Greenheart Travel

Category: Meet the Staff

Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Connor Cargill

Meet Connor Cargill, Greenheart Travel’s High School & Short-Term Programs Coordinator!

While earning his BA in International Business with a minor in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin, Connor had several international experiences that helped to form his passion for appreciating the importance of challenging oneself. He fell in love with the infinite perspectives and languages we can learn from while studying abroad in Spain, interning for a small NGO in Nicaragua, and living in the highlands of northern Ecuador.

Connor has traveled and hiked across Chile, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Switzerland, Ireland, France, and Spain. He thoroughly enjoys exploring exciting foods, going on long walks while listening to podcasts, learning other people’s stories, and listening/dancing to loud music.

Read on to learn more about Connor and his travel experience:

Q: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in The Woodlands, TX, a suburb of Houston. It’s not the most “happening” place in the world, but I grew up with around 30 animals in my laundry room (Mom is a science teacher) and two older twin brothers to keep it entertaining.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

Cuenca, Ecuador is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Imagine cobblestone streets accented by Spanish colonial architecture with a gorgeous mountain river running through the middle of the city, not to mention the historically complex, vibrant surrounding cultures and national parks. It’s dreamy and ridiculous.

Q: What is your secret talent?

I can make a pretty solid/obnoxious Chewbacca sound (don’t ask me to do it, I get nervous). Also, I have impeccable timing when double bouncing anyone on a trampoline.

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Oh gosh, my initial reaction is Tex-Mex which I realize is not from a particular country, but I have to follow my heart.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

Continue being an open and honest human being. Open in a sense of embracing all that I encounter in the world and avoiding living a life of specificity and entitlement; honesty in self-expression and through how I interact with others.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

This isn’t much of a momentary “eureka!” experience, but more so a culmination of things that gradually led to a deep understanding. During my time in Ecuador, I worked with a small NGO as a sort of intercultural guide helping to facilitate group volunteer experiences. Life is full of repetition, and within that, the pattern-recognition part of your brain fires off to help “make sense” of certain human behaviors. These patterns contribute to our view of “normalcy,” and the best way to disrupt this is through travel. Nearly every participant in the 15 groups I led was filled with a passionate intentionality, stoked by the newness of their experiences. Often, we lose this feeling when surrounded by familiarity, turning on autopilot when comfortable. My life was forever changed when I realized that leveraging intentionality is possible wherever you go. Although it’s difficult to challenge yourself when surrounded by things you know well, the sense of feeling grounded and present through being intentional has made life that much more sparkly.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

To travel is to be humbled, showing you that every perspective is valuable and complex. To be able to help facilitate a challenging, thoughtful experience for someone is something that is incredibly exciting to me.

April 15, 2019
How Greenheart Travel Staff Members Spent New Year’s Eve Abroad

It’s no secret that at Greenheart Travel, we travel. A lot. So with 2019 approaching, we’ve decided to reminisce on some of the places we’ve spent New Year’s Eve. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

“For two years, I lived in Zafra, a small town in rural western Spain. In Zafra, like in every small Spanish town, life revolves around town plaza, where bars and restaurants surround a fifteenth-century church. On Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve), the whole town gathers in the plaza a few minutes before midnight holding bags of grapes. As the clock in the church tower strikes midnight, everyone pops a grape in their mouth for each toll of the bell – 12 grapes in about a minute. By the end, everyone’s looking like a chipmunk and laughing hysterically; it’s a great kickoff to a night of celebration in the plaza!”

-Savannah McDermott, Teach & Work Abroad Program Manager

“I spent a new years eve celebrating in downtown London! Everyone gathers around the London Eye and Big Ben and they light off fireworks from the Eye at midnight. I also celebrated a NYE in Seoul, Korea. In Seoul, everyone gathers around a temple that rings a huge bell at midnight. The bell is really old and it’s been a tradition for a really long time.”

-Sara Thacker, Associate Director of Marketing

“While I was in college, I volunteered in Panama during my winter breaks, so I spent several New Year Eve’s there. One of them was spent at a friend’s beach house, where we had lots of room to partake in one of the most exciting traditions – burning a “stuffed man” at midnight. Our hosts made a life-sized stuffed man to light on fire at midnight with the intention of having the bad energy/evil of the previous year removed before the New Year. Other guests also walked around with suitcases in their hands if they wanted to travel in the upcoming year.”

-Allison Yates, High School & Short-Term Programs Manager

“I spent my first New Year’s Eve outside of the US when I was a freshman in college. My family took a trip to visit our extended family in the Dominican Republic and stayed for two weeks in a small town on the coast. I was used to my parents throwing large and fancy parties to ring in the new year – with sparkly dresses, champagne toasts, party hats, and boisterous countdowns. So when we heard the evening plan for a traditional Dominican New Year’s Eve consisting of a large but laid back family meal, a walk on the beach, music, and dancing I wasn’t sure how special the night would feel. No confetti or high heels or shrimp cocktail? Of course, as many new traveler stories go, it ended up being an amazing night spent getting to know my family better, learning how to fry plantains, developing my love for Latin music, and taking a late night stroll on the beach to watch a few distant fireworks shoot off. I came out on the other side with one grainy photo of myself on the beach, but a love for trying new traditions, an appreciation for another culture, and desire to spend more of my time in warm, welcoming countries.”

– Kate Powers, Outreach Coordinator

“I celebrated NY 2017 traveling through Panama with one of my closest friends. We arrived at a beautiful seaside, open air restaurant on December 31, 2016 and left in the early hours of January 1, 2017. There was tasty food, great company, amazing music, and a plethora of fireworks. In the middle of the celebrations, we met this great couple, who we ended up chatting with all night. One of them was from Colombia and the other from Turkey, but they were living in Chicago-same as me! We’ve met up again in Chicago, but I greatly doubt that I would have met them if it wasn’t for our fortuitous NYE in Panama. I wouldn’t say that night was a typical Panamanian New Year, but it was a great example of our small & amazing world.”

– Hope Pavich, Director of High School and Short-Term Programs

How have you spent New Year’s Eve? Tell us in the comments!

December 20, 2018
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Zoe Coulter

Meet Zoe Coulter, Greenheart Travel’s Work Abroad Program Manager!

Upon obtaining her first penpal from Germany at age 12, Zoe instantly fell in love with learning about diverse cultures. From that moment on, Zoe began searching for any opportunity to visit distant countries. She attended North Central College solely to enroll in their great study abroad programs. As a sophomore in college, she spent a term living with a host family in Costa Rica where she took four hours of intensive Spanish every day and interned for a tourism company.

During her last year of college, Zoe spent a transformative term in Spain studying Spanish translation and phonetics. While completing her B.A. in Spanish and International Business, she explored Panama, Italy, Portugal, and the Netherlands.

High on her must-see destination list are Colombia, Mexico, and Ireland. When she isn’t planning her next getaway, Zoe enjoys singing to her favorite Spanish songs, practicing Latin social dances, watching dramatic novelas, disappearing into a good book, and making new friends.

Read on to discover Zoe’s hidden talent and favorite travel “aha moment”.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I’ve moved around quite a lot, but I’ve spent most of my life in the south suburbs of Chicago. Sauk Village, Illinois is where I spent most of my childhood.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

I instantly felt connected to Seville when I visited Spain back in 2015. The architecture alone speaks volumes about the history of southern Spain. Andalusians are so warm and personable. Plus, I had fun trying to learn the Andalusian dialect.

Q: What is your secret talent?

I practiced Taekwondo for about five years. What I learned is that I’m scary good with nunchucks.

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Spanish food, hands down! While living with my host family in Seville, I was never tired of the cuisine. There were so many great soups and tortilla española galore. I was impressed with how many dishes my host family could make with eggs and rice. Today, I still find myself eating eggs with dinner.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to ______.

Own a house in Spain.

Q: What is your spirit animal?

Well, if my mother was answering this question she would say a giraffe, but I think that has more to do with my stature than anything. Is it weird to say I think that my spirit animal is a hamster? I know it isn’t exotic or anything, but we have similar tendencies. I forage and hide my food from others too. Evidently, sharing food is not my strong suit.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

I lived in Costa Rica during the rainy season, so it literally rained every day around 4:00 pm. I have this crazy curly hair, and at that point in my life, I worked super hard to keep it dry and tamed. Whenever my hair touched water it turned into a lion’s mane. But, as it was the rainy season, it was impossible not to get wet at some point.

One day I was walking home, and sure enough, I had forgotten to bring my umbrella. Well, you can guess the rest of the story. But, it wasn’t all for naught. At that moment, I realized that I spent so many years thinking that I hated the rain, and now one of my favorite memories was getting caught in it. I thought about how often we say we hate things that we never even tried.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

Working at Greenheart Travel has a way of feeding my curiosity and my desire to learn. Everyone at Greenheart Travel has experienced their own share of adventures and hardships abroad, and those experiences have shaped each person in various ways. Hearing these stories has been super rewarding.

October 24, 2018
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Sara Thacker

Meet Sara Thacker, Greenheart Travel’s Associate Director of Marketing!

Sara comes from a background of extensive travel, including a semester onboard the MV Explorer with Semester at Sea in which she circumnavigated the world, visiting 13 countries. She also spent a summer abroad in Costa Rica studying ecotourism in Carrera National Park. After graduating from college, Sara spent a year living and teaching middle school English in Seoul, South Korea where she learned to love kimchi and K-pop.

Upon returning from Korea, she decided she wanted to help people move abroad and have the same amazing cultural exchange experience she did by working at Greenheart Travel! Sara received a degree in Geography from The University of Wisconsin–Madison and is a die-hard Badger football fan.

Read on to learn more about Sara’s secret talent, one of her travel “aha” moments and why she loves working at Greenheart Travel.

Sightseeing in lovely South Korea!

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan – which is a small town in Michigan known for being the home of the University of Michigan. I grew up bleeding maize and blue and my parents have always had season Michigan football tickets, but I quickly found the righteous path when I decided to go to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Go badgers.

What is your favorite international city?

Seoul, South Korea has a special place in my heart because I lived there for a year teaching English. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing city and it doesn’t have a skyline that will take your breath away, but if you think New York doesn’t sleep – you haven’t been to Seoul. I am also obsessed with public transportation, and Seoul’s subway system is UNREAL. It is second in size only to Tokyo’s subway (which is way more confusing!) and the longest line (line 1) has over 90 stops!

What is your secret talent?

A: I was on a competitive jump roping team when I was in middle school. We qualified for the national championships in Disney world and got to compete on the Indiana Jones stage and be on EPSN (it might have been ESPN 2, but shhh). Basically, I can school you in double dutch.

If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

ITALIAN. Pasta + wine = never get sick of it.

Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

Speak another language. I’m not very good at learning languages, but it’s my dream to be fluent in at least one besides English. I’m working on Korean and Spanish… very slowly but surely.

What is your spirit animal?

I’m going to have to go with a koala bear. I am really calm and laid-back, but if you mess with me I will remind you that I am indeed a bear. I also enjoy retreating to my “tree” and eating all day long.

What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

When I was in South Africa my junior year of college, we went out around 4AM for a safari game drive and hadn’t seen any animals yet. All of a sudden the sun started rising and the whole sky lit up an intense reddish pinkish hue. I took my camera out to snap some pictures and right in front of the amazing sunrise walked 3 giraffes. I remember being in such awe that these moments actually do exist in real life outside of national geographic or desk calendars!

What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

I know this will come off sounding cliché, but teaching English in South Korea for a year was easily the best (and most challenging) year of my life. Being able to help others have the same cultural exchange experience and life-changing growth as a person makes me incredibly happy.

May 3, 2018
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Allison Yates

Meet Allison Yates, Greenheart Travel’s High School and Short-Term Abroad Programs Coordinator!

Allison was 16 year-old when she took her first trip abroad, where she participated in a mini-exchange with a high school in Billericay, England. She graduated from Indiana University with degrees in International Studies, Spanish and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.

She studied for a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina; taught English and was an au pair in Ibiza, Spain; and worked in Melbourne and Darwin, Australia, which explains why she has the habit of drinking mate, eating dinner late and signing off emails with “cheers.”

She’s traveled to over 30 countries and hopes to soon visit Brazil, India and South Africa. She also writes freelance about travel, women and society and in her free time loves listening to podcasts, belting her favorite reggaeton songs, reading anything fascinating, and trying to learn social Latin dances.

Read on to learn a bit more about Allison’s favorite cuisine, aha moments while traveling and which spirit animal she resonates with most.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Fishers, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis. It was a very quaint childhood, something my foreign (or even sometimes East Coast/West Coast) friends tend to laugh at – it was the stereotypical “American” high school experience.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

I feel like I’m cheating on Buenos Aires (one of my most favorite cities in the whole world) by saying this, but Istanbul is a place I was so impressed by. I only got to stay for five days, but it would take five years to see all of it! I loved the food, the river, the colors, the diversity and the goofy people I met.

Q: What is your secret talent?

Some people in the office have participated in eating competitions and aren’t aware I also have a competitive spirit when it comes to food. I once ate an entire watermelon in a matter of minutes and won a medal (it was on a cruise, but let’s say it still counts as a legit competition!).

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Spanish food! While in Spain I lived with a host family and never tired of some of their favorites. First, the ultimate charcuterie board: dates, olives, cheese, breads and sausages (I’m a big fan of chorizo, and a special sausage from Ibiza called sobrasada). Plus, mussels in garlic sauce, tortilla española, and every version of a rice dish you could imagine. Maybe I could sneak in more avocados and then I’d be really happy.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

Be an expert in a certain part(s) of the world, and be sent there to write (or “report on”) about it.

Q: What is your spirit animal?

Based on my tendencies to be startled easily and jerk my head at sudden noises, I think I’m most connected to the murcat.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

This is hard one to choose, but one moment I’m grateful I witnessed was a pre-wedding hammam ceremony in Fez, Morocco. I happened to visit a hammam on the same day of the ceremony. As the only non-wedding party person there, they invited to join in all the festivities. I was singing and dancing with a bunch of strangers and really had no idea what was happening – but it was amazing!

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

Everyone at the office has a great sense of humor. Besides that, the office itself has a warm atmosphere. It’s decorated with world maps and “wanderlusty” posters, so I feel right at home.

November 8, 2017
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Jessica Wedge

Meet Jessica Wedge, Greenheart Travel’s High School Abroad Advisor!

Jessica’s first experience abroad was a trip to France with her high school French class. She proudly paid for the whole trip herself through her job at a grocery story. She has been an avid traveler ever since. She went on a study abroad program in college to the Netherlands and France, and upon graduation, she joined the Peace Corps and spent two transformative years in Cote d’Ivoire as a community health volunteer.

She’s visited so many countries, she’s losing count. She loves biking, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her wonderful friends, husband and two children.

Read on to learn a bit more about Jessica’s favorite international city, a special travel “aha” moment and what cuisine she would happily eat every day.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Lansing, Michigan – a solid blue collar auto town. Some famous Lansing-ites besides myself, include Burt Reynolds and Magic Johnson.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

I love Paris and have never been able to spend a big enough chunk of time there to get to know it really well. I love the history, culture, food, and I love speaking French!

Q: What is your secret talent?

I can play the baritone ukulele fairly well! My favorite tune is “Crazy,” made famous by Patsy Cline but written by Willie Nelson.

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Definitely Korean food. My husband, kids and I are obsessed with Korean food and can’t wait to go to Korea someday.

Jess’s daughter, Nina, enjoys some Korean food.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

Be a farmer! I have a big garden and chickens in my backyard in Chicago but I would love to have a legit farm someday.

Q: What is your spirit animal?

This is so nerdy but my kids and I are obsessed with birding. We’ve been lucky to spot the scarlet tanager and the northern flicker here in Chicago. Anyways, I guess my spirit animal would be a goldfinch, such a pretty, sweet, and laid back bird.

Looking for birds in the forest.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

That moment when I was living in Cote D’Ivoire and finally was completely fluent in French! It’s an amazing feeling, when you suddenly realize everyone understand you and you understand them!

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

I love working with such smart and nice group of people! I work from home most of the time, so I also really enjoy coming into the office and having someone else make the coffee!

Jess’s husband and kids plan their future travel adventures.

October 31, 2017
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Kara Menini

Meet Kara Menini, Greenheart Travel’s Teach, TEFL and Work Programs Manager!

Kara’s first trip abroad was a 10-day trip to France with her high school French class, and ever since then has had an insatiable desire to see the world. Kara graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2011 with a Bachelor’s in English non-fiction writing and a minor in French.

In November of 2013, Kara got on a plane bound for Thailand to teach English on Greenheart’s Teach in Thailand program. There, she taught at an all-boys boarding school in the Nakhon Pathom province, learned how to ride side-saddle on a motorbike, and discovered the ever delicious khao mun gai. When Kara is not daydreaming about Thailand, she enjoys cooking, binge-watching Netflix, rock climbing and dabbling in photography.

Read on to learn a bit more about Kara’s favorite international city, a special travel “aha” moment and why she loves working at Greenheart Travel.

Kara with some of her students in Thailand.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Naperville which is a suburb of Chicago. I had a pretty typical suburban upbringing – I played volleyball in school, went on a cruise to Mexico once, did a school trip to France in high school, my first apartment was a less than a mile from my parents’ house – nothing exciting. You know, the usual.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

I haven’t spent too much time there, but right now I would have to say Mexico City. I had only been to touristy areas of Mexico so I had written it off as an interesting destination until I had the opportunity to go there for our retreat last year. Mexico City was a very pleasant surprise – it’s absolutely massive, the food is amazing and it’s so diverse and vibrant. It reminds me a lot of Chicago and I think that’s why I loved it so much.

Q: What is your secret talent?

I can lace my toes like most people can lace their fingers together. I didn’t realize it was weird until my friend and I were watching TV in 7^th grade and I started doing it without thinking. Her reaction of “AHH what are you doing that’s weird and gross” made me realize that 1. not everyone can do this and 2. it is really weird.

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Thai food, definitely! The food is a delicious balance of sweet, spicy, sour and salty and the different regions all have their own specialties so I feel like there’s enough variety to keep me happy for the next few decades.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

Travel forever, all the time and get paid to do it but don’t actually do any work.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

It was the morning after I arrived in Hua Hin for my orientation in Thailand. I ended up not sharing a room at the hostel and woke up promptly at 5am thanks to jetlag and felt too restless to just lie in bed and watch a movie until everyone else woke up. I initially opened the door to the small balcony in my room to check how hot it was already, but the hazy early morning horizon drew me to the edge of the patio. I leaned on the thick concrete ledge; forearms laid flat, one in front of the other, gazed at the seemingly limitless number of palm trees with homes and streets sprinkled in between and fully realized I had actually moved literally half-way across the world. It was a moment of tranquility, awe and pride – an emotion I’ve been chasing ever since.

Kara with some of her students in Thailand.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

I had the opportunity to have an amazing, life changing experience teaching in Thailand and I get to help others do the same every day. I love that I get to work for an organization whose mission I believe in and have the opportunity to spread.

October 31, 2017
Meet the Greenheart Travel Team: Kate Powers

Meet Kate Powers, Greenheart Travel’s Outreach Coordinator!

Kate’s first experience leaving the comforts of home for an extended period of time was when her parents pulled her siblings and her out of school for a year to travel around the United States in a bus. She’s been on the lookout to book her next exciting trip ever since.

While attending a wedding in Greece, paragliding in Ecuador, becoming scuba certified in Thailand, cliff diving the cenotes of Mexico, and skiing the Pyrenees in Andorra, Kate immersed herself in the culture of each new country by staying with locals, learning the customs, and of course, eating everything there was to offer. She likes to spend her time at home meeting up with friends, exploring her new city of Chicago, and reading a good book in a cozy spot.

Read on to learn a bit more about Kate’s favorite international city, her favorite travel “aha” moment and which cuisine she would gladly eat every day.

Q: Where did you grow up?

I lived in New Jersey during grade school, Western New York during high school, and my family is now located in Pittsburgh, PA.

Q: What is your favorite international city?

I fell in love with Budapest right away. The architecture throughout the city is stunning, as well as the views along the Danube river. The food was amazing, there were endless amounts of things to do and see, and the history throughout the city is compelling. I always feel cheated about the time I spent there as my last few days were spent sick and pretty much immobile in my hostel bed, so a trip back is definitely needed!

Q: What is your secret talent?

After years of practice and many disastrous failures, I have finally perfected my favorite breakfast: Fried egg over medium and cheese on an English muffin. (The disasters were of the egg-flipping variety.)

Q: If you could eat only one country’s style of food for the rest of your life, which would it be?

That’s an easy one: Spain! I’ll never get my fill of Spanish cuisine. I think my host family in Spain was a little taken aback at how often I ate.

Q: Complete the sentence: When I grow up I want to __________.

There’s definitely a long list, but living on a houseboat is at the top. I saw it in a movie when I was a kid and the idea has never escaped my mind since then.

Q: What is your spirit animal?

Sea otter. I remember seeing one playing games in the water for hours on end, completely content, and I really related to that.

Q: What is your favorite travel “AHA! moment” or memory?

While I was in Ecuador, the friend I was visiting was trying to explain a game to me in English but I didn’t understand the rules. A second friend walked in the room and asked, in Spanish, if she had explained the game to me. They then proceeded to have a conversation, in Spanish, about how I wasn’t grasping the concept of the game. I had to pause for a second to realize that I had understood the exchange in a foreign language perfectly fine, but couldn’t grasp a children’s game when explained in my native tongue. I wasn’t sure whether to be proud of my budding second language abilities or worry about my lack of comprehension at the moment.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working for Greenheart Travel?

So far, it’s working with people who have such amazing and unique stories to share.

June 7, 2017