I got in the car and checked my phone. Email from my boss. The one everyone dreads. Subject line: discussion.

It went on and on about how I am not performing well at work. How I haven’t responded to a zillion emails on time. In summary, how I am not doing justice to the salary I’m being paid.

Such instances in life are triggers. I was feeling stuck and lost. I always wanted to be on my own. Having full freedom to choose which email I respond to.

I quit in a few months. I quit with absolutely no idea of the future. I had to find an opportunity to work on.

I quit exactly 300 days back. More than half of them have been spent traveling.

Travel has helped me find and nurture opportunities. It definitely played a major role in getting me to where I am.

1. Time to reflect and ponder:

I got to do some actual thinking when up in the air. Places where there was no data connection. Times when my power bank gave up on me. Travel carves out such opportunities for you, almost magically.

2. Opportunities to turn acquaintances into friends into business associates:

People say good contacts is everything. No. Good contacts who like/love you is everything. Travel gave me time with people. I left a little bit of my niceness with them. They knew me enough to like me and my ideas. They helped. (Thank you.)

3. Being comfortable with the uncomfortable:

Each time my pocket was tight and I had to choose a shady hotel, each time the bed bugs were enjoying the night with me. The immensity of life hit me. I realised and re realised that sometimes accepting reality and moving towards my goals, was a wiser choice to make. The more comfortable I got with my uncomfortable zone, the more magic I saw in my life.

4. New ideas:

I am one of those guys who would walk into a store and pull out my phone, almost shamelessly to click pictures of any product, design or packaging that catches my attention. Now a library of these photos provides a fertile breeding ground for my idea babies. And ideas are essential to life.

5. Nothing is permanent:

Revisiting the same places I visited sometime back, and finding changes instilled a certain sense of humility in me. The world, my business and I are not permanent. It gives me wisdom, that I need not take things too seriously all the time.

6. Stories:

Whether it is the untold story of a girl being sent on the road by her mother, clad in anarkali type clothes to dance during the traffic light stays red to earn some money. Or a rags to riches story of your ola/uber driver. Stories I experience changed me forever. I know there is someone having it harder than me. I know hard work can play a huge role in a person’s turnaround. The number of sad, funny, inspiring stories I have been exposed to are innumerable. They have enriched my soul. I am ever grateful.

7. Confidence:

There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who walk into a room and say, ‘There you are’ and those who say, ‘Here I am’ – Pauline Phillips

I think excessive travel, the kind that had me figuring directions, talking to people in sign language and the kind that pushed my boundaries physically, mentally and emotionally helped me become much more confident. See, here I am!

8. Appreciation:

Opportunities to appreciate a beautiful scenery, cotton candy clouds from up above, a good looking human, someone stealing a kiss, someone waving a sincere good bye. Each time I travel, my heart swells up in appreciation of these little things. Over time, I think noticing so many of these things has turned me into less of a whiner and more appreciative of life in general.

9. Self discipline:

Most times, travel tends to throw our routines off the chart. Maintaining diet and exercise during travel has been a challenge. There are ever more opportunities to indulge in junk. Too many excuses to not get up and go for a run. But like they say, all the difference is made when we hold our ground even when the environment is not really conducive. Travel also offers the ultimate test of self discipline.

10. Realise that life is after all a journey:

Travel is movement. Movement is life. In the end, we all share the same destination. So after all, life is not anything but a journey.

Happy Journey!

About Author :
Saurabh Sharma is an entrepreneur, travel freak, one time author, lazy blogger and a student — though not in that order. To connect with him, check out http://saurabh.pro/about/

Interested in submitting your travel stories? Drop them at hello(at)entripreneur(dot)in and who knows you may get to ride along for free. And if you are a faadu entrepreneur then do apply for our phenomenal experience.