In 2014 my employer, a large UK airport, sent me on a leadership course to explore my own personal purpose and values. Sounds like corporate bullshit? Maybe. But that course changed my whole perspective on life. I didn’t immediately identify my personal purpose. I had a few ideas floating round but couldn’t quite nail it down. Then in February 2015 I went on a holiday to Antarctica. An amazing experience of course. But it was the inspiring stories of the ship’s crew that had the most impact on me. I realised then that I too wanted to lead A Life Less Ordinary.
Looking back I realise I had always had that quiet urge to explore and experience. Perhaps starting with surprising my teachers by volunteering for the school French exchange or learning to fly whilst still at school.
Over recent years travel has very much become my raison d’etre. From gorilla trekking in Rwanda to volunteering with (and getting bitten by!) pandas in China. From feeding wild hyenas to witnessing Hamma initiation ceremonies in Ethiopia. Travel opens the mind and makes you grateful for what you’ve got. Those experiences will stay with me forever.
Of course living A Life Less Ordinary isn’t just about travel, although it is a big part for me personally. Since my revelation everyday invitations have become opportunities to be grabbed. From accepting a meeting at 10 Downing Street to going up the airport control tower. From walking the pit lane at the F1 grand prix to riding in a train cab at over 100mph.
Now, having left my purposeful employer, I am about to embark on a new chapter of my life. A chapter that is very much driven by my purpose. As I set off on my career break in Papua New Guinea and Africa, I don’t know what the future holds but I have no doubt it will be A Life Less Ordinary.
Categories: travel