Many of the rewards that come from travel aren’t tangible…the lessons, new perspectives and the personal growth.
While there are physical aspects, like amazing new friendships and cool trinkets, for me though, the new experiences help me grow my business.
As travellers, we become comfortable with the unknown. Constantly being put into new situations with people from the other side of the world, helps us expand our minds.
Almost every day, I meet someone new. And during those conversations, I talk about my business. Just yesterday, I was having lunch with a group of new friends. A guy tagged along because he wanted a smoothie. ‘So, what do you do?’ turned into an hour-long conversation about my book.
He gave me his insights into the theme of my book – a perspective that I would otherwise probably have overlooked. Often, I’m too close to my projects to see the opportunities staring right at me.
The theme of my book is readjustment, the push/pull cycle of travel. I talk about my struggles of coming home, leaving again, and the constant births and deaths in travel. One month I’m paddle boarding with a group of new friends in Nicaragua. The next, I’m visiting an old friend from home, in London.
The only constant in my life is contrast. And I’m using it to my advantage, to bring out different aspects of my business. When I look back on blogging and freelance business from 18 months ago, things don’t look too different on the surface.
I’m still travelling full time, mainly working on my freelance projects. But, I’m now writing a book and creating digital products. The ‘readjustment/detachment’ theme for my first book came to fruition while I was on the road. Actually, it was when I came home and experienced this phenomenon, first-hand.
Find inspiration, in every moment & person.
Every interaction I have now is an opportunity to share my idea and vision for the book. I wouldn’t have access to such open-minded, diverse people if I was living in one place.
I like to think of it as nomad networking. There’s never a shortage of people you meet while travelling. In our journeys, different people from all walks of life cross our paths. They introduce us to different stories and perspectives.
Through these interactions, we’re able to garner new perspectives and information that we just wouldn’t have had access to, without travel. A single interaction with somebody holds the potential to alter the lens with which we see the world, and there’s nothing more powerful than that.
I strongly believe every creative business can benefit from travel. All these new first-hand experiences are fuel to drive you to do things differently. As you break free from the mundane, day-to-day cycle, the way you look at the world starts to change.
Ultimately, travel can leave you feeling more aligned and inspired. Expect a sudden urge to create, in whatever form that may be. And perhaps the most beautiful side effect of travel, you might even get inspired to work on the most vital asset to your business… yourself.