THE WANDERLUSTERS MIND PODCAST

Abby Lewtas 15/10/19 Abby Lewtas 15/10/19

Courageously forging a life of giving back with Tarek Kholoussy.

Tarek is a social entrepreneur with a BSBA from Georgetown University and an MBA with honours from New York University who pursued a career in business development and operational leadership at top organizations such as Goldman Sachs.

In 2013, he felt compelled to leave the corporate world behind in an effort to explore the actual world, go after his dreams and live the life he imagined. Since then, Tarek has travelled to over 100 countries, supported social causes through volunteering, advocacy and fundraising in special places like Bali, Kenya and Colombia, embraced wild adventures like driving a rickshaw 4,000 km across all of India, and ran 25 marathons including an 84 km fundraiser run across Bali!

Now, Tarek leads Nomads Giving Back! with the vision of his social enterprise is to inspire nomads, travellers and expats to give back to the communities we call home away from home. Inspire yourself, inspire the world!

Tarek found more meaning in working for free when he was volunteering abroad, so he set out to follow his dreams to set up Nomads Giving Back.

About Tarek

“Travel is about questioning your assumptions in many ways.”

— Tarek Kholoussy

In the episode...

Growing through his struggles Tarek was tested after moving to New York and losing his job.
Tarek couldn’t find meaning in his daily grind which led him to be curious to travel and volunteer across the world.
Tarek found that when he was working for free he was much happier and so were the people around him.
What led him to break free to a new life
- When his cousin passed away “life is temporary, we all know that, but do we live our lives like that?”
- In the lead up to running his first marathon, Hurricane Sandy hit NYC and the marathon was cancelled. Instead, he volunteered where he came across a family that took shelter in their attic. Later he found out that some of the children died.
- Ran the marathon 2 weeks later which he never through he could do considering is past poor health habits.
- Tarek bumped into a woman who was living her dream of visiting 100 countries and then going on to set up a social enterprise which is exactly what he wanted to do.
Creating 3 massive life goals and going after them.
Tarek found himself living in Bali where he bumped into Chrissy, the women who had inspired him to take action to start achieving his goals.
Completing an Ultramarathon and the challenges he faced in the lead up to this.
Setting goals and announcing them to the world.
A half marathon is a physical challenge, a full marathon is a mental challenge and an ultra marathon is a spiritual challenge.
The lessons Tarek has learned from travel
- You don’t know what you don’t know - travel forces you to see things from a different perspective.
- Growth happens outside your comfort zone.
Why Tarek set up his social enterprise Nomads Giving back.
How you can have an impact when you travel through Nomads Giving Back.

Why Tarak continues to seek out travels and adventures? He loves it when he realises that he changes his mind about something. Knowing he is going to change and that he is not defined by his beliefs and that they can change.

“I believe in things a lot more when I experience it for myself.”

— Tarek Kholoussy

Links

Website - www.nomadsgivingback.com

Instagram - @tarek.world and @nomadsgivingback

Facebook - @tarek.world and @nomadsgivingback

Linked In - Tarek Kholoussy and @nomadsgivingback

book a complimentary consultation with me

Abby Lewtas 8/10/19 Abby Lewtas 8/10/19

Joy, Letting go of fear and moving to Thailand at 52 with Barbara Smith.

Barbara is a world traveler, originally from San Francisco, now living in Thailand and SE Asia for the past 3.5 years. She is an online entrepreneur who left a successful tech career in Silicon Valley and came to Thailand to teach English. Barbara is a fearless breast cancer survivor, mother of two wonderful grown kids, motorbike rider, and lover of life.

Barbara had lived the life she wanted in the states, so after recovering from cancer, she decided to move to Thailand.

About Barbara

Barbara is a world traveller, originally from San Francisco, now living in Thailand and SE Asia for the past 3.5 years. She is an online entrepreneur who left a successful tech career in Silicon Valley and came to Thailand to teach English. Barbara is a fearless breast cancer survivor, mother of two wonderful grown kids, a motorbike rider, and lover of life.

Barbara moved to southern Thailand in early 2016. After having done everything she wanted to do in the States personally and professionally, she was ready for a big change. Barbara sold the majority of her belongings, got a job and learned to teach, bought a one-way plane ticket and never looked back.

“Once you let go of fear, there are so many experiences in life that are just joyful and make you feel so full of life.”

— Barbara Smith

In the episode...

Barbara got a job teaching English in Thailand and brought a one-way ticket and off she went.
She had always wanted to live in another country but never expected she would end up in Asia.
Barbara had a successful business in Silicone Valley and felt like she had done everything personally and professionally in the States and so it was time to have another adventure.
She now lives in Phuket and is absolutely loving her life.
Barbara was in a toxic marriage and also had breast cancer, she then had a moment where she knew it was time for her to get out of this life she was living.
Barbara had got her cancer diagnosis when she was 52 and left for Thailand when she was 53, she knows for many this was a strange decision but for her was a beautiful new life.
Barbara chooses to see her cancer as a gift and a way to change his life.
She also decided not to ‘Fight’ cancer and instead decided to rest, be kind and care for herself.
Barbara loves the quote “worrying is like praying for what you don’t want.” Instead, she just decides to deal with it.
During her 30s and 40s, Barbara was focused on her career and her family but then cancer made her realise it was time to move if she wanted to have an adventure.
Barbara thinks that fear can become harder to deal with as you get older.
The day fear stopped for Barbara.
When Barbara returns to the States she feels like life is standing still. In Thailand, she feels like she is having different experiences every day.
Approach travel with an open heart.

Why does Barbara continue to seek out travels and adventures? This is the life and vision that Barbara wants.

“If you are a competent human being, you are going to be competent in another country.”

— Barbara Smith

How travel teaches us to take a break.

Travel can show you the importance of taking a break as it allows you to see things from a different perspective. Go places you have never been which in turn can spark new ideas and a fresh zest for life.

Travelling can teach us how to take a break and a great lesson to apply to other areas of our life.

About this episode

The Wanderlusters Mind is back after an extended break. I took a trip to Nepal in July and had intentions to come back to the podcast as soon as I returned. However, this winter was a perfect time to take a break for me. With more on my plate and through the colder months, it was a chance for me to turn inwards rather than spending time on the podcast.

“Having that break allows you to see what you are doing from a little bit of an outsiders perspective looking in.”

— Abby Lewtas

In the episode...

How travel shows and teaches you how valuable it is to take a break.
It allows you to see things from a different perspective.
Travel gives you the chance to stop and slow down and reassess what is important at that time.
Taking a break can be applied to other areas of your life such as re-assessing projects that you are in the thick of.
Creating these spaces gives you the opportunity to look at the next steps in life, relationships, career or certain projects you are working on.

book a complimentary consultation with me

Abby Lewtas 18/6/19 Abby Lewtas 18/6/19

Balancing her energy and following her heart though travel with Mary-Helen Lockton.

Mary-Helen Lockton is a life coach, financial coach and travel mentor with over 20 years of backpacking experience, having left her home country of Australia for the first time all the way back in 1999. She has done working holiday visas in the UK, France, Ireland and Canada, and in between these trips she pursued careers in finance and marketing in Sydney.

Mary-Helen has tried many times to find the right career and life for herself, however she continually has the urge to travel and see the world and has learned to follow her intuition to what she truely loves.

About Mary-Helen

Mary-Helen has most recently returned from a year long solo trip around the world, driving a campervan around Europe and then doing the backpacker trail down the west coast of South America, mixing hiking, yoga retreats and pisco sours with self-development.

“If you are sitting on the fence about not finding meaning in your life then the whole world is sitting out there waiting for you.”

— Mary-Helen Locton

In the episode...

Mary-Helen had an image of a world traveller as to what she wanted to be when she grew up.
The motivations for Mary-Helen to travel and how her first move was not really that far.
Mary-Helen moved to London when she was 19, since then has been back and forth to Australia on numerous different times in her life.
She really tried twice to get a serious career yet she still didn’t seem fulfilled and things started falling apart.
She wasn’t able to get working holiday visas as a 40 year old so she had to rely on her coaching business.
Mary-Helen found herself on auto-pilot and felt so busy in her routine life. She keep filling her life to fill the void.
She believes that she needs to regularly get out into the world and experience life, a balance of the masculine and feminine.
Mary-Helen talks about the tick box lifestyle that many societies and people follow.
When Mary-Helen lived in Canada, travel became her routine. If things were not working out she would just leave it behind.
She really had to learn to deal with the underlying things that were coming up for her and sit with the uncomfortableness.
Travelling to places like Croatia and Bosnia were outside her comfort zone in the early days of travelling. Mary-Helen talks about a boarder crossing where she felt quite confronted.
Mary-Helen has learned to look at the behaviours and cultures of others and use them as tools to understand herself better.
She tries to be compassionate to others upon returning home.
Mary-Helens advise for people who are not 100% sure about going travelling is to put the building blocks in place to make the opportunity a priority.

Rapid Fire Round

Mary-Helens last trip? Chile
A place she tells everyone to visit? Scotland
Scariest place she has travelled to? Bosnia
Favourite thing about travel? Learning about herself
Mary-Helens next trip? France

Why Mary-Helen continues to seek out travels and adventures? If you ar

“Even if you do have all the pins in place.....what do you do next?”

— Mary-Helen Lockton

Gratitude and richness in life with Ronnie Oliech.

Ronnie is a Body & Lifestyle Transformation Expert, qualified fitness trainer, ex Queensland firefighter and holds a bachelor of applied biology. Originally from Kenya, Ronnie moved to Australia with his partner at the time to create a new life for himself. He found himself in a new country and a culture where he felt he had to start his entire life again. So he did just that.

Ronnie grew up in Kenya and moved to Australia to start a new life. He continued to face his fears and step into his highest potential.

About Ronnie

One day Ronnie decided he need a change and to step into the person he knew he was, he drove the length of Australia to arrive in Melbourne to start fresh. Ronnie now helps high achievers, business owners and career professionals achieve permanent weight loss & build confidence without the pain of dieting & wasting time at the gym.

“Tomorrow is not promised and we should live our best life.”

— Ronnie Oliech

In the episode...

Ronnie is able to look at life from a different angle every time he travels.
His last trip was to Hawaii where he was for around a month. They were faced with a bomb scare which made him realised that tomorrow is not promised and that we should live our best life.
Ronnie was challenged with a divorce when he was first came to Australia. This was something so foreign to Ronnie. After this he made some drastic changes in his life for the better.
The way Ronnie started to patch his life together with all different types of jobs before opening his business.
How Ronnie has had to break free from an environment that no longer served him and how being adventurous has really helped him.
How Ronnie met his wife through someone he met on Tinder.
Ronnie believes in the mantra of “Easy choices… hard life, hard choices.. easy life.”
How the environment that Ronnie was living in in far north Queensland was not what he wanted and he knew he had to change his surrounds.
Ronnie believed in himself, he knew his potential and he was grounded in hope, this was a foundation that really helped him to make the hard decisions.
Ronnie knew he would be coming to Australia full time and this was his first ever flight. He knew it was like he was completely starting a new life.
Even navigating his trip to Australia, through the airport, speaking with people along the way, it seemed so scary.
Prior to coming to Australia he felt so rich in his life, rich in material things.
Adapting to a new social life was a very big culture shock for Ronnie.
Every time Ronnie is faced with a fear, he confronts it which gives him more confidence and he knows that continuing to do this he will always be able to face his fears.
After growing up in a country where you had to eat everything he feels so grateful for the life he lives and says a pray every single day for his life.
All your choices are based in love or fear so make more choices from a place of love.
Traveling home makes Ronnie feel nostalgic and now feels very rich. He is reminded of how lucky he is and how loved he is.
When returning home Ronnie feels so grateful as he sees the contrast in people who have nothing (and feel so happy) and to people who have so much (but can’t be happy).
Ronnie believes that growing up with nothing has helped cultivate his mentality of gratitude.
He believes that too many children grow up 'being given the fish, rather than teaching them how to fish.’
Ronnie suggests for people who want to travel to get out of their comfort zone as this is where you can learn great lessons in life.
Ronnie talks about how dangerous stress is and the roll on effect it has.
How developing good habits are the most important thing in your life.

Why Ronnie continue to seek out travels and adventures? The lessons and experiences that he has had from his past travels and knowing how much it has changed his life keeps him continuing to travel for more adventures.

“We need challenge as humans, to learn and grow.”

— Ronnie Oliech

Learning from travel and letting life unfold with Kenan Kreis.

Kenan is a traveler who has 'been on and off the road a lot in the past 8 years. When he is “home” he spends a lot of that time on road trips in the western United States. Kenan previously worked in film as a camera man and dedicated his life to working when in the right job, he purchased a house and escaped the usual 9-5 work life now returning to souther California during summers to occasionally work. Kenan has been to around 42 countries and is now on a journey to uncovering the next chapter in his life. He believes that all humans are equal, no one better than another and that we are just one part of this great planet.

After consistently working as an editor and camera operator Kenan had the itch to travel. When a friend told him ‘you just have to make it happen’ he did and a 11 month journey unfolded.

About Kenan

Kenan is a traveller who has been on and off the road a lot in the past 8 years. When he is “home” he spends a lot of that time on road trips in the western United States. Kenan previously worked in TV & film as an editor and camera operator. He then purchased a house and escaped the usual 9-5 work life now returning to southern California during summers to occasionally work.

Kenan has been to around 42 countries and is now on a journey to uncovering the next chapter in his life. He believes that all humans are equal, no one better than another and that we are just one part of this great planet.

“You just have to do it [travel], you have to make it happen.”

— Kenan Kreis

In the episode...

Growing up Kenan travelled mainly within the States with his family.
When I met Kenan on his first solo trip.
The first time Kenan was faced with culture shock in simply having to cross a road to get his dinner.
Kenan believes that we shouldn’t hold ourselves higher than anyone else and that we are all equal.
The paradox of travel, being with people and being completely alone and how it forces you to face yourself and think about your life.
The filtered ‘best’ moments of peoples lives that you see through Instagram.
What its like to return home from travelling after such a long time away.
How travel helps you learn about yourself and is a form of personal growth.
Whoever you are around greatly influences the way you show up in your life.
How Kenan’s life has allowed him to travel so much.
‘The formula’ that Kenan feels pressures from in his life.
How Kenan leans into trusting his path despite external influences.
Looking at and learning from the good and the bad experiences of travel and your life.
Kenan describes his twin sister as being completely different to him yet when she started leaning into some travels with him she became more relaxed and started to enjoy the journey.
Kenan describes himself as very shy, yet travel has opened him up especially in social settings.

Rapid

The last place Kenan visited? Thailand
A place that Kenan tells everyone to visit? Thailand
Scariest place Kenan has travelled to? India
Kenans favourite thing about travel? Freedom
Kenans next trip? Into the inside of his mind in a Vipassana meditation practice.

Why Kenan continue to seek out travel and live abroad? Personal growth, adventure and thinking about the bigger questions in life.