During my time in Madrid, I decided to spend one of the weekends in Sevilla, the capital city of the region of Andalucía in the south of the country. When I was there, it was over 100 degrees (37 C) both days. I could’ve easily tried to hide from the heat and stay cool and comfortable. But I didn’t. I walked over 10 miles both days in the sun. I sweated buckets. However, I embraced the heat and made the most of it. Because of this heat, I was alone in the streets. And this reflection led me to such a strong realization about how few are willing to go out, take the heat, and embrace it, even though it has the potential to be so worthwhile for us. I hope you all enjoy this message and this takeaway. Thanks again for tuning in and following this series. It truly means the world to me! Much love for all of you. ❤️ Next stop, Manchester (part 2)!

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Today, I discuss the month I spent in Madrid. I do not talk about Spain. Instead, I focus on all of my conversations with my friends from Hong Kong that I met there: my roommate, Brian, and his girlfriend, Cristina. The conversations that we had were so eye-opening for me and I learned so much. I touch on all of the things I learned from them here. From these conversations, I had some critical realizations. Even though we may be from the opposite sides of the world with completely different cultures and backgrounds, we still had so much common ground. Working through this common ground can allow us to move so much further forward as a whole. I am so grateful for these interactions, and I hope that I was able to articulate these key themes well enough for you to find value in them. Much love ❤️ next stop, Sevilla!

Today, I discuss the month I spent in Madrid. I do not talk about Spain. Instead, I focus on all of my conversations with my friends from Hong Kong that I met there: my roommate, Brian, and his girlfriend, Cristina. The conversations that we had were so eye-opening for me and I learned so much. I touch on all of the things I learned from them here. From these conversations, I had some critical realizations. Even though we may be from the opposite sides of the world with completely different cultures and backgrounds, we still had so much common ground. Working through this common ground can allow us to move so much further forward as a whole. I am so grateful for these interactions, and I hope that I was able to articulate these key themes well enough for you to find value in them. Much love ❤️ next stop, Sevilla!

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https://anchor.fm/matt-best/support

Taking an overnight bus from Groningen, I arrived to Paris to be greeted by my great friend Maxime. I had such a fantastic time with him and his family and I am so grateful for how gracious and accepting they were to welcome me into their home. I really pushed myself to speak in French with them as much as possible and to get involved in conversations with them. This was a huge challenge for me, given my lack of French knowledge. However, I didn’t quit and I tried my best to learn and grow. It was a very rewarding experience which included great struggle, some failures, and looking like a bit of an idiot sometimes. However, all of the is a part of the process and is so worthwhile in the long run. Thanks for tuning in! Much love for all of you ❤️ a bientôt! Next stop, Madrid!

Taking an overnight bus from Groningen, I arrived to Paris to be greeted by my great friend Maxime. I had such a fantastic time with him and his family and I am so grateful for how gracious and accepting they were to welcome me into their home. I really pushed myself to speak in French with them as much as possible and to get involved in conversations with them. This was a huge challenge for me, given my lack of French knowledge. However, I didn’t quit and I tried my best to learn and grow. It was a very rewarding experience which included great struggle, some failures, and looking like a bit of an idiot sometimes. However, all of the is a part of the process and is so worthwhile in the long run. Thanks for tuning in! Much love for all of you ❤️ a bientôt! Next stop, Madrid!

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Moving on from Ghent, I traveled to the city of Groningen, located in the north of the Netherlands. The city was absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed the time that I spent there. The experiences that marked me the most, however, were those accompanied by my host, Leo. Leo is 67 years old and is happier and more positive than almost everyone else I’ve ever met. The conversations and experiences that I had with him were nothing short of inspiring. Seeing his happiness, eagerness to learn, and desire to continue seeing the world and the people inside of it truly moved me. This podcast is focused on him, and I am so grateful to be able to share these experiences with you all here. Thanks so much again for tuning in! I’ll be back soon for Stop 10: the city of lights, Paris! Much love❤️

Moving on from Ghent, I traveled to the city of Groningen, located in the north of the Netherlands. The city was absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed the time that I spent there. The experiences that marked me the most, however, were those accompanied by my host, Leo. Leo is 67 years old and is happier and more positive than almost everyone else I’ve ever met. The conversations and experiences that I had with him were nothing short of inspiring. Seeing his happiness, eagerness to learn, and desire to continue seeing the world and the people inside of it truly moved me. This podcast is focused on him, and I am so grateful to be able to share these experiences with you all here. Thanks so much again for tuning in! I’ll be back soon for Stop 10: the city of lights, Paris! Much love❤️

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Moving on from Prague, I flew to Brussels and then took a train to Ghent (which was a journey that started at 3 AM, putting me in a state of more yawns than I produce in this episode). The time I spent in Ghent was different but still enjoyable. The three days I spent there led me to these 2 reflections: 1. People are different and you may be very different from others. But that’s okay! Be secure with who you are and with why you’re that way, and understand that you can still enjoy yourself while you’re alone. And 2. Develop meaningful connections with professionals in your field. Go out there and meet them and have meaningful conversations with them and develop meaningful relationships. These can only serve as positive interactions for you, whether they go incredibly smoothly or not. Thanks again for tuning in. Next stop, Groningen in the Netherlands! Much love ❤️

Moving on from Prague, I flew to Brussels and then took a train to Ghent (which was a journey that started at 3 AM, putting me in a state of more yawns than I produce in this episode). The time I spent in Ghent was different but still enjoyable. The three days I spent there led me to these 2 reflections: 1. People are different and you may be very different from others. But that’s okay! Be secure with who you are and with why you’re that way, and understand that you can still enjoy yourself while you’re alone. And 2. Develop meaningful connections with professionals in your field. Go out there and meet them and have meaningful conversations with them and develop meaningful relationships. These can only serve as positive interactions for you, whether they go incredibly smoothly or not. Thanks again for tuning in. Next stop, Groningen in the Netherlands! Much love ❤️

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https://anchor.fm/matt-best/support

Hey everyone. We’re on the go again! I left Berlin and headed to Prague in mid-June, where I stayed for a few days. I really enjoyed my time there thanks to my personal guide and dear friend, Kát’a, along with my great AirBnB host, Lenka. It was a fascinating experience which led to a strong reflection for me upon leaving. Given that there is a definite cultural and societal difference in the Czech Republic compared to Western Europe and the US, my experience there exposed me to different people, places, customs, social dynamics, and pretty much everything else we experience in life. This experience led me to one big theme: Expose yourself to new ideas and new ways of life. Learning about places and people that are different allows you to grow in so many ways, but especially in your perspective. I hope you enjoy listening to this reflection, and I’ll be back soon for our next stop: Ghent, Belgium! Much love ❤️