I nervously checked my watch. 20 minutes until the interview.
I mindlessly fidgeted with my hair as I looked over the list of questions once more.
Take a deep breath, I told myself. It’s just an interview.
It had been over 5 years since I had talked to Carolyn, and we had never been close. I had followed her journey on Facebook though, and after watching her move from country to country around the world, I finally reached out to her to see if she would be willing to do a Skype interview for the The World Wanderers podcast. She said yes.
I’m what society has labelled as an extrovert. I’m friendly, sociable, and I talk easily with people.
What most people don’t know, is that unless I am completely comfortable with a person, I have a mini-panic attack before any type of social interaction.
Moments before calling Carolyn over Skype I was doing just that.
And then the time came to do the interview. I held my breath as I pressed the button to call her. And, as soon as she picked up, all my fears disappeared.
Carolyn is animated, happy, and has a love of life that is contagious. She talks quickly and easily, and she speaks what’s on her mind with a disregard for what other people might think of her.
I’ve never been good at speaking my mind, so I deeply respect and admire her for that.
What really drew me to Carolyn though is how she lives her life.
Carolyn has created a life she loves. Carolyn has made her dreams a reality. Carolyn is really living.
Instead of finding a mediocre job and wasting away in a cubicle, Carolyn has sought out jobs around the world that interest her.
She doesn’t allow language barriers or complicated visa applications to stop her from going somewhere.
When I asked her if she had ever been concerned about traveling somewhere as a single female, she was confused by what I meant.
Being alone in a foreign city doesn’t scare Carolyn, it excites her.
Learning a new language, navigating a new city, and making new friends are just a few of the things that Carolyn is passion about.
Carolyn has lived in 8 countries around the world, and is currently teaching yoga and living at an ashram in India.
How cool.
Carolyn’s life is awesome. It’s the kind of life that you read about in books. It’s the kind of life that you say you want, but never achieve.
Carolyn isn’t doing anything that you can’t do though.
Carolyn made a choice to be different. To take a different path. To be outside the norm.
Carolyn chose to follow her dreams and create a life for herself that makes her happy.
If you want to hear more about creating a life without borders and following your dreams, listen to the episode of the podcast with Carolyn here.
