Guide Spotlight: Brittany Golden

Brittany Golden has been with Wonder Voyage for 8 years. Her youthful glee for new discoveries makes her an excellent Voyage Coordinator as she tries to add opportunities for new experiences to each of her trips.

Brittany is a history buff who often connects to a location through research. As a student, she traveled to Dover in Southeast England and toured a massive castle that had been around for centuries. In WWII, the English army dug out the ancient tunnels under the castle and used it for barracks, a hospital, and a training facility. Enemy planes would fly over the castle, see no activity, and move on completely unaware of everything happening below the surface.

“I walked through those tunnels and saw carvings in the rock about someone declaring their love for someone else dated back in 1495 and I was blown away. It made me rethink how big God and time are. God’s been moving in people’s lives for centuries, and some of those people stood in this exact spot. It’s mind-blowing.”

For Brittany, it is those unplanned moments of stumbling on something unexpected that brings her wonder. As the one who plans every trip she takes, however, those moments get harder and harder to find.

“I remember when I first started with Wonder Voyage, Shawn took a few of us staffers along as chaperones on a trip with a big group of teenagers. He didn’t tell the staff what we’d be doing. It was the first time I’d ever experienced a circus or been to the top of the Empire State Building. The beauty and adventure made me feel like a kid at Christmas. It was extravagant and unexpected. I long to bring those moments of ‘wow’ to the groups that I lead and the trips that I plan for others.”

Her most recent experience with wonder was in Cape Town. The team had just finished their hike and toured the lighthouse at the tip of the continent. Brittany’s plan for the day was complete.

“The team saw an antelope-like animal on a trail and asked if we could hike to see where the path led. We had time, so I agreed. A little ways down, the trail opened up to a white sand beach. No one was there. It was one of those picturesque views that you see in the movies. It was breathtaking. As many of these trips as I’ve planned and led, it’s hard to surprise me, but it’s moments like this that remind me that wonder can always be waiting right around the corner.”