How You’ll Benefit From Putting Travel At The Top Of Your Bucket List

By Doug Bennett, with special guest Paul Kennedy

What fun or inspiring goals do you have that are not money-related? Do you sometimes fantasise about packing in your existing life and making a radical change?

If so, you’re going to love my conversation with former restaurateur Paul Kennedy who, on a whim, left his life in New York to go travelling. He didn’t return! It’s also quite an unusual move considering that approximately only a third of American adults have a valid and unexpired U.S. passport (because the country is so vast, many Americans choose to travel within it rather than explore further afield).

You can hear my full conversation with Paul on the Goals Do Come True podcast, where he explains why he wants to inspire you to break free from your comfort zone and experience life in a new environment.

Ironically, Paul’s experience of travelling wasn’t so much a culture shock as it was a wake-up call as to how much other people fear the unknown.

See beyond fear

Paul: “I’d never travelled and didn’t have a passport but I knew I wanted to experience more of the world. The scariest thing was being told by other people that I should be afraid and that I should not go to Turkey because my life would be in danger.  

During my travels, there were times when I was climbing a mountain and I was actually deathly afraid because I’m scared of heights, but that was only a temporary fear. Fear that is instilled in you by other people is a problem and often comes down to the fact that those people haven’t travelled. 

I must have received at least 100 calls telling me not to go to Turkey because of what people had seen about the airport bombing on the news years before. My experience taught me that there was no need to be afraid. The people in Turkey were some of the friendliest I’ve met.”

Having also enjoyed time in Italy, Greece and Thailand, Paul settled in Hanoi because he loved the food and culture of Vietnam, plus it was cost-effective (far cheaper than flying within the US!). Aside from making a living teaching English, he’s keen to inspire people to  at least book a holiday in a different country (if quitting everything and travelling longer term is a step too far).

How to broaden your horizons

Paul’s also written a book, Vietnam Food And Culture, in a bid to entice people to explore new horizons (click here to join the waitlist for the book).

Paul: “It’s an introduction to food and drink with lots of tidbits about the culture. When some friends came to visit, they told me that their friends thought they’d need a machete to get to the hotel. The reality is that very few people in the US know anything about Vietnam; for example, Hanoi is the same size as New York City! I’ve peppered facts like that throughout the book to help people realise how interesting Vietnam is, and that it might pique their interest for travel.

People need to understand that when you travel, you’ll begin to understand other people much more; when you understand other people, you understand yourself far more. That’s one of the things I want people to take away from the experience.”

Even though Paul loves his life in Hanoi, he isn’t one for a forever home, which has got me itching to dig my own passport out!

Paul: “I definitely have a shortlist but it’s all over the map; there’s a little bit of Africa, Ecuador, Peru and Romania. My interest is generally in countries that are affordable and not as frequently visited. I think they have a lot to offer even though they’re not on that huge tourist map. It’s gonna be the same thing that got me here. One day I’ll just wake up and leave!”

Thankfully Paul already has his passport this time, so that’ll be much easier! Where would you love to travel to? What preconceptions do you have about the culture of other countries? Click here to email me and share your bucket list of travel destinations; and if you’d like my support and accountability for a personal or professional goal, click here to book a complimentary discovery call.

P.S. If you’d like to check out my books on goal setting, click here to find the right one for you.