Name: Miri Gubler
Role: Travel Specialist
1st Season: 2024
Nationality: USA
Can you share a little bit about your professional background?
I got my Bachelor of Science in sustainable tourism from the University of Utah. I have about ten years of experience as an office administrative assistant, which is where I learned my data entry, organization, and communication skills. I have two years of experience with Davis County tourism, also known as Discover Davis, where I worked as a Marketing Coordinator. I’ve also been lucky enough to have been a river guide on the Snake River in Jackson, Wyoming, for five years.
What got you into guiding?
My father was a guide back in the 70s on the Snake River, so I grew up hearing all sorts of stories about river life and wonderful it was. At age 19, I moved to Maine and decided to join the Maine Conservation Corps. One of our first experiences was working in Baxter State Park building hiking trails. I just loved it so much that I decided I needed a job in tourism and the outdoor industry so that I could have a life of adventure. Afterwards, I went back home to the University of Utah and began river guiding in the summers throughout college.
So you said you built trails; what does building a trail mean?
Building trails can mean a lot of different thing. In Baxter State Park, we were doing a lot of “rock work.” So if you’re hiking and you come across a staircase of rocks, we put those in by going out into the forest and digging them out of the ground and moving them to the trail. It was a lot of fun being outdoors 24/7, living and working remotely with a crew of six people.
What do you like to do now in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to play games. One of the things I am currently playing is Dungeons and Dragons with 6 of my friends. We meet weekly and have a lot of fun cooking together and either playing D&D or other games. I also really love marine biology. I volunteer at the aquarium as part of their saltwater team. I usually spend a few days a month working there.
What does the saltwater team mean?
The aquarium has saltwater and freshwater exhibits. The saltwater team handles all of the saltwater aquariums, including the big shark tank.
So, do you clean the cages? Do you cut the fish? Or what do you do?
Well, I do all sorts of things. I basically prepare the diets for all the little animals, we have a chart of what they get each day. So I give the sea turtles shrimp, squid, and other things like that, or I scrub tanks. They have a magnet that you use to scrub with some of them that are really big. So you drop the magnet in the water, and then you connect them on the other side, and then you have to scrub it.
Do you ever get to pet them?
Sometimes. I was lucky enough to interact with our old Octopus, Otto. I got to say hi to him and he wrapped his tentacles around my arm; it was really incredible. The cuttlefish are on display now, but for a long time, we had baby cuttlefish in the back that you could feed. Shark feed days are always cool because you get to witness everything on the shark deck.
Any other hobbies you want to talk about? Those are two pretty cool ones.
Yeah, I mean, I love my cat Bear. She’s pretty great.
How old is Bear?
Bear is 12. I found her when she was a little two-week-old kitten, and we’ve been together ever since.
What are you most excited about in this role? Or for this role?
I’m excited to be part of an adventurous company. Adventure is what life is all about, plus there is so much history in Antarctica that makes it an extra special place. Thinking of old explorers and how that spirit of adventure is still very much alive and people can do that safely now. Antarctica feels like the last wilderness frontier, which I think is really cool. I’m happy to be here and be a part of this.
We’re happy you’re here. Is there anything else that you want to share about yourself that I haven’t asked you about?
I love spending time with my family, especially my sister’s kids. They are hilarious and always up for any kind of adventure or silly shenanigans.