When you think of the Pacific Northwest, what comes to mind?
A. Nature and outdoor activities
B. Sasquatch
C. Rain
D. ’90s grunge
E. A few notorious criminals
F. That specific blue and green worn by PNW moms
If you ask Brie Laridon, she’s likely to choose A.
She, like a lot of people who work at CLI, loves spending time outside. And outside doesn’t only mean her backyard. (Although with the Pacific Ocean within a stone’s throw of her house, no one would blame her.) She also loves a good adventure abroad.
Here’s Brie.
What is your role here at CLI?
I started as a customer service representative (CSR) and have been serving in the role of interpreter liaison for about 5 years. My liaison position involves a lot of roles, including researching and answering payment questions from interpreters, verifying contract status from outside vendors for loan or other applications, making sure payment adjustments are submitted on time, and managing various other interpreter needs.
There are various situations that arise, too. Every day is different as there are so many interpreters, so it provides a good level of variety, and I love the team I work with.
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
Morocco is still on my list. My trip was delayed because of COVID, yet I’ve heard it is such a beautiful place to photograph and has a ton of variety for the senses to take in. I’d love to spend a night under those desert stars!
I do travel solo as I did to Japan and other countries, but with some areas, I prefer a guided adventure. Intrepid Travel and G Adventures are two companies that I would recommend as needed. I’ve used them before when I went to India and Thailand, and I would likely go with them in the future to Morocco if the opportunity arises. I appreciate that they’re more affordable and use local guides and services as much as possible.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen while on an adventure?
Regarding strangeness, I believe everything is relative, so that’s hard for me to pinpoint; however, one interesting experience I had was tasting live lime ants in the Amazon jungle. They weren’t bad; they were so tiny, and actually tasted like licking a lime.
What’s your most memorable?
A memorable experience for me was jumping and dancing with the Maasai tribe all night in Tanzania, Africa. I loved my experience in Tanzania while I was teaching English abroad.
What is your favorite part about exploring a new place?
Traveling to me feels like taking a long, satisfying drink after a walk in a hot desert. Everything about traveling fills my spirit, as it’s all new and exciting in every direction I turn. For the same reason, it can be very humbling as well. It’s good practice in living moment to moment, as a beginner in a completely new setting.
I also love to experience different cultures, and traveling is the best education I know of. It’s a challenge I doubt I’ll ever tire of. I look forward to my next trip visiting White Sands Monument in New Mexico soon.
What’s one item on your bucket list?
I really want to take at least one or more long, solo walk journeys, of at least a month long. There are trails I’ve read about in Japan, such as the Shikoku Pilgrimage, and trails in Iceland that I’d like to do. There are so many I’ve read about including in the states.
Long solo walks are something that I’ve felt drawn to for many years. I like the slower pace of walking, and I always believe strongly in following my gut. It’s just a matter of figuring out the logistics when the time is right.
Do you speak any languages?
My sister lives in Germany and I used to live in Dominica, so I know a few German and Patois words. Other than that, I speak enough Spanish to get around with when traveling. When I lived in Ecuador for a few months, I was far more fluent, yet I’ve become rusty over the years.
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