About
Hi there! My name is Jen Matauic, and I love two things: people and travel! For over 20 years, I’ve journeyed around the world marrying these two passions through teaching, leading, and guiding. This summer I stepped into my first season as a Tour Director with Holland America Princess, leading groups of up to 45 guests from around the world through Alaska and the Yukon on tours of up to 11 days. My guest satisfaction scores averaged 9.7, against a department average of 9.4. It’s the role I’ve been building toward, and it draws on everything else I’ve done. Some of my favorite moments come from the Yukon’s quirkier traditions. In Dawson City, I loved escorting guests to take on the famous Sourtoe Cocktail, a Klondike rite of passage that is equal parts brave, silly, and unforgettable; downing a shot of whiskey with a mummified toe in the glass. As the saying goes: You can drink it fast, or you can drink it slow, but your lips must touch the gnarley toe! Always a fantastic and memorable night out with guests! I’ve spent seven months in Chiang Mai, Thailand, teaching English in a local school and immersing myself in Thai culture, and six weeks in Tamil Nadu, India, working with local non-profits to improve health education and access for women. I lived in the UK for seven years, leading mindfulness, meditation, and nature-connection retreats and teaching resilience and growth mindset classes to teenagers and adults. I’ve also narrated glacier cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park, worked as an international flight attendant, and designed luxury itineraries for clients travelling to the UK, Ireland, Italy, and North America. Ireland holds a special place in my heart. After visiting multiple times, I completed a Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation with a dissertation on the spiritual history and folklore of Ireland, and when I joined a familiarization tour with luxury operator Crafted Ireland, the owner told me I knew more about Ireland than most tour guides. I’m a trained actor, a Spotlight UK member, and a member of an improv comedy group that has performed across the UK and Europe, in front of audiences of up to 500. That experience shapes how I tell stories and keep a group laughing, and how I stay calm when plans change. Outside of travel, I’m a PSIA Level 2 certified ski instructor with six full-time seasons teaching at Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania, so I’m comfortable with winter conditions and with keeping groups of all abilities safe and having fun. I also hold a culinary arts degree and spent ten years in high-end catering, which is why I love a good food tour and know how to make a meal part of the story of a place. I’ve been location independent since 2023, based mostly in the UK, with extended stays in Prague, Copenhagen, and the Costa del Sol along the way. I’m a dual citizen of the USA and Italy, with full working rights in the EU, and I hold Settled Status (Indefinite Leave to Remain) with full living and working rights in the UK. That flexibility means I can join your team wherever and whenever you need me. Come find me at the conference, or get in touch. I’d love to hear what you’re creating.
Hobbies & Interests
Improv Comedy Performance Acting Travel Writing
Destination Experience
Alaska and Yukon (worked): Tour Director for Holland America Princess, plus Kenai Fjords Tours guide. Skagway, Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, Seward, Alyeska, Homer, Whittier
United Kingdom (lived 7 years): London, Surrey, Sussex, Cheshire, Manchester, Devon, North Wales, Edinburgh, Isle of Skye
Ireland (specialist): Master's dissertation on the history and mythology of Irish spirituality; luxury itinerary design; FAM tour with Crafted Ireland
Italy (citizen): luxury itinerary specialist
Spain (extended stays): Málaga, Costa del Sol, Costa Tropical
Czech Republic (lived 1 month): Prague
Denmark (lived 1 month): Copenhagen
Thailand (lived 7 months): Chiang Mai, teaching English
India (6 weeks): Tamil Nadu, nonprofit work
Norway and Sweden (travelled as international flight attendant): Oslo, Stockholm
USA (lived): Northeast and Pennsylvania (15 years), San Diego (7 years), Charleston, SC (2 years), Chicago (2 years)
USA (travelled as international flight attendant): Los Angeles, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New York (JFK)