Interview with Axel
Axel is a former IT worker who left the corporate world after discovering that his knack for organizing great cycling and hiking trips for friends could be a career, too. And now as a My Way® manager he gets to spend much more time hiking — because he primarily leads My Way itineraries, including our My Way® Alpine Europe Tour. (He likes to joke that he still works in IT…International Tours.)
You're American, but spent lots of time in Europe growing up. Where did you travel most?
Scandinavia. I grew up on the West Coast in a home with strong Scandinavian family ties. My mom's side of the family gave me the interest in culture and language, while my dad's inspired a love of maps and history. Each year, as soon as school ended, I was on a plane to Sweden, spending the long summer days with friends sailing, swimming, and building forts on the islands and inlets near Stockholm. In the years that followed, I attended part of middle school there and then lived for several years in Finland as well.
What was your path to becoming a guide?
I built a career in IT, working in data management at large companies like Microsoft and Arla (a huge dairy brand in Scandinavia) before heading my own consultancy and then becoming the CTO for a small fintech company. But when I wasn't at a computer, I was either flying (I have a pilot's license) or organizing hiking and cycling trips for friends — and it was here that I started to seriously consider guiding. When Covid hit, I decided I wanted to spend less time behind a screen and more time outdoors. A friend who works for Rick Steves mentioned they were looking for Europe-based guides, so I reached out…and the rest is history.
You encourage your tour members to see themselves as "more than just a tourist" and tap into their "inner child." What does this mean?
It's rooted in Rick's philosophy of experiencing the country like a local — which I couldn't agree with more. I think how you hold yourself in your mind as you move through places makes a huge difference. If you see yourself as "just a tourist" or an outsider looking in, you'll have a different experience than if you're able to reimagine yourself as a local to some degree. If you can do that, you start to feel how it is to live in and really be part of a place. Of course, you can't do that perfectly. But this is what children do when they play make-believe. They experience themselves as a key part of something new and totally different. The same magic that children tap into in their imaginations is useful for seeing and understanding a new place from the inside out.
You regularly manage our My Way Alpine Europe tour. What do you love most about them?
Well first, I always enjoy seeing the places I love through fresh eyes. And when those places are naturally stunning destinations like the Swiss Alps, Dolomites, and French Alps — each a stop on that tour — the reactions are often outstanding. It's jaw-dropping beauty; some of these places are surreal. Lauterbrunnen, for example…I've been there dozens of times and still, every time I see it, I can't believe a place like that really exists. And so, when I get to see tour members see it for the first time, it's priceless.
Are there other elements to guiding that you consider priceless?
Absolutely — there's more just from watching the happiness of tour members! When they joyfully recount the little coincidences that travelers experience, like a shopkeeper who was particularly kind or a conversation with a local who invited them to dinner. Or seeing those who are in Europe for the first time discover and embrace the experience, watching them gain confidence after the first few days, and then overhearing them plan their next trip. I love it all.
Have you really gone paragliding on tour?
Yep! It happened because I had a tour member who had just turned 80 and celebrated by going on a tandem paraglide ride. Several of us stood and watched her fly around Chamonix — she was very inspiring to all of us. It was so inspiring that, the following year, I went myself. My partner was gung-ho about me doing it, and I knew that if I didn't, I'd hear about it forevermore. But wow, what a memory. I thought I was going to receive the usual 5- to 10-minute safety briefing…but then the guide casually said, "Hey, would you mind taking a few steps that way?" as he nodded toward the slope. No problem! Three seconds later we were airborne. Looking back, it was good I didn't have more time to think. Thinking often causes more suffering than just doing. Plus, I'm not great with heights…so this was a big deal.
Wait, you're not great with heights — but you have a pilot's license and lead our My Way Alpine Europe tour?
It's complicated.
Here's what Axel won't tell you…but his tour members will:
"In addition to being an excellent tour manager, Axel is a kind and caring person, which clearly came through in his patience, attention to individual needs, and genuine caring and concern for everyone on the tour. He made the tour easy!"
— My Way Alpine Europe Tour Member