Travel Wisdom Podcast -travel and learn languages for success and money

Adaptation and adjusting to an environment are some of the most important things in my mind. I see that a person able to adjust to a situation is the one that will be the most successful.

I talk about how I am am not happy with my ability to adjust during my Masters thesis in India. I talk about how I could have done a better job with blending in. I think it was because I had a reasons for it, that the way I was doing things previously was more correct. That was my big dilemma, do I do things the local way or my 'best' way?

Since I believe that those people who are most able to adjust and integrate will be the most successful I think that I could have done a better job

There are very few things that are set in stone. Travel helps you see that things are done differently in different places by different people. By seeing that cultures and ways of doing things are different you become aware of the fact that some things are variables. When something is a variable it means that you can change those things in life. Maybe it was all based on a false belief and that the only thing holding yourself back is yourself. Blaming other forces such as a boss, the economy, or god could actually be in your hands.

In this episode I ask if travelling can be more valuable than a College degree. In the US a bachelors degree can cost $30k and this doesn't even guarantee you a job. I have found that travel costs about $15k per year, so would this money be better used in travel? Can you learn more in travel than you could in the classroom?

To find the value of College or University ask yourself:

• are you learning a trade that can make you money such as engineering, science, or trades such as welding or automotive work?
• are you getting a network which can help you later in life, especially if you are going into a field?
• are you diving deep into the subject and learning all that you can learn so that you actually come away with useful knowledge?

To find the the value of travel ask yourself:

• are you diving into the culture and are you only talking to hotel staff or are you learning the language in a local village?
• are you staying a week, 3 months, or are you living abroad to understand more of the location?
• are you going somewhere interesting with many learning experiences?

So of course it depends on what your answers to all of these criteria are but in many cases travel can be better than a University degree

In this episode I talk about how expanding your limits allows you to do more revolutionary things in the future. Because stretching your limits allows you to see what is possible and your reality has then changed. It can only be beneficial.

I talk about how I did this when I wrote most of my 70 page Masters thesis in one 20 hour chunk. By doing this I was able to break any previous ideas what is possible for me. I learned a bit about myself and found that actually it was probably the best way to write something. From now on, I can't complain about doing lots of work at one time now that I see I am capable of more. It is also possible to do this using uncomfortable or generally growth-inducing experiences.

The limitations you have are only in your head, this is the best way to discover that you are capable of whatever you want.

In this episode I talk about a prompt that a previous guests had mentioned of "if things have been good in the past, why not the future?"

This was a profound thought because things for me have always seemed to work out fortuitously so I should expect that it may continue. This thought can give you confidence that you are capable in what you plan to do. I talk about how you can use confidence from other parts of your life such as sports, hobbies, or other things that you are good at and transfer that to whatever you are having troubles with.

You are going to get the same results from your actions in the past, is that good or is it time to change?

My former Couchsurfing host, Marcus Stein, came to visit me in Bangalore, India after doing a charity trip in nearby Nepal. He shared his story of how he was able to raise 4000 euros back in Germany which he had promised to donate in Nepal after their terrible earthquake in April 2015. He used his own money to get there and to do fun things so this money was only to be used for charity. He and his friend originally were going to buy school materials for children such as notebooks and pens but later also bought water filters and solar lamps.

In this episode we talk about how he got this idea as well as some of the challenges in doing this. Since the money goes about 5x further in a place like Nepal, it is almost like trying to use 20,000 euro in a few weeks. He also talks about how he found a great guide and helper to buy all of these supplies. Then he talks about how he had made this change from a set career to something more flexible where he is happier.

Finally he asks, what does magic mean to you?

First of all, apologies for the delay in the episode. I had finished my work in India and my family came right after to travel India and didn't have time to uploaded the episodes I had finished.

In this episode I talk about what I am planning to after my stay in India. I have been trying to figure out what to do after and I am ready to share my plans. I talk about how I am excited to go look at Switzerland and potentially go move there. It is a great place for my field in nanorobotics and looks like one of the best places in the world for this. It is also very comfortable for me being in Europe, travelling is very quick and easy, and it is a multilingual country, and a good business environment for startups.

I talk about the 3-6 things that were most important for me to decide on this location. I also go through how you can decide on where to go if you want to make a change in your life

Let me know if you are planning a change and want to figure out where to go next at [email protected]

James Abbott is a cofounder of Coboat which is a coworking space which is on the sea. The boat goes to different paradise locations as it circumnavigates the world. Entrepreneurs and people who can work online can then join and take part in activities like snorkeling and swimming while getting fast 3G-4G Wifi connections. Everything (except alcohol) is included in the 980 euro per week price in places like Greece, Maldives, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and other beautiful places.

In this episode we had technical issues in the beginning and I was unable to record the first 15 minutes of the show. However, before the show he talked about how he moved to Thailand and set up a coworking space. On this island, he has about 30 people

Vinh Ly used to be a private jet salesman traveling around the world and was a contestant on the French version of the Apprentice. Now he a digital nomad and author of Billion Dollar Influence: A Persuasion Skills Masterclass from Someone Who Sells Private Jets for a Living. He also started a Conversion Optimization business and and has had many global experience - and leaving a prestigious corporate job to become an entrepreneur nomad.

In this episode we talk about how he got into the private jet business and some funny things he did in order to get more sales. Since we started the podcast before an official introduction he didn't realize we were recording and therefore had to remove some sensitive parts. But he talks about what he did within this company to make sure these $100 million machines were sold well. Then we talk about his leaving the company to teach people about persuasion which he learned selling jets. He goes over his MITT method of Meditation, Improvisation, Technique and Training. These are good ways to learn almost any skill. He talks about how this method can help especially in job interviews and sales. His tip is to make sure you know what your 3 main strengths are and to make sure they shine through in the interview. Finally we talk about his experience with travel and how he has been used to it his whole life. We also talk about the ways that French people travel and how they only go to places that also speak French.

I have now been working in India for over 6 months and have noticed many differences between the work culture in India, the US, and Germany. I talk about a few including the differences in power dynamics and how everyone spends their time.

Do you have experiences working abroad? Tweet to me at @ladanwisdom