Sankt Martin

A few years ago and after reading a book called "Feel the fear and do it anyway" by Susan Jeffers, I started to write lists every day, of things that I would do if I wasn't afraid. One thing that popped up on that list almost every single day was "go on a journey around the world".
Although Austria is one of the few countries that allows theoretically 5 weeks of holidays per year, it was never enough to explore the places I was curious about. 

It has been a long process till I finally quit the job that I liked, sat down to create a rough plan of countries and things I wanted to see and experience, move all my belongings to my basement and pack my bags.
I know (and even more do so the longer I travel) that I am in the lucky situation to be able to do this trip. 

During the process of letting go of the life I was used to, I came up with the idea that I didn't just want to take some time off, travel the world and see some great places, but rather work and volunteer in different projects/initiatives, learn more about them and the country and culture they operate in. After years in corporate jobs and projects I was also slightly worried that traveling without any task to focus on, would leave me unfulfilled. So I set myself some goals: 

* I wanted to connect as much as possible with the people and their lifestyle in each country that was on my list.
* I decided on a guiding theme for my journey that would further give some direction to my exploration - to learn as much as possible about learning, education and entrepreneurship.

Since the beginning of my journey, I have met inspiring people who push their businesses and ideas forward, regardless the difficulties they are facing. I have stayed with refugee families and learned how they use the limited resources in a creative way. I have met and worked with students and young people who just don't except the status quo of their country and the limitations they often experience and who find their own solutions for that situation. I have learned about different approaches to life in different cultures.
And often I shared food with the people I met - dinner with nomad families in Iran (we even got the chance to join their wedding celebrations), fatty but super tasty traditional food in Lithuania, delicious Tahjins in Morocco, and the best Eritrean food at a grandmother's "restaurant" in a camp in Uganda.

After several people have asked me now if I am blogging about my World Learning Journey, I started to write little stories here.

I am trying to document the whole trip (as I travel but also like like looking through the rearview mirror). I will keep posting stories and pictures of the places I have been to and also share the insights and learnings I've got there. 

Enjoy the journey and feel free to share your own insights and learnings!Read more