A crazy idea was planted in my head. “It sounds like Charlotte needs to go on a six-month exploration trip of her favourite destinations,” stated our Executive Coach, Mark Frentz. I was intrigued. My husband and I were hosting a meeting at our house for the mastermind group we belong to. The group is a mixture of like-minded entrepreneurs that want to build a business or invest in real estate. Mark works to flesh out our ideas to lead us to success. His job is to push our boundaries and help us turn our thoughts into reality. It was my turn to share with the group.  A business in travel was my goal but was I not sure what direction to go. People who have left everything behind and gone on mission trips or epic journeys have always left an impression on me. Could I become one of them? Could I reinvent myself through travel?

Travel was a Dream

Travel has always been a dream for this farm girl. I would go outside with my dog, sit on a rock pile and daydream while watching the sunset over the expansive fields. Travel was not something farmers did. After all, there are animals to feed and crops to take care of. Fantasies of historical sites permeated my thoughts. Maybe in retirement I could travel the world. For now, my imagination fueled my curiosity.

What do you Want to be When You Grow Up?

The typical path in life is to go to school and get a good job. Work for 40 years or so and retire in your 60’s, then watch game shows on TV while drifting off to sleep in a comfy chair – the travels you hoped for flooding your dreams. If you were lucky, you might take one big trip in your lifetime. That trip may be on a bus along with 40 other seniors bringing along your baggage that included a walker or cane.

As I was taught, that is what I did, except the comfy chair; I’m not that old yet. I grew up, graduated from high school, got a job and got married. I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up so didn’t attend post-secondary school right away. Fast forward twenty years.

Travel Inspiration

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Nashville, Tennessee. The sweet, crisp, earthy smell of fresh cut green grass lingered in the air. The sound of a lawnmower was in the distance. This poignant moment was when I decided on a career change to travel. The Nashville trip was the first time we had left Canada in the winter. My husband, Darryl, and I became hooked on the idea of becoming snowbirds and travelling to someplace warm every year to escape winter’s clutches. I wanted others to experience the same feelings of renewal that travel can bring. We arrived back in Canada and returned to our j-o-b-s. The dream to reinvent myself through travel became buried underneath the snowdrifts which would befall our lives.

Dramatic Change of Events

An event can occur that seems like a bombshell at the time, but in reality, it is the best thing that can happen. I received two-years working notice at my job. A merger had happened and our department was now defunct. I was sure I would get another job in the industry due to a great reputation. To make a long, “two-years of sheer hell” story short, I didn’t get my job when it was re-posted. The walls crumbled around my sense of identity. I did not realize how much work had defined who I was. A severance package was presented and I said adios! The next day, my mother died from cancer.

The Road to Perdition

If the last few years were torture, the next few years were perdition. Nothing seemed to be working out for us and we hit all kinds of roadblocks. Our finances suffered. Going from two incomes to one was devastating and we were not prepared to deal with the changes. The debt grew. Something had to give before we suffered complete and utter ruin. We had some rental properties where the increase in property taxes made them no longer profitable. After much contemplation and exhausting all other avenues, we decided to sell them to stabilize our situation.

The Path to Change

My husband took a new job and we moved to Calgary. We put our house in Sylvan Lake that we had lived in for 15 years up for sale. It was time for a change. The loss of my job, the realization that I no longer wanted to sit in an office, and the move to a new city opened the door for me to rekindle my desire for a career in travel. 20 years of office work was enough. I needed the freedom that could not be provided by a 9 to 5 work week. I went back to school to get connections in the industry and a direction of where to start my business.

Back to School

The next two years of academia were an adventure. I excelled at school and made some fantastic new friends. I didn’t think I would fit in but a group of students with a common goal of travel made all the difference. The only obstacle still looming was our house in Sylvan Lake was not selling after a year and a half on the market and we were paying double everything. Double utilities, double insurance, rent and a mortgage. How long could this continue? It was a mental and physical drain.

One cold December night, an email arrived as I was pulling up to the house we were renting. We had an offer on the house! A tidal wave of relief washed over me. I wept. The house was finally sold. Freedom! We were still living with one income but were making life work since we had sold our two rental properties. The money we made on the houses helped fund my school, tuition and expenses. With the sale of our residence, we were able to pay off remaining bad debt and start a new life.

Homelessness

Consequently, we were homeless. Our precious belongings went into storage. Our 20-year-old son, Brandon, had a job as an activities coordinator at Camp Kuriakos in Sylvan Lake over the spring and summer; therefore, he was taken care of. Darryl quit his job. We had minimal expenses since we had no mortgage or utility bills to pay. We left our identities in Alberta and went on a journey to discover our new selves.

What Next?

The journey of discovery isn’t over yet. I am in Germany as I write this blog and have been “homeless” and travelling for four months. Where will my place in the travel industry be? How can I help people and inspire them to go after their travel dreams? Maybe I don’t have all the answers yet but I am determined to live a life revolving around travel rather than a life revolving around a cubicle.

A Direction for My Business

My travels weave one continuous thread. I love small towns. Small towns have the fabric of comfort that I long for. The bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants and cool little boutiques offer a peace that is lost in big city chaos. I have discovered a respect for our most valuable resource in these towns – time. Everything is slower as time appears to stand still. People eat slower, walk slower and enjoy life more. A small-town girl at heart, it now seems fitting to focus my travel business on promoting these little gems that offer a big experience.

Now it is time to get to work and make this business of travel a reality. I cannot be ashamed of my past as my story may help others. I want to inspire people to leave the typical work week and live a life around experiences enhanced with travel. Every disaster seems to work itself out in the end and have a purpose for good. It was a devastating train wreck of events that brought about the necessary changes to start a marathon travel journey for my husband and I. Funny thing is, I am wondering where our next destination will be.

All pictures in this post are taken by Charlotte, yours truly, as always, unless otherwise stated.