Favorite quote
Move on up...to your destination...although you may find, from time to time, complication [Curtis Mayfield]
About
Born and raised in the NYC suburbs, I went to Sweden as a high school exchange student. After returning, Swedish friends started visiting. I quickly became adept at (and greatly enjoyed) showing them around NYC. I worked in 1985 as a licensed NYC tour guide before heading to DC for graduate school, subsequently joining the U.S. Foreign Service at the Department of State for a 35-year career. Whether serving in DC or at postings abroad, I never missed an opportunity to play amateur tour guide for family, friends, and anyone else who would stand still long enough to listen to me. During a two-year FS assignment in the Pentagon, I became the go-to "insider" for tours there. I have traveled to and lived/worked in 90 countries, can give tours in German and Swedish, can communicate effectively in Russian, have working knowledge of Croatian, and speak enough French, Italian, and Spanish to be understood and to understand. I have worked numerous VIP visits (secretaries of State and Defense, members of Congress, presidential and vice-presidential visits, etc.), and am adept at itinerary and visit management. Since retirement from the Foreign Service in January 2024, I have been a licensed Washington, DC tour guide, leading both student and private tours. I also volunteer for Travelers Aid at Washington-Dulles Airport, an activity which augments my tour-related knowledge. I am open to additional work in Washington, DC and environs. I am also interested in leading group tours (adults and students) in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.
Hobbies & Interests
Reading, walking, biking (fan of rail/canal-trail trips). Volunteering at Washington-Dulles Airport.
Fun Fact
As a German speaker, I ran the U.S. Government's first and last official book exhibit in East Germany ("American University Bookstore"), during the fall of the Berlin Wall in October-December 1989.
Destination Experience
Resident of Washington, DC area (DC, Arlington, Alexandria) for roughly 20 of the past 40 years. Although not a licensed NYC tour guide, deep familiarity with NYC and environs, having been born and raised in Hartsdale, NY in the Hudson Valley.
Frequent travel and familiarity with New England, New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio (Cleveland), New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. I have been to 45 of 50 U.S. states.
Student experiences abroad of one year or more: Sweden, Germany
Professional experience abroad: Armenia (2 years); Germany (1.5 years); Estonia (2.5 years); Kazakhstan (3 years); Afghanistan (1 year); Croatia (2 years); Indonesia (3 years); Iraq (2.5 years); Mali (1 year); South Africa (1.5 years); Pakistan (2 months); Great Britain (6 weeks); Eritrea (4 months); Namibia (2 months); Equatorial Guinea (2 months); Rwanda (Six Weeks).
I have traveled to 90 countries, including most of sub-Saharan Africa and Europe and every country with a "'stan" at the end of its name.