As I sit here looking out across the Messenian Bay, I can’t help smiling about how much my life has changed since I was last on this bench two years ago.
Back then I was still working as a lawyer in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Life was comfortable; perhaps a little too comfortable. I had a 10 minute commute to work by bike, money to travel at the weekends, great colleagues and I was living in the centre of a beautiful old French city. But something wasn’t quite right; I no longer felt passionate about my work.
As I watched the glow of the rising sun creep up the face of Machhapuchhre near Pokhara, Nepal, a part of me already knew that I had to make a career change.
At first I thought it was just a passing phase. I had recently been on an amazing trip to Nepal, where I saw the positive effects ecotourism was having on local communities and the environment, and it was proving difficult to settle back into my daily office routine. But this was more than just a phase. Something inside me changed during those three weeks in the Himalayas and deep down I knew that I should be doing something other than sitting behind a desk working with legal documents. I had to make a change, but I didn’t know how or in what direction.
A couple of months later, sitting on this very bench, I read some great advice on how to find out what you are truly passionate about. The author said that you should think back to your childhood and what you loved doing then – before you faced the pressures of adult life like finding a well-paid job, being in a relationship, paying the rent etc. It made me reminisce about mountaineering trips with my father in the UK – I literally grew up in the back of his rucksack.
I have always loved being outdoors, especially in the mountains – I feel my best when I’m surrounded by them. I pondered how I could find a job involving mountains and it brought me back to my trip to Nepal. It was then that I realised how I had inadvertently stumbled upon something through which I could combine my childhood passion with my newfound interest in sustainability: ecotourism.
But how does a lawyer with no ecotourism training or experience set off down that untrodden path? And, most importantly, what exactly was it that I wanted to do? Ecotourism is a global and diverse field – finding out specifically what kind of project I wanted to work on and where I wanted to be proved to be the greatest challenge of all. I was excited to have finally found something I was passionate about, but I had no idea where to start – it was all rather overwhelming.
So I did what anyone would do: I Googled “ecotourism” and discovered The International Ecotourism Society. Attending their annual Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in the USA was an amazing experience, and proved to be the push forward I needed to get started on this new journey of discovery. As a result of the contacts I made at the conference I was offered two internships – one with Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality in Costa Rica, where I worked in every department of two luxury sustainable hotels – and the other at Maho Bay Camps in the US Virgin Islands, regarded by many as the place where the ecotourism movement began back in the seventies, a part of ecotourism history which tragically closed in May.
Working in ecotourism heaven, Costa Rica, I was able to play an active role in local conservation and community projects. The sustainability departments of the hotels I worked in encouraged guests and staff to get involved in a series of projects that were all about giving back. We worked closely with local schools and villages, educating the younger generation about sustainability, listening intently to what the communities’ needs were and working in harmony to preserve the country’s stunningly beautiful natural heritage. Tree planting, beach cleaning, collecting garbage to prevent dengue fever, supplying equipment to local schools, working with indigenous communities to promote their handicrafts: just a few examples of the inspiring projects implemented by some of the top ecotourism destinations in the world.
Helping a local school in Costa Rica.
Maho Bay Camps was a different story – although just as fascinating. After the luxury of Costa Rica’s resorts, Maho showed me a different side of ecotourism: the “roughing it” side. Living and working in simple tent structures in the forest of St John, I was in constant contact with nature. Bananaquits woke me up in the morning, lizards crawled though my belongings, and sea turtles swam with me in the crystal clear waters. I walked, lived and breathed the surrounding nature – something that I feel is an essential part of any ecotourism experience.
My home at Maho.
Getting out in the field and gaining practical experience is essential for anyone considering such a radical career change, and it proved extremely beneficial in my case. Working at such legendary ecotourism destinations provided me with a clear understanding of how the field functions, and a wealth of experience. It confirmed that my decision to change was right for me. Being involved in such projects made me eager to learn more, to do more and to give more. When I was faced with the decision about what to do next (Should I do more internships? Should I find a job working at an eco-resort? Should I work with a company organising ecotourism holidays?), my new-found experience in the field allowed me to feel confident in my choice: I wanted to create my own project. This dream that had been at the back of my mind for some time started taking shape. It sounded crazy, but I felt compelled to give it a go. So I started thinking, preparing, and planning. And the first thing I needed to figure out was where I wanted this project to be.
Ecotourism is a concept most commonly associated with exotic, far-away destinations, and I was amazed to see the relatively low number of projects in Europe compared to other places in the world. I had always felt that Southern Europe has a lot to offer in terms of ecotourism, with the added perk (for the European market) of not having to fly 12 hour flights to get there, thereby massively increasing the carbon footprint of the holiday. Even though there is a growing awareness of sustainable tourism issues in Europe, it seemed that there was still a gap in the market as far as ecotourism destinations are concerned. So I decided to explore countries that fit the criteria I had in mind: amazing natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and a mild climate.
Greece seemed like the perfect fit. I’d recently travelled around its lesser-known mainland and was amazed at what I saw. The current crisis makes such a sustainable project even more necessary for the support of the local economy and communities. An ever-increasing number of people are leaving the cities and turning towards a simpler, less stressful life. The countryside is slowly being rejuvenated, with many creative young people wanting to work and live away from the city. All we hear in the news is how the crisis is tearing the country apart, but what we rarely hear is how the crisis is making the country more alive, more active, and the people more caring, more creative and more productive. It has always been a place of amazing natural beauty – and now is actually a great time to be there, a great time to start a new project. Currently trying to find the ideal site for development and build a network of contacts in the now forming Greek ecotourism community, I feel more and more convinced that this is the place to be.
Incredible scenery in mainland Greece.
Trying to get a project off the ground in a flailing economy is and will be a challenge. But the people are warm and welcoming, both within the global and the Greek ecotourism world. I don’t yet know what obstacles I’ll find down that path – I know now, however, how much more energy you have when it comes to fighting for what you believe in.
My past life as a lawyer seems like a distant memory today and I don’t regret a thing. I don’t know about my lawyer self, but I’m pretty sure my 13-year-old self would be proud of me now. That is enough to make me happy. And I can’t help wondering how much further along this path of discovery I will be when I come back to this bench in another two years.
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