My first blog about life and travel.
Ever since I was young, I could not wait to become an adult and travel abroad and experience other worlds. Through a chance opportunity, at 18 years old I found myself in Brazil and was lucky enough to explore this beautiful country for a few months. After returning home to Slovakia, I was given the opportunity to work for a new financial company, where I stayed for 14 years! Maybe out of comfort. I had an excellent salary; various important positions in Bratislava, Vienna, and Singapore; and some opportunity for travel. I had learnt many valuable skills and achieved what a lot of people would consider success … but at one point, I realised that I was no longer happy with my life. I felt lost, on the edge of a burn out, and my values seemed more of burden than a benefit. I had abandoned my early ambitions to explore and had instead chosen a path which meant I was forever working.
I did not extend the contract with the company, and instead, bought ticket to Hawaii – my first time travelling alone. What followed was the best vacation I had ever had and I literally discovered a paradise on earth. During this absolute reset, I started asking myself: “Is there no company that shares the same values as me? A company where people’s talents are supported, where people love to work together and help each other? Where I would still be able to travel and experience new countries and cultures?”.
And after my return I found a job in tourism, working for a large cruise company. In the past five years, I have travelled all over Europe and the British Isles. Working from, the office and having a private life became impossible because of all the unexpected trips I had to take, however whilst being incredibly demanding, I loved it. Partially because people I worked with were amazing. We were an excellent team and good friends outside work. We were motivated, found great local and authentic partners, always being creative to allow our travellers to enjoy as much as possible from experiencing the local atmosphere. We all had the same outlook. However, with time, the company underwent certain changes and I just felt, it was time to move on. So, I thought to myself: “Why not try it alone?”
Why not create a company where we can expand people’s horizons, give them insight into lives of other people, a chance to learn something new, and of course, time to relax? In fact, why don’t we give people the opportunity to experience travel with all their five senses? A company where one can travel and get to fully experience a country; the food, the music, the customs and traditions, the beautiful scenery, and the people?
What I’ve learned in life is that it is much more beneficial to be authentic; to search for people by their values and passions rather than their work experience; to build a business based on cooperation instead of individualism, to have an open and flexible approach, to communicate directly and openly. These are all values that I live by. Values that I believe can create a successful company where people will enjoy going to work. A company where the working time does not exceed the normal working hours so that we can achieve balance and still have time to focus our private lives. A company where we work more efficiently with a wise division of our skills and competencies, where we each person will work to their potential and where we make decisions together, as a team.
In this busy lifestyle, it is no longer enough to take a holiday at sea and to spend two or three weeks reading books. Who can take a vacation longer than ten days? Do we really recover and re-energise? During our holidays, we are still looking at our smartphones, checking hundreds of emails, counting down the days until we return home; already preparing for the workload we will get once we are back at work. And when we are back, how long does our rested mind last? A week, a few days, several hours? Very quickly we return to the same circle of responsibilities and worries, never truly rested.
I want to create a travel company that offers people a holiday without adrenaline sports and intense activities, but instead leaves them with the feeling they’ve have cleansed their minds, experiencing something new but returned to themselves; to their own essence. Holidays where they won’t have time to turn to their phones because they will be so involved in different interesting activities. Holidays that enrich their lives, perhaps discover new hobbies, or even make new friends.
And what is in it for me? It is important for me to inspire people, give them a sense of well-spent time, reveal to them something new and interesting. Allowing them to experience and enjoy more in-depth way of travel. I am keen to support smaller regional partners, genuine people who do their work with love and passion.
It is possible to work and to live authentically, taking responsibility for oneself, and making choices from heart. I think it is important that we all nourish the ‘Nomad’ in us, to live a more fulfilled and satisfied life … experience broadens the mind, and the more we see, the more cultures we meet, the more we realise just how similar we are.