The Alps and Oz

In 1989 Sophie longed for something different and took a job at the Crans- Montana skiing resort in the Alps.  Sophie was responsible for the greeting of guests at Zurich airport, managing staff under her and overseeing the accounts.  She was also in charge of Chalet Isabella.    The experience also gave Sophie the opportunity to concentrate on skiing and lean the new sport of snowboarding.

It was at Crans-Montana that she fell in love with Australian ski instructor, Michael O' Neill, and after a four month relationship she decided to return with him to Australia.  Her relationship with O' Neill failed, but Sophie remained in Australia for a year.  She turned to an old friend from London living in Sydney for a job at a shipping firm, Jet Services as a girl-friday.   Her time in Sydney saw her surfing at Bondi Beach and even bungi jumping, an unheard of sport in the early 1990's. 

After saving up, Sophie quit her job and backpacked around the Australian outback for three months.  She visited Queensland, Whitsunday Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and Cairnes.   She also went cruising off the Australian coast and leant to scuba dive.  Sophie returned to London in June 1991. Her journey back home was through Thailand and she also stopped off for ten days at Koh Samu. She wanted to return to her family whom she missed.