Continue reading What is Travado? I watched this TED talk by Stefan Sagmeister a couple weeks ago and was amazed: Amy and I have been talking about starting up this blog project for a year now, but weren’t quite sure where to begin, and then this guy comes along and says everything we’ve been wanting to say so perfectly. So, by way of this video, welcome to Travado!

My name is Lynn, and I’m a 26 year old American on a 3 year work/live/travel overseas binge.  I don’t have any fancy degrees or corporate sponsored visas; instead I have a BA in cinema studies and an obsessive planning streak.  In June of this year, I quit my stable advertising job of 2 years and moved from Seattle to Melbourne, Australia on a short-term work visa.  At the end of this month I’m doing it all over again, trading in my life and job in Melbourne for two months of travel in New Zealand (and a little break in Seoul with the other half of this blog, Amy) before I settle in Wellington for a while.  It is my firm belief that long-term overseas working holidays are more easily attainable than most people think.  On my half of the blog, I hope to offer practical advice about how to research, commit to, and plan for this sort of adventure.

One of the things I was struck by in Sagmeister’s talk was how he moved from the concept of time off to actually doing it, specifically this quote: “and then I told as many people as I possibly could about it, so that there was no way that I could chicken out later on.”   When I decided to go to Australia, I was nowhere near ready – mentally or otherwise – to actually do it.  So I told everybody I knew about my plans, for the same reason as Sagmeister.  Big plans are scary, and it helps to have a little outside motivation to stay on track!

We hope to offer a little twist on this concept of bravado here, hence our name.  Travado is buying a plane ticket before you’re ready to quit your job, telling your friends you’re leaving before you’re ready to leave them, and planning a big life change before you’re ready for it to happen.  Travado is traveling alone to foreign countries where you don’t speak the language and coming out knowing words like Spülmaschinenfest.  Travado is doing the things and going to the places you used to daydream about in meetings.  Travado is taking responsibility for your own happiness.

Do you have Travado?  We would love to hear about your big plans, whether you’re just getting started or already off on an adventure of your own.  Leave a comment here or drop us a line and let us know how we can help your big ideas get off the ground!