GR Tanzania sports two of our most seasoned GR leaders, David and Liz!
David Ficke is a veteran leader with Global Routes who led our Ecuador trip last year and has also spent several seasons leading with Longacre Expeditions all over the US and Canada. He is no stranger to Africa — or Tanzania for that matter — having spent three months traveling overland from South Africa to Uganda. He has studied abroad in the UK, volunteered with Americorps, taught English in Thailand, and traveled all over Latin America on his own. He is really looking forward to getting to know Tanzanian culture better, hiking on Mt. Meru, snorkeling in Zanzibar, and going on safari in the great Ngorongoro crater.
Liz MacNeil is also a seasoned leader with Global Routes/Windsor Mountain, having led our programs in Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and developed programs in Latin America. She has also led with a number of organizations, schools, and commercial outfitters all over the world, most recently for Fluid Adventures in Santa Catalina/Coiba National Park, Panama as a sea kayak and snorkeling guide. A native of Asheville, NC, Liz now calls California home, where recently she circumnavigated Lake Tahoe in her sea kayak. She describes herself as “officially addicted to travel and the personal process we undergo when exploring new places and meeting people from all over the world, sharing our culture, views, and collective experiences.”
Some advice for this summer’s GR students from Liz:
“You should prepare yourselves to be physically and emotionally challenged. We’ll have some long days working in local communities, visiting beautiful places, and witnessing some children and adults who live with many challenges. Nonetheless, you’ll never forget their smiles and the stories they share with us, but it can be challenging at times to witness some of the hardships they have endured. We’ll have some days with early mornings, hot weather, and late nights which can be absolutely exhausting, but having a positive flexible attitude and encouraging others around you to do the same can make all the difference in the world.”
Only one week until staff training – we hope you are as excited as we are!
