The GuideMie Story

I founded GuideMie in September 2023 after I earned my Master's in International Affairs from the Bush School at Texas A&M University and teaching English for 7 years. After graduation, I knew I'd rather jump on a plane and visit a market in the natural jungle than jump back into a classroom or into an elevator in the concrete jungle. 

This seed though, this desire to start my own business, had been growing for over ten years. I wanted to start a business helping people travel over 10 years ago, but I had no idea what type of business to start.  My first idea was creating a company called 가자 'kaja' to help people find cool bars and clubs around Korea-and then the world! That way, One Beer Dave would have an excuse to keep partying til he couldn't stand up (after two beers)! I remember at the time feeling like hot shit posting drunk photos of myself on my Facebook from a far-off corner of the world and debating with other 20-something travelers about where the best clubs in the world are located. But, I knew something was missing.

Back then, I didn’t have the maturity to see that travel can bring more than a good time and what I thought was acceptance and credibility.  

Traveling is an education and a key part to lifelong learning. Travelling takes you out of your comfort zone and to build REAL relationships with others who are different from you. Travelling makes you develop critical thinking skills, carry-out detailed plans, and accept personally responsible for your successes and failures. Travelling provides you genuine opportunities to see the world differently, speak differently, and think differently every single day.

Best of all, travelling forces you to suck at something so simple that you take for granted. It might be eating, it might be overcoming loneliness, it might be buying a coffee or using a squatty potty. But after you do something repeatedly, you will learn and be better at it than before. (There's an expression for this in Russian повтерение--мать учениня) "repetition is the mother of learning"

When you go through these experiences with someone, or a group of friends, you will share some incredible laughs, unique stories, and will gain experiences that no one can take away from you.  GuideMie's primary purpose is to help you maximize these gains and keep the adventures rolling--not the tears.

 On the surface, time abroad may just look like an investment in yourself.  In reality, it’s really much more than that-- 

Travel really isn’t about the destination, nor is it about getting there… it’s about discovering more. More about yourself. More about the world. More about what’s possible. And more of what you’re not willing to compromise for a price.  

Billions of people will never have the opportunity to invest in themselves through traveling abroad. You do. Be their window to the world.