Adventure Heart

The Adventure

By Managing Director and founder, Kirsten Lillelund

The early years: With eyes as big as teacups, I listened as a child to my father's stories from the world. In 1920 and 30s, he sailed the seven seas and visited, for that era, as distant places as Japan, China, Australia, New Guinea, Borneo, Central and South America, Suez Canal .... Not to mention Hawaii. My childhood home was filled with delights brought home from travels as carved chests, elephants of ebony and the finest porcelain from China and Japan. The best souvenir was a grass skirt from Hawaii I was allowed to play with. My mother's stories from her early years in a large house in England added some other dimensions. 
I was an adventurer from my early years, and travel was always in our family. As soon as the time allowed, I stood on my own for my first trip to France, and then there was no turning back. Travel fever had set itself. 
I realized quickly that language was a must if I were to communicate with people in other countries, so it became my passion and way of study. My own family and I have been around the world, neglected nor Europe, where our summer were spent with sailing the channels in France, England and Ireland thin over many years. 
Through my studies I took a language course in England. It planted a seed. I had to inspire others to do the same, and it would turn out to be a career into the future.

1982: The company INTERSPROG (International Language) is founded at the invitation of an existing collaboration with the British Embassy, British Airways, British Tourist Authority and British Council. With many years of working in business the target was language courses for businessmen, which was offered by a consortium of seven top business language schools. Customers were large Danish companies. This was followed by a supply of courses in France and Germany. The company evolved, and in the subsequent years I travelled around to visit language schools all over the globe, and soon we offered courses for all ages worldwide. My passion had gained a foothold.

In 1990, we started to collaborate with Chichester College, when college and university residence abroad is becoming more and more popular among Danish youth. Eventually it led to the formation of a consortium of 10 colleges in England, where we have sent young Danes ever since. This was later expanded to include university residence in England, Australia and New Zealand
The young people's wishes became more and more creative, often inspired by the people under the Open Youth Education, who had opportunities to travel for a long time and wanted to combine all kinds of experiences and voluntary work.

In 1996 our final concept “AdventureRejser” (AdventureTravel) sees the day of light for the first time. With a Dane living in Venezuela, we create a programme packed with adventure such as mountaineering, visits to Indians and cowboy areas with crocodiles. The first large groups were sent out, and everyone was overexcited about the concept.

I found a concept to deliver on my passion and my desire for young people to go abroad and develop themselves for their own, the society’s and the world's sake.

The following years:
We continue creating programs in new countries all based on the same values and the same concept.

In between we had to stop the programmes because of political situations, such as the tragic events in Nepal in 2001 when the Crown Prince shot the royal family, the coup against President Chavez in 2002 and the tsunami in 2004 which stopped our new program in Sri Lanka.

2006: The company name “InterSprog” is no longer relevant, and we change the name to Adventure Heart in light of my  adventurous heart and with the tiger as our logo.

2012: Our 30 year anniversary, which will be celebrated with a lot of exciting new programs ...

The adventure, has no end, and the passion is constant...