Living Abroad in Childhood Inspired Travel Professional's Career

Guest Post by Kris Weinand

My dad was in the Air Force while I was growing up, which meant a lot of moving around.  It also meant a lot of traveling, especially when we were fortunate enough to be stationed in England for 5 years.  About an hour outside of London, we made frequent trips to London and to as many castles as possible.  I will never forget walking several miles to get to what was literally a large boulder that my parents insisted we see.  This boulder, as it turns out, was the only remaining piece of Fotheringhay Castle, a castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned for years and the site of her execution. The history embedded in that one rock!  Amazing!

Taking advantage of our European location meant we also took trips to the mainland, visiting France, Spain (Seville Easter parade on my 12th birthday!), Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and even the Czech Republic shortly after the wall fell.  Atari and Levi’s were the big craze in Prague in 1990!

When I returned to the US in high school, which was quite the culture shock let me tell you, I relished my history classes.  Needless to say, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand my passion when I could actually say “I’ve seen that” about something we were learning.  That hands-on experience is invaluable.  Imagine my luck at finding a career that affords me the opportunity to let other students experience that magic.  

A friend of a friend (who incidentally became one of my very best friends, and whom I lost to cancer) referred me to passports and I began my almost 15-year career with them in 1999.  Meeting and working with educators who share the passion of travel and making our world more accessible is something I would not trade.  Not to mention I’ve been able to get back to Europe several times since, even getting to Italy and to Ireland, places my family “neglected” to take me to during our time in England.  It is my great pleasure to work for a company that is so customer service oriented and one that provides top-notch tours to educators, students and all types of groups.

Kris Weinand is an Associate Director of Admissions for passports. She has spent the last several years in Maine, telecommuting from her home, where she lives with her husband, Greg, her son, Kyle, and their dogs. Kris is in constant touch with passports headquarters, using the latest technology. A history buff, Kris also loves sports and music.