Courtney's View #3: Make a Curious Leap

I realized I was going to travel when, during an early morning shift at the coffee shop, my friend flung out a wildly broad question, “What are you going to do now?”

As a playful act of improvisation, I replied, “I’m going to walk amongst the fjords of Norway, then the mushy green hills of Ireland and then I will purvey the glitz and poshness of London….uhhhh then I’m going to work on a farm or teach English or something.”

“Cool!”, my friend said.

“Yeah…yeah, that’s what I’ll do!”

My decision to teach English abroad was fueled by great personal stagnancy. Basically, I knew that I had to do something, anything to stir things up. I wanted to practice self-confidence, recognize my potential and feel excited about life. So, I made a Classic Big Leap.

First, I signed up for my dream trail race in Norway without a plan or a plane ticket.

Then I was like, “Man, I really need a plan.”

Then my best friend Brant was like, “Here, read this book called Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.”

So I read that and was like, “Wow, I can travel sustainably! You wanna come with me?”

Best friend Brant said, “Uh…..(few days pass)….Sure!!”

Then I became We. We decided that to achieve the wholesome travel experience we wanted, we had to find a job abroad. Enter CIEE. We applied, sold a bunch of stuff, quit our jobs, and left the U.S.A.

I am coming to think that when a person feels severely stagnant in their life, any Curious Leap will benefit them. Though my Classic Big Leap story isn’t over, I’m thinking that coming to Thailand to teach English was a really effective decision. I am alive with purpose. I am gaining a real skill. When I go to the classroom, I step into a self-confidence I never had before. 40 pairs of staring eyes will encourage this if only as the most direct route to self preservation.

If you are looking for inspiration, the ideas of the people below have truly helped me to find freshness and courage. Check it out.

Hunter S. Thompson's Letter to a Friend

Time=Wealth - Rolf Potts or if you have more time: Tim Ferriss Show with Rolf Potts

The Minimalists

Below: At Tromso Skyrace in Norway. Brant and I wowed to be in London. Experiencing the best coffee of my life from a hill tribe in Chiang Mai.