The California-born and world-bred Jennifer MacKay speaks with e-Travel Blackboard about life in Mexico, the Obamas and her travel essentials.

What drew you to work in the travel industry?
Initially, I was looking for a change of pace from catering and cooking and started guiding for Backroads (an international active travel company). After many years guiding for them, I moved to Mexico with my family for another change of pace and we started doing bird watching tours, accommodations and other services for travelers.

What do you like most about your job?
I enjoy meeting the many different people who make their way to our hotel and join us on our trips. The opportunity to share our experiences with others is what keeps it interesting. No two days are the same in this work.

Who do you admire and see as a role model in the travel industry?
There are a couple of travel companies…Backroads (owned by Tom Hale) and Field Guides (a birding tour company, which is collectively owned by the leaders) are both inspirations in the tour world. For hotels and hospitality, I’m inspired by the many small inn owners who put their heart and soul into their business and help make a difference in people’s lives, one guest at a time.

What do you want to see improve in the industry?
Working in Mexico, I would like to see ‘the rest of the story’ come out about what a great country it is to travel in, how welcoming and warm the people are and how safe it is to travel here. The media and the tourism industry are doing this country and its hardworking people a great disservice by portraying it to be a very dangerous place. It is not the case and we are doing all we can to dispel those perceptions.

What destinations are on your travel bucket list?
Iceland, more of Spain, India for yoga, Chile and Argentina…

What’s a memorable travel experience you’ve had (good or bad)?
I’ve had so many over the years…backpacking for 10 days on a remote trail in the Peruvian Andes with my family (I was 17 and I was with my Mom and Dad and two sisters and brother)…our ultimate destination was Machu Picchu. Arriving there and bearing witness to that other-worldly place has made a lasting impression on me, not to mention backpacking over a 15,000 foot pass to get there!

What are three things you must always take with you when you travel?
My small Petzl headlamp, my silk sleep sack and my great Swiss Army knife.

Name someone famous you’d like to travel with and where you’d like to take them.
Michelle and Barack Obama…I’d like to take them around Alamos, up the Sierra de Alamos, into the backcountry of the foothills of the Sierra Madre (where I’m working on a conservation project to protect the tropical deciduous forest) and then relaxing in the palapa at El Pedregal, talking about life and the world and all there is to do!