I first traveled to the UK during my university semester abroad in London. As I became a Londoner during my four months in England, and largely by expanding my comfort zone every day, I came to understand that cultural immersion through travel and new experiences are paramount to personal growth and a greater understanding of the world and my place in it.
During my time abroad I traveled to the West of Ireland in a rental car on a solo meandering journey, connecting with locals in small towns and experiencing their culture from Connemara to the Cliffs of Moher. I began my career in travel sales at EF Educational Tours, where I managed sales for the state of West Virginia.
Looking for that tailor-made and private experience to provide to the discerning traveller to best pay my experiences forward, I moved to Audley as a specialist for the UK and Ireland.
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Q&A with Jeff
What’s the best local dish you’ve tasted?
Classic Irish bangers and mash with a Guinness in Dublin. The encyclopaedia entry of “comfort food” in the heart of the land for it. With fresh, albeit few ingredients, and paired with a slow-poured local Guinness (which does taste better there than anywhere else in the world), you’ll feel like a proper Dubliner by the end of this one, and be hard-pressed to order anything else for supper in the evenings to come.
What is your most vivid travel moment?
I was in Cork, Ireland, on a free day and after coming back from Cobh on the coast (where the Titanic docked before heading across the Atlantic) via a quick train ride, I saw red and white jerseys all about the city. I decided to follow these fans to the Páirc Uí Chaoimh, where I learned there was a massive Irish hurling match between the counties of Cork and Tipperary. I managed to secure a ticket and entered the most immersive cultural experience of my life — 45,000 fans to watch one of the biggest matches of the season, in a sport most Americans haven’t heard of.
Which book, film or artwork captures Ireland the most?
'Waking Ned Devine' is a fantastic lesser-known British film about a small Irish village wherein (and without spoiling anything) an elderly member of its community dies from the shock of winning the lottery. The village, including 52 inhabitants, then conspires to keep and share the winnings. The movie’s soundtrack is second-to-none as far as authentic Irish tunes and instruments, most notably the uilleann pipe (or Irish bagpipe) plus the plot, script and cast, do well to keep you entirely immersed in their little community.