August is a month where things slow down and a lot of people take vacations.
The oppressively hot summers in Austin – where I’m based – is enough to make any sane person want to get away for at least a few days.
Some people use travel for “self care” or to get out of a rut.
For me, travel has been one of the best ways to reignite my creativity.
I’m naturally a very curious person.
There’s something about going to an unfamiliar place and seeing everything from a new perspective that can do wonders. Even the simplest things like walking around a city or finding a grocery store – things that you do on autopilot at home – are small challenges to figure out when you are in a new place.
The novelty, curiosity, break from your usual routines and thinking through new challenges all help me to be more creative.
On the last weekend of every month, I share recommendations to 4 thought-provoking things I read – or in some cases – listened to in the last month.
The theme for this month’s newsletter is exploration and travel.
- Is Instagram and “the selfie culture” ruining travel? This article makes an interesting argument about how our friends’ travel destinations can end up influencing where we go and the negative ramifications this can have on a place.
- How to travel on a third world passport – I openly talk about how much travel has influenced me. The one thing that I’ve taken for granted until now is holding a U.S. passport. You can’t choose where you are born. Your birthplace can make it easy or incredibly difficult to travel abroad. This post from a Thai travel blogger opened my eyes to just how many hoops he has to go through to be able to travel abroad.
- What happens if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t travel? You don’t have to leave the country, city or even your zip code to have a “travel mindset.” This is the predicament that Jodi – of Legal Nomads- found herself in after a crazy unfortunate turn of events involving a spinal tap, Jodi is left wondering if she’ll ever be able to live her life of food and travel ever again. This podcast episode is so intense and powerful. A must-listen.
- Another way to adopt a “travel mindset” is through books. This is a great post about how to be more thoughtful and deliberate about what you read.
What are you reading right now? Drop me an email, and let me know. The only thing I love more than reading is getting thoughtful recommendations for what I should read next.
*An earlier version of this post went out to my email subscribers. If you want to get first dibs on what I’m reading and the occasional update (I never send more than 2 emails per month), sign up here.
