Let me just say: it feels damn good to be traveling again after 15 months of being trapped home. For the past 2 months, I’ve been traveling with a program called Remote Year on a 4 month work-travel program. Basically, myself & the 22 other folks on the program are working our usual jobs remotely (for me that’s Crafted by Carly, for many others it’s 9-5s back home)… and Remote Year takes care of the logistics (think finding us our accommodations, providing a 24/7 co-working space, booking our flights, etc.).
Prior to the pandemic, traveling was one of my favorite ways to stay inspired—in life and in business. So naturally, being back on the road has allowed me to soak up inspiration in so many ways besides just Pinterest.
Here are the top 3 places I find inspiration when traveling:
For me, the best ideas usually pop into my mind when I step away from my computer… and I’d bet that the same goes for you. Immersing myself in the nature of a new place—whether relaxing in the Tolantongo hot springs in Mexico or climbing Volcán de Acatenango in Guatemala—allows me to disconnect from the day-to-day grind and get inspired by my surroundings and the people I’m connecting with.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but working within the same 4 walls of my apartment day in and day out over the past year wasn’t the most inspiring. Even as a homebody and introvert at heart, getting out of my apartment and beginning to work in cute cafes again gave me a jolt of inspiration. Bonus points for the ones that lure me in with their branding and keep me coming back again and again!
One of my favorite things about going somewhere new is simply exploring the architecture and overall design of the place I’m in. In Mexico City, I was smitten with all of the greenery amidst an otherwise huge metropolitan area. In Antigua, as a UNESCO heritage site, I’ve been loving the old uniformity of the architecture and the cotton candy colored buildings.
I’ve learned that simply getting out of the house after a looong year inside has given me a spark of inspiration and a jolt of excitement. Tell me—where do you find inspiration for your business?