Michelle Dodd

Michelle

My desire to travel the world began long before I was even aware. My father was a Master Mariner in the Merchant Navy and was fortunate enough to travel the world and experience various cultures far and wide. As a child I always looked forward to which small piece of the globe he would return with, as a gift for me. The most precious gifts were the stories he told about the places he would visit and the wonderful, diverse cultures he had experienced. At the age of sixteen, I experienced my first long-haul flight, to West Africa. On arrival at the hotel, I encountered the cabin crew who had looked after us on our flight over, relaxing and having fun by the pool. That is when I knew that this was the perfect job for me, where I could travel the world, embark on my own adventure, and share my stories, making memories.

At sixteen, I was too young to become a cabin crew member, but a few years later I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday in Florida. The moment I boarded that jumbo jet, I reaffirmed to myself that this was something I really needed to be a part of, this was the career for me. On landing into Miami, I disembarked knowing my passion was to travel and that is where it all began, my dream turned into reality. I gained my wings with an international airline and commenced my own travel adventure, travelling around the globe for work and pleasure, making memories with friends and family, never taking for granted this amazing opportunity I had been given.

My twenty seven years as a cabin crew member, twelve of those as an onboard manager, enabled me to achieve so many hope and wishes, horse riding along the surf on a beach in California, hiring a boat and swimming in Lake Mead, Nevada, whale watching and visiting the witches of Salem, Boston and spending Christmas watching The Rockettes at Radio City Hall, New York. There is still so much for me to see, it’s such a fascinating, big world out there and I’ll never stop exploring but, in the meantime, I’d love to share my travel experience and knowledge with you.

Having the opportunity to join such a fabulous team here at DoorsToManual was incredible, as it enabled me to do just that, share my knowledge of travel, creating the perfect holiday, tailor made to suit my client’s needs and expectations, putting the ‘extra’ into the ordinary and making it extraordinary. Whether it is an activity you are interested in, roller blading along Venice Beach, hiking in the Hollywood hills, or adventure, exploring a Caribbean jungle, wildlife watching in Antarctica, or simply needing to kick back and relax watching the sun setting on the beautiful beaches of the Turks and Caicos Islands, I would be delighted to make it happen. If you are unsure of where you would like to escape to, let me inspire you, let me do the groundwork to make your time away hassle free, leaving you with just wonderful memories to take home.

I have always believed we should travel as much as we can, as far as we can, for as long as we can and my many years as a cabin crew member was more than just a job, it was a lifestyle. The places I visited, most of them gave the feeling of home from home, the local people and their families I made friends with, sampling the local cuisine, the exotic flavours, dining in exquisite restaurants to the most delicious street vendor foods, all this coupled with my many adventures, has provided me with travel secrets which can add a little magic touch to your escape. Let me help create your dream getaway along with recommendations of places to visit and things to do and see at your destination with no obligation.

All our holidays are fully ABTA and ATOL protected to give you peace of mind, so let’s get planning, your adventure awaits!