Over the past couple years I have met so many people who for whatever reason were breaking out of the mould. Some had dreams of bigger places, some just had a travel itch, but all were fed up with doing what they felt they were "supposed" to do.
This is all about doing something different, something you really want, not what everyone else wants or expects. When you are applying for a job you don't want to blend in, when you are working on a project you don't want to submit the same old assignment as everyone else. Think outside the box, be creative, follow your passion and dream, expand your boundaries...
What we are "supposed" to do usually consists of something like:
- Graduate Highschool
- Get a Bachelor's Degree and then if needed a Master's Degree
- Get a Job
- Get Married
- Get a House
- Get a Family
- Put the kids through School and University
- Watch the kids move out
- AND THEN travel
It is usually imposed on us by cultural ideas or what our parents did. But honestly, what kid wants to be exactly like their parents, or their grandparents? How about lets do the last step first!
We live in an ever more global and interconnected world. It is easier for us to travel around the world that ever before, it is easier for us to communicate with people on the opposite side of the world. Because of this our world is going to become ever more interconnected. It is so much easier it would be a shame to not take advantage of them.
One of my other friends showed me a link to WanderingEarl's blog:. I loved this article, why don't more people know about these other options? There is more than the pre-prescribed way to live your life. My friend is a huge inspiration since she had the guts to move to a new city and try to find a job, and when that didn't work, she looked somewhere else. Now in a couple days she is off to the other side of the world to teach math for a year on Mongolia!
One other thing that I don't understand is why these alternative lifestyles are often viewed as a waste of time, and escape from reality or a young innocent persons dream? As I said before - we live in an increasingly globalised world. Doesn't that imply that we need globalised people?
What happens in one part of the world (take for example the potential defaults of the US and Spain situations) affects all other parts of the world. What we need is people who are global citizens, people who know how different cultures work, and how innovative partnerships can be formed. When we collaborate we will be more successful than trying to do things on our own. Projects where the community collaborate together are the projects that are the most successful. And like it or not we are a global community now, so we need to start collaborating on a global scale. If you have a job, or are looking for a job, then the ability to bring your experience and knowledge of global examples, how to work with other cultures and people, or even your global connections to the table will make you very employable.
I couple months ago I went to a speach by Dr. Uma Nararyan at The University of Western Ontario. She was speaking about the darkside of microfinance, the side that people don't hear about in the news. She presented all the problems and no solutions. So, after her talk, I put up my hand and asked what we should do instead, and suggested things like working to work to get property rights, and the rule of law actually enforced. Why focus on the negative, focus on the positives and on the solutions (that is one of the most important things Dr. Graham Smith taught me)?
In response she proceeded to essentially ridicule me in front of everyone about how I could suggest ways to change microfinance after all the horrible things she has said about it. I pushed further, asking simply - ok, what do we do instead?A couple more wrinkles appeared on her forehead, and she simply told me to stay where I came from. Why did I think I needed to help the developing world?
For someone who has presumably spent a good deal of her life as a professor and guest speaker, travelling and talking to people around the world, I did not understand how her solution could be that I was not allowed to travel to her part of the world. We are becoming more interconnected, not more isolated, embrace it or be left behind.
Now about me.
I am a fresh graduate from the University of Western Ontario's Urban Development Program. I was lucky enough to get a one year contract job in my field in community development. I took that opportunity when it came, but I am always looking towards my goal of travelling and seeing the world. I am saving up money and also learning to build a bike, so that I can travel by bike, or work in a bike shop while I travel. I am not writing this from experience, far from it, this is a statement of how I want to become experienced, and the types of experiences I want to have.
I haven't taken the leap of getting on a one way flight to somewhere on the other side of the world, but I know I want to, and I am inspired by my friends who have. Slowly I am working towards it, doing it my way, the way I want to. It is something which I think more people need to look at as a legitimate option and as a way to build valuable experience.
Cheers,
Michael
One of my other friends showed me a link to WanderingEarl's blog:. I loved this article, why don't more people know about these other options? There is more than the pre-prescribed way to live your life. My friend is a huge inspiration since she had the guts to move to a new city and try to find a job, and when that didn't work, she looked somewhere else. Now in a couple days she is off to the other side of the world to teach math for a year on Mongolia!
One other thing that I don't understand is why these alternative lifestyles are often viewed as a waste of time, and escape from reality or a young innocent persons dream? As I said before - we live in an increasingly globalised world. Doesn't that imply that we need globalised people?
What happens in one part of the world (take for example the potential defaults of the US and Spain situations) affects all other parts of the world. What we need is people who are global citizens, people who know how different cultures work, and how innovative partnerships can be formed. When we collaborate we will be more successful than trying to do things on our own. Projects where the community collaborate together are the projects that are the most successful. And like it or not we are a global community now, so we need to start collaborating on a global scale. If you have a job, or are looking for a job, then the ability to bring your experience and knowledge of global examples, how to work with other cultures and people, or even your global connections to the table will make you very employable.
I couple months ago I went to a speach by Dr. Uma Nararyan at The University of Western Ontario. She was speaking about the darkside of microfinance, the side that people don't hear about in the news. She presented all the problems and no solutions. So, after her talk, I put up my hand and asked what we should do instead, and suggested things like working to work to get property rights, and the rule of law actually enforced. Why focus on the negative, focus on the positives and on the solutions (that is one of the most important things Dr. Graham Smith taught me)?
In response she proceeded to essentially ridicule me in front of everyone about how I could suggest ways to change microfinance after all the horrible things she has said about it. I pushed further, asking simply - ok, what do we do instead?A couple more wrinkles appeared on her forehead, and she simply told me to stay where I came from. Why did I think I needed to help the developing world?
For someone who has presumably spent a good deal of her life as a professor and guest speaker, travelling and talking to people around the world, I did not understand how her solution could be that I was not allowed to travel to her part of the world. We are becoming more interconnected, not more isolated, embrace it or be left behind.
Now about me.
I am a fresh graduate from the University of Western Ontario's Urban Development Program. I was lucky enough to get a one year contract job in my field in community development. I took that opportunity when it came, but I am always looking towards my goal of travelling and seeing the world. I am saving up money and also learning to build a bike, so that I can travel by bike, or work in a bike shop while I travel. I am not writing this from experience, far from it, this is a statement of how I want to become experienced, and the types of experiences I want to have.
I haven't taken the leap of getting on a one way flight to somewhere on the other side of the world, but I know I want to, and I am inspired by my friends who have. Slowly I am working towards it, doing it my way, the way I want to. It is something which I think more people need to look at as a legitimate option and as a way to build valuable experience.
Cheers,
Michael
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