My Battered Suitcase

I’ve been told more than once that you should do what you love. I’m a marketer, not a writer. I enjoy my job and like the people I work with. But I’d be lying if I said marketing lawn and garden products is what I love to do (and that I’m not a little bored doing it). Traveling is what I love. Traveling is what gives me energy. It’s through travel that I learn and grow.

Now don’t get me wrong. This boring marketing job has given me the money to actually do what I love. I get that. But how can I bring my passion in to my work?

The answer for me is this blog.

I’m not ready just yet to leave my well-paid, 9-5 job to start a career as a travel writer. So I’m starting slow. And maybe - just maybe - my career can serve a greater purpose and take on greater meaning if I channel my energy for travel in to this blog instead of what I do Monday through Friday. My boring job will enable me to see all of the beautiful places I want to see and I’ll get to share them with whomever stumbles across this silly page.
And what’s this blog all about? I took some time to think about how I like to travel and what others might gain from it and the buzzword that came to mind was ‘experiential travel’. AFAR Magazine defines experiential travel as

Experiences that connect you with the essence of a place and its people…simply seeing the sights is no longer enough. Experiential travelers want to venture beyond the beaten tourist paths and dive deeper into authentic, local culture, connecting with people from other cultures in ways that enrich their lives and create lasting memories.

This is what I want to blog about. I hope to do it often. And I hope you will come back to read my thoughts now and again and maybe share them with others.