I ended up catching the travel bug. Some of my favorite travel experiences include taking a USA cross-country road trip, visiting an elephant sanctuary in Phuket, Thailand, and, most recently, any trip where my kids let me sleep in.

My background includes working in retail, food and beverage, coaching, travel, and social media. My mission is to facilitate joy and transformation in people’s lives. As travel is one of the most powerful ways to achieve this, I am eager to spread travel, help individuals transform through travel, and #adventuredeeper.

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Victoria Odinet

Robin Weber Pollak — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 21:03:42 +0000

Growing up in rural Oregon, I often planned nature-based activities for my friends and family. My first few trips abroad set the stage for a lifetime of wanderlust, and after longer international adventures I knew that I wanted a lifetime of global exploration. I sought a university program that would enable a career in travel and eventually graduated from Oregon State University-Cascades with a Bachelor of Science in Eco & Adventure Tourism. I’ve moved around the globe working in the outdoor recreation industry, helping people experience everything from hiking and camping to sailing and adventure racing. I love inspiring others to expand their perspectives – to revel in the beauty of nature, eat food they haven’t tried yet, visit different cultures, and explore places all around the world. At Journeys I primarily specialize in Asia destinations.

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Ari Charlestein

Robin Weber Pollak — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 13:25:13 +0000

I have spent my entire life eating, living, and breathing everything travel-related. In 2008 I founded Award Magic and First Class and Beyond award booking services, and I spent fourteen years focusing on helping people get the most out of their loyalty points. Since 2019, though, I’ve branched out into the tour space, first with Competitours and my own company called Etgar Travel, and now at Journeys. At this point, I have traveled to over 60 countries, and I’m not slowing down yet. When I’m actually in the US, however, I live in Philadelphia with my wife Sarah, and our two kids, Yair and Eliana.

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David Everhart

Robin Weber Pollak — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:08:50 +0000

David Everhart is a purpose-driven leader with thirty years of experience in the global business. His mission is to enable the global success of people, teams, and organizations. An unapologetic advocate for responsible globalization, David believes that increasing respectful and inclusive interactions across boundaries of all kinds is the best path for building stable, peaceful, and sustainable communities. David has extensive experience working with international organizations, primarily in the private sector. Since starting his first company in 1989 (with a partner and Japanese investors) he has been building and delivering leadership and talent development solutions to multi-national companies in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the U.S. Over the past twenty years he has also held senior-level roles with global talent consulting firms including Korn Ferry, Aperian Global, and Mannaz. He has been involved with building new enterprises, integrating strategic acquisitions, restructuring organizations and teams, and working across complex global systems. David holds a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Cornell University. He has a strong working knowledge of Japanese. He is certified on numerous global leadership and intercultural assessment tools. Though his permanent home is in the U.S., he has lived in China, Japan, Germany, and is currently based in London. He has been happily married for over 25 years and has two adult daughters. He is an avid skier, mountain biker, hiker, and water sports enthusiast.

David maintains a private consulting and coaching practice at Ionis International, where he helps individuals and teams enhance their practice of integrated global leadership skills. He also partners with Journeys to lead transformative experiences for talented leaders seeking transformative and immersive development experiences.

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Rinchen Pelmo

Alona Henig — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:51:17 +0000

Rinchen Pelmo, a Tibet native, has completed the highest level of training with the Tibet Tourism Bureau and has been working as a registered tour guide in Tibet for over 12 years. She loves to share her home country and its beautiful culture with people from all around the world. She has always been interested in better understanding her culture and learning about the cultures of the people she meets from across the globe. Aside from guiding, Rinchen enjoys reading and traveling as widely as possible.

Rinchen works with a team of similarly educated and engaging local guides who provide our travelers with knowledge and insight about the most beautiful and breathtaking parts of Tibet. They understand the health risks associated with traveling in places at such high altitude and take great care of everyone they meet.

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Luis Godoy

Alona Henig — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:45:00 +0000

Luis Godoy, one of the earliest trained and certified guides in Belize, has been guiding visitors through Belize’s most beautiful sites for over 20 years. He is incredibly knowledgable about the history and culture of Belize and deeply understands the Mayan ancestry of much of the country’s population. Luis also has a great respect for nature and the complex ecosystem that is home to Belize’s vibrant and diverse wildlife. He loves to show visitors the ancient Mayan sites, spectacular caves, and exhilarating jungle rivers. In addition to guiding tours and trips, Luis served as the president of Cayo Tour Guides Association for two terms. He has an abundance of knowledge and is eager to share it, along with his amazing sense of humor and captivating stories, with any adventurer he meets.

Luis is fluent in both Spanish and English and lives with his wife, Maria Elvia, and his daughter, Lisa Arceli, in the city of San Ignacio.

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Robin Weber Pollak

The Journeys International Team — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 01:27:58 +0000

Since age four I have explored the world on Journeys adventures, traveling with my parents (the founders of Journeys), my brother Noah, and now my own husband and insatiably curious kids. I have internalized my parents’ commitment to cross-cultural connection and environmental preservation, and strive to follow in their footsteps as pioneers in the ecotourism and adventure travel industry. Since I took leadership in 2011 we have maintained a global network of friends and colleagues, and continued to develop new experiences that foster discovery, spark human connection, and help people see the world and themselves through new eyes. Staying in the vanguard means challenging the boundaries of adventure with new types of exploration. As we do this I draw on my previous work as an experiential educator in camp and university settings, with a focus on service learning, immersive experiences, and ethical leadership. My deep experience in facilitation and strategic planning informs our approach to partnership and planning. I have an MBA from The George Washington University as a Global Leaders Fellow, and graduated Summa cum laude with a BA in psychology from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. I’m also a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory.

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Joe Pollak

The Journeys International Team — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 19:46:51 +0000

As a former summer camp director and environmental lawyer, I bring an abiding interest in conservation and environmental stewardship as well as a belief in transformative experiences to my role as Executive Director of the Earth Preservation Fund (which is the nonprofit affiliate of Journeys International). I received my B.A. (and, later, my J.D.) from the George Washington University and had the good fortune to marry into the Journeys International family in 2009. I have additional experience as a university administrator and as an educational consultant. Trips with Journeys to Brazil, Costa Rica, Namibia, Patagonia, South Africa, and Turkey have offered plenty of opportunities to put my rock-climbing and group leading experience to work, and to give me insight into opportunities for our travelers to make a positive impact in the world. My goal with the EPF is to advance sustainability in the travel industry and engage travelers in mitigating climate change.

I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wife, Robin Weber Pollak, and two sons, who are fans of every form of transportation.

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Lené Jefferson

The Journeys International Team — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 19:43:52 +0000

As one of 22 siblings (yes, I said 22!) I grew up with parents who had compassionate hearts and adopted 18 children, making us one big, mostly happy family. My first experience with international travel was in college when I participated in a three-week study trip to Belize and Guatemala and it opened my eyes to an amazing world.

After twelve years of teaching, my life path led me to Journeys International. Over the course of my 20 years here I’ve had some amazing experiences. From snorkeling in the Galapagos to white water rafting in Costa Rica, exploring Machu Picchu in Peru, meeting orangutans face to face in Indonesia, participating in Guatemala’s Semana Santa Festival, and most recently, a cruise to the wildlife capital of the world – Spitsbergen. Words can’t describe how these experiences have impacted me and opened my heart, to a beautiful and colorful world.

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