My Story

My love of travel started as a youngster.  Although an Austrian native (eine Salzburgerin) I only lived there year round for a short time and always yearned to return during school holidays.  The first day of summer vacation I would board the Orient Express from Paris to Salzburg.  I traveled alone (starting at age 12) in a couchette accompanied by five other travelers so during the years of summer travel I met numerous foreign nationals.  This really sparked my interest in different cultures and the desire to explore the world.  I loved meeting new people and learning about their cultures and dreamed of being a flight attendant.  Becoming a flight attendant for Lufthansa seemed like the perfect fit.  Speaking three languages and full of spunk, an automatic in seemed natural only to learn that poor eyesight prevented flying (contacts were not an option).  I briefly worked as an interpreter in an upscale hotel in Germany prior to meeting my future husband.  After a three year romance across the Atlantic I moved to Virginia.  Living in Virginia made international travel easy and my husband, Doni, and I enjoyed traveling for many years; however, with our move to the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the birth of our beautiful children the opportunities to travel were limited.  My husband, an art teacher, was Mr. Mom entertaining the children during the summer months while I worked in education administration year round. When the children were younger vacations were at the seashore or ski slopes or travel to Santa Fe or Taos.  As the children matured the desire for international travel resurfaced as I wanted to share my Austrian roots with them.  It took only one Europe adventure to re-ignite my urge.  With approaching retirement years it seemed only natural to jumpstart a new career.  Travel school was a must as it was the only path to see the world which I longed to explore.  Juggling work, family and school I earned my travel certificate!  Wanting to absorb and to experience as much as possible, I worked several hours daily in a travel agency while continuing my education work.  After five years of travel agency experience plus numerous familiarization trips to many countries, it was time to retire from the educational arena and to embark on a new journey to fulfill my dream.  Sole’ Travel was born! 

Every vacation package is like my own!  Expertise, experience and enthusiasm are key to the success of Sole’ Travel! Embrace your horizon and allow Sole’ Travel to create a unique experience with classic flair yet value driven!! 

Gudrun Tiefenthaler Vest

President, Sole’ Travel, Inc.

Credits:

• Charlie Brown’s School of Travel, Colorado Springs, CO – Certification
• Aruba Certified Expert
• Classic Custom Vacations Expert
• Disney Specialist
• Europe Specialist (provide customized vacation packages)
• Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruise Seminar at Sea Certification
• Sandals & Beaches Certification