THE WANDERLUSTERS MIND PODCAST
Jo Parker - Shaping her life during 12 months in Denmark.
Finding freedom and purpose in her life at sixteen years old whilst on Rotary exchange.
About Jo
Johanna Parker is a heart-centred life, confidence and public speaking coach, international speaker and MC, life coach trainer, authenticity-advocate, travel junkie and founder of her personal empowerment business, Heart Sparks.
Hailed by Women’s Fitness Magazine as a ‘positivity expert’, over the past ten years she has empowered thousands of young people and adults across not-for-profit, local government, education and community settings to become more connected to themselves, to confidently embrace their uniqueness, to bravely honour their voice and to build incredible, purposeful lives all over the world.
She is an avid traveller who caught the travel bug at a very young age and successfully built an location-independent business that nurtures her love of wandering while still allowing her to call Australia home.
“I just kept showing up and really threw myself into learning the language and connect with people.”
When coming home...
- Emotions Jo faced - Resisted thinking about returning home. Looming expiry date of trip. Jo felt displaced, alone, misunderstood, sad and confused for 9-12 months after returning home.
- What had changed - Felt like the world had stopped. Everything had changed but Jo felt grateful for the experience.
- How Jo supported herself - Aligned with anything that connected with who she really was. Maintaining relationships in Denmark, talking to those who were excited about her travels. When she was feeling sad, she gave herself space to process the feelings.
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
- Reverse culture shock is a real thing, its a natural part of travel so take the pressure off.
- Home is on the inside, home is wherever you are.
- The relationship that you have with yourself is paramount.
- Advise to herself for returning home - Everything will be ok, you can always choose to do something different and you have the power and the control to change things.
Jos tips for dealing with Reverse Culture shock.
- Recognise what it looks like feels like sounds like.
- Take the pressure off.
- Find people who you relate too.
- Be willing to speak up if you are struggling.
- Follow 'sparks' of what feels interesting.
- Know that if you return to where you travel.
“Denmark taught me that I wanted to work with people and that I loved working with and meeting new people.”
“I make space for adventure...in whatever form that looks like.”
Cover and above photos: Eyes of Love Photography
Amanda Kendle - 5.5 years of teaching English aboard.
Amanda is a lifelong travel addict who has lived and worked in Japan, Slovakia and Germany before returning to her hometown of Perth, Western Australia. She runs a travel blog at NotABallerina.com and is the host of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, all about how beneficial travel can be for us in so many ways. She lives with her seven-year-old son and two cats and is always on the lookout for excuses to take her son travelling.
Five and a halve years of teaching English in Japan, Slovakia and Germany to travel blogger and podcast host.
About Amanda
Amanda is a lifelong travel addict who has lived and worked in Japan, Slovakia and Germany before returning to her hometown of Perth, Western Australia. She runs a travel blog at NotABallerina.com and is the host of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast, all about how beneficial travel can be for us in so many ways. She lives with her seven-year-old son and two cats and is always on the lookout for excuses to take her son travelling.
“I always think about a Christmas I spent in Tunisia in Northern Africa. I went there by accident as it was the only place that had available flights left.”
When coming home...
- Emotions Amanda faced - Resistance, hard work.
- What had changed - Many friends had left, no friends from home wanted to hear about her trip, missed out on pop culture for 5 years so just couldn't relate to those around her. Couldn't contribute to the 'normal' conversations and didn't feel like she could fit in.
- Biggest stress - Fitting back in with her friends, cost of living due to mining boom in Perth.
- How Amanda supported herself - Having the job and Friends from the english learning school. Once she had children she found common ground with old friends as she was at a similar stage of life. Started a travel blog and looked and started planing for more travel.
- How did her mindset change - Didn't want to have a 'liner' career path. Money became less important. Much more open minded.
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
- Get outside of your comfort zone.
- Adaptability.
- Open minded and empathetic to others.
- Advise to herself for returning home - Step back and remember to be empatheic to those around me.
“I realised how much I had grown from travelling and that I really wanted to give that to other people.”
LINKS
Website: notaballerina.com and amandakendle.com
Amandas Instagram: @amandakendle
Facebook: NotABallerina
Twitter: @amandakendle
Pinterest @amandatravels
The thoughtful travel podcast
The Thoughtful Travel Podcast features chats with travel writers, photographers, travel bloggers and other travel lovers about topics centered around why we love traveling and what we learn from it. Abby featured in episodes
Andrea Lewtas - Living in joy and helping others through holistic health.
Andrea is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga teacher and avid traveler. She is truly passionate about Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, travel and life in general!In 2016 she founded Ananda Ayurvedic Wellness, here it is her aim to help people overcome their health issues and enable them to live their life to the fullest potential.
Living, working and travelling in Europe for 2 years returning home. Then living, working and traveling in South America and Canada before settling home and practicing Ayurvedic health.
About Andrea
Andrea is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga teacher and avid traveler. She is truly passionate about Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, travel and life in general!
In 2016 she founded Ananda Ayurvedic Wellness, here it is her aim to help people overcome their health issues and enable them to live their life to the fullest potential.
She grew up in a small beachside town in Victoria, Australia, and after travelling the world for many years, discovering herself and what this amazing planet has to offer. She now finds herself living the beach life once again with my partner in sunny Perth.
“You need to do things that make you joyful in life.”
When coming home...
- Emotions Andrea faced - Resisted but ready to come home, knew what she would face when coming home. Starting from scratch with no money. Some anxiety.
- What had changed - Appreciation for Australia and home town.
- Biggest stress - Not having any money. Having to rely on her parents. Finding a job and finding a place to live.
- How Andrea supported herself - Went to family for support and her Aunty who lived where she wanted to work. Spent time with her best friend to reminisce about the travels.
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock.
- Everything always works out in the end.
- Go with the flow - there will be ups and downs in life but you need to be able to work with that.
- Always choose and adventure in life - keep life interesting.
- Advise to herself for returning home - Dont stress, the stressing wont help the situation. Have a little bit of money in the back when you come home, you will eventually find your feet again.
“I trusted that everything would work out and the stage I was in would always change.”
Links
Website - www.anandaayurvedicwellness.com
Andreas Instagram - @ananda_ayurvedic_wellness
Andreas Facebook Page - Ananda Ayurvedic Wellness
Julianna Barnaby - Soul searching in Central America.
Julianna is a travel blogger and creator of 'The Discoveries Of.' A travel writer who retrained as a lawyer and worked in London before going back to her original passion of travel writing.Julianna took the six weeks to spend time travelling in Central America and did a road trip up the West Coast of the US, before returning home to the UK.
Going full circle from travel writer to lawyer, six weeks in Central America and following her soul calling to return to travel writing.
About Julianna
Julianna is a travel blogger and creator of 'The Discoveries Of.' A travel writer who retrained as a lawyer and worked in London before going back to her original passion of travel writing.
Julianna took the six weeks to spend time travelling in Central America and did a road trip up the West Coast of the US, before returning home to the UK.
“Trying to be aware of my own feelings and my own thoughts a lot more rather than doing things automatically.”
When coming home...
- Emotions Julianna faced - Hard, tough and difficult to face returning home from travel. Sharp contrast. Felt like there was not much control.
- What had changed - Didn't want to be a lawyer full time anymore...but what do I do?
- How Julianna supported herself - started writing again
- How did her mindset change - being conscious of what she was feeling
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
- There is never a good time to do something. You need to make the time happen.
- Be open to experainces
- Some things are worth taking a gamble on.
- Advise to herself for returning home - I wish I had travelled sooner to figure out what I wanted to do.
“I wanted to write a travel website that I would want to read!”
“There is never a good time to do something, you can keep on waiting for the right time to do something....sometimes the right time is just the time you do it.”
Mel Cook - From Peru to Miami and falling in love.
Once known as shy Mel, she is now a girl full of swag who loves the opportunity to stay in shape. Mel is a body and lifestyle transformation specialist who loves life and loves inspiring people to achieve the body and lifestyle that they have always craved.Mel travelled for 4 month, a month in Peru and 3 months living in Miami. She spent her time training as a sprinter with an Olympic development coach, volunteering and working on herself.
From shy Mel to confident body and lifestyle transformational specialist.
About Mel
Once known as shy Mel, she is now a girl full of swag who loves the opportunity to stay in shape. Mel is a body and lifestyle transformation specialist who loves life and loves inspiring people to achieve the body and lifestyle that they have always craved.
Mel travelled for 4 months, a month in Peru and 3 months living in Miami. She spent her time training as a sprinter with an Olympic development coach, volunteering and working on herself.
“The way I do things in life is, I dont make my decision once I know how to do something...I make the decision and find a way of making it happen.”
When coming home...
Emotions Mel faced - Numb, floating and looking down on her life, unsure about next steps
How Mel supported herself - You always need something to look forward to, life coaching
How did her mindset change - Mindset is extremely important, you cant stop you have to keep doing things towards your vision.
3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
Its hard work coming back home and feeling grounded and settled again.
Having a focus and a vision. Where you put your focus is where your energy goes.
Look within
Advise to herself for returning home - keep looking within
“We travel to get the high, adventure and excitement, but we can actually get all of that when were focused, disciplined and working hard towards something.”
Links
Website: www.imanifit.com
Mels Instagram: @meljaydeoliech and Imani Fitness Instagram: @imanitribetransformations
Facebook: Mel Cook
Facebook: Imanitribe
“When you make a decision whole heartedly, everything just falls into place.”
Annie Soulsby - Seeing Tanzania grow.
Annie Soul is a life coaching specialising in travel. She blogs about her expertise at www.soulfultravels.co.uk. She has spent over seven years as an expat in Tanzania. Annie moved to Tanzania in 2010 after six months of teaching scientific fieldwork skills to volunteers on a bush camp with no running water or electricity the previous year. She went with the ambition of starting her own NGO and spent every single effort trying to make that happen. She made some really lovely lifelong friends and had awesome adventures, but needed a change and decided to leave in 2016.
Leaving the UK for 7 years in Tanzania and returning home again.
About Annie
Annie Soul is a life coaching specialising in travel. She blogs about her expertise at www.soulfultravels.co.uk. She has spent over seven years as an expat in Tanzania.
Annie moved to Tanzania in 2010 after six months of teaching scientific fieldwork skills to volunteers on a bush camp with no running water or electricity the previous year. She went with the ambition of starting her own NGO and spent every single effort trying to make that happen.
In the end the political situation changed dramatically and the experience was not the same as when she had arrived. She made some really lovely lifelong friends and had awesome adventures, but needed a change and decided to leave in 2016.
“You have to take some time to nurture your own feelings to ensure your strong enough to continue”
When coming home...
- Emotions Annie faced - Upset to leave new friends in Tanzania behind, excited to return home, security, relax and not worry about basic needs.
- Biggest stress - No one understands the change you have been going through.
- How Annie supported herself - Concentrate on herself, take time to do things for yourself.
- How did her mindset change - Self action, open communications, being selfish and investing time in herself
- 3 Lessons learned from travel and reverse culture shock
- "Dont panic." (Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy)
- Dont always listen to people when they say negative things about travel.
- Research, Research, Research!
- Advise to herself for returning home - Enjoy everything that you can. You know your strengths.
Links
Website: www.soulfultravels.co.uk
Annies Instagram: @soulfultravelsuk
Facebook: Soulful travels
Twitter @soulfultravels
Hi, Im Abby...
About me...
Hi I'm Abby, Adventurer, Life coach, Speaker and Blogger.
After a successful sporting career I now love sharing what I have learned from my adventures and traveling the world.
I believe in turning into your adventurous life through your intuition and the little nudges from the universe.
Lets share the adventure. xo
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