Travel is Education for Life
Grand Canal | Venice, Italy
People often ask, why do you travel so much?
TWO WHY's:
Travel is education for life. It exhilarates, liberates, feeds, challenges, and teaches me.
I am an explorer and it allows me to learn about myself and connect with others.
But how do you do it? How do you sustain work and travel?
TWO HOW'S:
First, you have to consciously CHOSE this life. It’s not for everyone and it’s not all glamorous, it can be ridiculously frustrating and exhausting. You must tune into yourself and really get clear on your vision for your life's journey. My end game is to live a life rich in life experience and so for me, the juice is worth the squeeze. Take the time to determine what's right for you.
Second, look for companies that value Freedom. Seek forward-thinking organizations that are designed to give you the autonomy, flexibility, and trust to do the work. More and more organizations are getting that the best employees live full, whole lives and aren’t robots. They want people who are passionate and purpose-driven. They get that Go-Getters who are also Go-Givers are the real future. If you can’t find a like-minded team, keep putting it out there, it will come. If all else fails, build it. To learn more from on how many organizations are rethinking work and wellbeing check out Arianna Huffington's post here.
An important thing to note is this way of life didn’t open itself up yesterday. Three years ago, this was not my reality. Three years ago, Phoenix was my city, my community, and I was hellbent on seeing it flourish.
That said, I had a vision beyond my known world.
I believed I could be a Global Citizen and a part of many communities. I believed I could design a life where I was paid to be myself. I believed I could work with an organization that would see my passionate curiosities and personal interests as assets rather than distractions. For me, it wasn't about "Millennial entitlement", I knew if I couldn't pour my whole self into something, I would be disengaged and average at best. Centered in this vision, I've been designing my life ever since and while it certainly wasn't clear looking forward, the dots have miraculously connected looking back.
The key I have found is unlocking your vision, listening to your callings, and building your own personal curriculum from there.
Aegean Sea | Hydra Island, Greece
It feels good to be lost in the right direction. — Unknown
A few resources to support:
VALUES
Values are a tool for helping you make decisions big and small. Once you can clearly articulate your values, you can determine what LIVING those values looks like. For example, one of my top values is Freedom and one way I live Freedom is by traveling :]
Knowing your values will also help you direct your energy more towards what's important and redirect your energy from what is not. (Email me for the Delivering Happiness Personal Values Exercise: kelsey@deliveringhappiness.com).
VISION
The Vision Conversation - This organization hosts workshops and writes about manifesting your vision. Founder, Kristin Hayden is a true Visionary who speaks all over the world (read her blog).
Ideal Day Vision Exercise by Martha Beck - Very useful visualization meditation to help you picture your ideal day, which allows you to see it, feel it, and then plan backwards.
TRUE COMMUNITY
HIVE Global Leaders Program - This was a really powerful program that includes workshops on Designing Your Life and Finding Your Purpose. I've written about my experience here. If you're interested in going I am happy to connect you with their Community Team. For a discount, use HIVEALUM for $200 off tuition.
StartingBloc - For social innovators and changemakers, this is an amazing global community of people who want to dedicate their lives to doing good and also want to be able to support themselves financially. At present, they have four institutes a year in the U.S. - New York, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles.
Under30Experiences - I am new to this community but WOW, this group is full of digital nomads, adventurers, and life enthusiasts. They see travel as a vehicle for transformation and meaningful connection. They facilitate group travel excursions worldwide from Costa Rica to Iceland, Bali to Peru.
Much love on your journey. Safe travels and happy learning!
With gratitude,
Kelsey Lotus Wong
