There are people who refuse to watch the world from the sidelines. They are not tour guides. They are not influencers. They are ordinary people who made extraordinary choices.
They stopped waiting for the right moment and just left. They faced their fears, crossed deserts, met strangers and then decided to do it all over again, bringing others along with them. In this series, WeRoad Group Leaders share how travel can change you, and why doing it together with others can make all the difference.
This is Meredith’s story.
From criminology to the open road: when one ad changes everything
Meredith had already lived in Ireland and the United States. She knew she was not ready to settle down. She was scrolling through Instagram one day when a WeRoad ad appeared and she applied, even though WeRoad had not yet launched in France.
That one decision changed everything. Today she still leads trips, but she also works with the French Group Leader community, helping recruit, train and support the next generation of Group Leaders. It all started with a single scroll.
So what drives a criminologist and former prison psychologist to trade her career for a life on the road? We asked her.
IDENTIKIT
- Group Leader and French Community Coordinator
- France
- 4 years as WeRoad Group Leader
How did you become a WeRoad Group Leader?
I became a Group Leader because I was looking for a job connected to travel. One day I came across a WeRoad ad on Instagram and decided to apply. At the time, WeRoad had not even launched in France yet, but I was immediately drawn to the idea of meeting new people while travelling.
By then I had already lived abroad in Ireland and in the United States and I knew I was not ready to settle down. Honestly, I still am not. Travelling had already become part of who I was, so becoming a Group Leader felt like the most natural next step.
I never imagined it would become such an important part of my life. Today I still lead trips, but I also work with the French Group Leader community, helping recruit, train and support new Group Leaders. It all started with one Instagram ad.
Is there a moment from a trip that you can still vividly picture when you close your eyes?
There are actually two and they could not be more different.
The first is very personal. After spending almost seven hours searching for whale sharks, we finally found one. I jumped into the water, saw nothing but bubbles, and then suddenly it appeared. Time almost stopped. I remember thinking: “I am actually here. I am alive.” It felt completely unreal, and it is still one of the most breathtaking moments of my life.
The second happened at an airport in India, waiting for a delayed flight. Someone suggested playing Uno to pass the time. It was such a simple moment, but somehow everyone around us became completely invested in the game. We were laughing so hard we were crying. Nothing extraordinary happened. And that is exactly what I love about group travel: some of the best memories come from the simplest moments.
What really changes when you travel with people you have never met before?
For me, it always starts with a little bit of stress. Before every trip, I wonder whether everyone will get along, whether the group dynamic will work and I already feel responsible for making it a memorable experience. But what makes these trips so special is watching complete strangers slowly become a little family.
On the first day, everyone is figuring each other out. Then, little by little, you discover who they are, what brought them on the trip, what they are passionate about, what they are going through. You realise that behind every traveller there is a completely different story.
Travel creates a space where people open up in a way they rarely do in everyday life. Conversations about dreams, fears, relationships and life changes happen naturally, all while watching the northern lights in Iceland or hiking in Patagonia, because everyone is out of their comfort zone and living something unique together.
What does a Group Leader do that travellers never see?
People often think the job starts when the trip begins. But there is a lot happening before the first flight.
I am always looking for ways to turn a great trip into an unforgettable one. That means researching the best local restaurants, finding hidden gems, choosing activities that fit both the destination and the group’s energy and always having a Plan B, C, D.
During the trip, a big part of the job is simply paying attention. Noticing when someone feels left out, encouraging quieter travellers to join the conversation, solving problems before they become visible. Sometimes you are an organiser, sometimes a problem solver, and sometimes you are just the person who is there to listen. The goal is always the same: making sure every traveller goes home with memories they will never forget.
What does your background in psychology bring to the way you lead a group on the road?
My background in psychology helps me understand both group dynamics and individual personalities. Every group is different, and every traveller has different expectations, different ways of communicating and different needs. Being able to read those dynamics helps me create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and included.
Travel is also a time when people reflect on their lives. Many travellers end up sharing things they would never talk about back home. My role is not to be a psychologist on the road, but knowing how to listen without judging, and understanding different personalities, helps me create a space where people feel safe being themselves.
In the end, that is what I enjoy the most: helping people connect, not only with the destination, but with each other, and sometimes even with themselves.
Discover them. Fall in love with their stories.
Meredith applied for a job that did not yet exist in her country, for a company she had discovered on Instagram. She was not ready to settle down then and she still is not. She just traded the psychology office for the open road, and found that the work is not so different after all.
Her story is one of the many that WeRoad Group Leaders carry with them. Not the destination, not the itinerary: the person they were before they left, and the one they became along the way.
On this blog, we share their stories, one at a time. Because behind every WeRoad trip there is always someone who chose to take the leap and then decided never to stop, bringing others along for the ride.
Curious to discover more extraordinary stories from WeRoad Group Leaders? Come and meet Lorenzo too!
