Today, I’m revisiting one of my favorite episodes of The Travelers, #183, an interview with Jonathan and Quinn Button from Life out of the Box, a company that takes the Tom’s shoes model — but instead of shoes, it’s local artiisanal crafts, such as bracelets and apparel, handmade by locals — and for each sale, a portion of the proceeds goes towards providing supplies to teachers in that very same local area. And I love this, not only because education is the most important cause, in my opinion, and so their mission is very close to my heart, but also that they literally followed Holocene’s 8-stage process to transform themselves from aspiring entrepreneurs to successful, world travelers and thought leaders in their field. They’ve found success and fulfillment in who they transformed themselves into using Curiosity and Creativity to find transformation. This is Holocene. So I’m really excited to delve back into this case study from episode 183, so you can see how this transformative experience framework works.

Here's a short episode - a story about how Creativity, inspired by Travel, changed my life. And how it can open world's of possibility for you, as it has for all of the guests on this show.

Creativity is the forgotten third act of transformative experience.

This is Season 3, Part 7 of 12, in which we move into the final part of every transformative story: Creativity. Despite how seemingly transformational a travel experience might be, why is it that most people never change after their travels and instead return back to living the same life and being the same person? It's because the most overlooked part of every transformational travel experience is also the hardest. What do we do when we get home? How do we hold onto the sense of self, our travel self, that we reconnected with on the road? How do we convert the inspiration to change into actual lasting change? This episode answers all of that and more. 

Did Curiosity kill the cat? Maybe, but not in the way you think.

This is Season 3, Part 6 of 12, in which we wrap up our deep dive on Curiosity by diving into its potential for infinite personal growth and also destructiveness in our lives. Learn how to use Curiosity in your life, why you need a guide, and how to avoid the pitfalls of Curiosity.

Welcome to Episode 5 of The Travelers Season 3 where we’re exploring the 4 stages of Transformative Travel, in 3 episodes each. Right now we’re on Stage 2, which is Curiosity. And it’s a big one. It’s where travel happens. Transformative Travel is about using travel find personal growth or transformation, so Curiosity is  fundamental in the transformative process. In this episode we’re going to break down a conversation from episode 95 with Candace Rose Rardon, a travel artist and writer, whose journey is one of my absolute favorite examples of the potential for curiosity. 

Learn more at https://holocene.co

We’re going to explore the next stage in Holocene’s transformative experience framework: Curiosity. First, we’ll explore what Curiosity is, some of its benefits, and why it’s so important. Then in the next episode, we’ll explore a Curiosity-driven-life of travel, and then I’ll go into how to avoid the pitfalls of Curiosity and how to apply it to your life so that you can benefit in the same ways.

This episode is part 3 in a 12 part exploration of Transformational Travel. On this episode, we're talking about STORIES. Namely, how to begin to rewrite the story we tell ourselves, why it’s so important that we consider doing this for our mental health, and how travel can help us do that. If you're feeling trapped by any negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, self doubt or the doubt from others, then this is absolutely your episode.

Lauren Juliff from Never Ending Footsteps travel blog and author of How Not to Travel the World is a perfect example of someone who overcame immense RESISTANCE to find personal transformation. 

Growing up, Lauren always had a calling to travel. Unfortunately, she also had paralyzing anxiety, suffering from up to five panic attacks every day.

Despite this debilitating condition, along with the lack of support from friends and family, and her own self-confidence, Lauren still found a way to answer her calling.

Listen to her story and learn how to use Curiosity to Overcome Resistance.

Links from today’s episode:

Holocene - Join a tribe of travelers transforming their lives.
Paste Magazine's Travel Section • Follow Alex Crevar on Twitter

Alex Crevar is the travel editor at Paste Magazine and a freelance journalist, specializing on international travel - with bylines in The New York Times, Men’s Journal, Outside, National Geographic Traveler, and Time Out. Alex brings to his work and life over 2 decades of focus on the Balkans - a region of the world I’m itching to see, particularly Macedonia, Bosnia, and Serbia and the Via Dinarica, a trek across 8 balkan countries.

Alex found a parallel in a time of transition between himself and the Balkans, a region of the world that has undergone rapid changes and an ongoing rebranding, over the past couple decades. Today, he is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the Balkans. He’s the travel editor at Paste Magazine and a freelance journalist, a career he found that he found purpose and creative expression from pursuing.

This episode is perfect for anyone who might feel stuck in their surroundings, or looking for a way to approach their travels to find inspiration from gaining a better sense of self.

Check out more at http://holocene.io

Rachel's Bio: If you want to know what it's like to climb Kilimanjaro, paraglide with a hawk (a.k.a. "parahawk"), ice climb while simultaneously shooting a PBS show, or SCUBA dive the continental divide in Iceland, Rachel's the woman to ask.

Rachel has always been an explorer, from the days of youth running barefoot through Ohio's forests, to the present day scouring the globe for stories that need telling.

This episode is perfect for: Anyone looking to do anything that's bigger than them, or seeking transformation from their curiosity and the world.