Sunrise On The Other Side of the World

"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you." - Anthony Bourdain, belated and beloved author, chef, and travel guide

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If you’ve been keeping up with me, I’ve been unemployed since Friday July 28th when the startup I was working with laid off over 80% of our entire United States workforce. Since then I’ve applied to over 200 jobs, had a few interviews, but have yet to land my next role. I’m hungry for my next opportunity. I’ve been hustling and looking for a company that I can lend my talents to. It is taking some time to find the right fit but I’m confident I’ll find it.

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So, as I sit here, starting to write this out from the Sydney airport on my way to Tokyo I realize that some people might think it was nuts to go out of the country for nearly two weeks, and that’s okay. Travel has always been a big part of who I am. I am inquisitive by nature, I love to explore new places, and learn the histories and cultural anthropology of regions. I love experiencing how wonderfully different the world outside my own backyard can be. I was made to explore new things - which is a larger part of why I love working in tech since it is an ever-changing ecosystem.

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Prior to the news that my company was shutting down the bulk of its US operations my partner and I had been talking about taking a trip to either Australia or Japan. My goal is to hit all seven continents before I turn 40. When the layoffs rolled out we questioned if I had the time to do a bit of both.

Some might call forging ahead with this trip a leap of faith. To a degree, I guess it partly was - we were betting that I could find some space to breathe and reset while also looking for my next great career adventure. We discussed it, weighed the pros and cons, and then we ultimately decided to go because this thing, unemployment, happened to me but we had been planning an adventure and we did not want the current temporary suck of my current joblessness to derail an opportunity for joy. Too many things clicked into place for this trip for us not to go - Ryan had the space to take time (he owns his own company), a friend moved to Australia, and we had a travel friend going to Japan, points, flight deals, etc.

The point of this trip was to find joy in the moment. Working in a fast-paced environment like a startup meant I spent a lot of time behind the desk - especially when pivoting between North American and APAC region teams. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to really look at and appreciate the splendor around us. It's been unusual for me to take time away and not get called into something. Earlier this year I completed media campaign launches, website & SEO updates, and other tasks from the middle of a Safari in Kenya. So even though I am dealing with the hard emotional toll that being unemployed brings I wanted to focus on fighting for joy through this process - I wanted to remind myself of the life outside of our work lives that we are fighting to build and really soak that in so I could take that energy with me to my next round of job applications and interviews.

So, off we went to soak in moments of joy.

20,570 miles and 15 days later... Joy barometer = off the charts!

We had an amazing time in OZ visiting our friend who moved from DFW to Sydney this summer. He's found a truly amazing new home and we're so thrilled for the adventures he is having and can't wait to see more of his stellar photography. Then we had the opportunity to meet up with our other travel buddy and photographer, who was also exploring Japan, as well as our friend who moved from HNL back home to Tokyo. ?In route back home to HNL we had a layover in DFW where I got to hug and have dinner with my youngest brother and then we saw my partner's favorite college football team, The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, sadly, get crushed by Oregon in Eugene.

I have zero regrets that we went on this trip. While traveling I was reminded just how much I love that feeling of absolute wonder when we get to collectively experience and embrace the beauty of this blue planet we get to share with billions of people and creatures.

I remembered so much about what I loved to do and experience on this trip. However, that doesn't mean I forgot about the life waiting for me back at home either. I had responsibilities that needed to be tended to. I still applied to jobs and I even scheduled interviews. But, I unplugged more than I had in a long, long time. This was the first time in two years I took time away and didn’t have someone call me to help solve something for work. ?I leaned into the joy of the moment and followed my curiosities.

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Was it always comfortable? No – traffic was opposite of our normal and we don’t speak Japanese yet we went to a country that largely doesn't speak English. But we managed. We found our routes and ways to communicate – big mahalo to Google Translate and everyone who helped us as we did our best to translate. Travel reminds us that not all uncomfortable experiences can be bad - they can sometimes be an opportunity to stretch or get a different viewpoint.

The older I get and the more I travel I have found I generally enjoy the people who travel internationally most because they:

• Are more than likely the people who can embrace other cultures with acceptance instead of criticism.
• Aren’t afraid to try new ways of doing things.
• Are generally curious, adaptable, and are both interested and open to learning histories, stories, and forms of expression different from their own.

Hands down, what I love most about international travel is that despite everything that may make us different, kindness is still an international language. It gives me a feeling of hope for the future – despite differences and challenges we can still create something new and beautiful that can benefit society.

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It was refreshing to get completely out of our normal routine and embrace new experiences. I came back home with wonderful memories of cool creatures we’d seen and beautiful architecture we’d marveled at, very full from all the delicious food on our travels, and, most importantly, a renewed sense of appreciation for the people and opportunities around me.

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Please, let this be my gentle reminder that there is a beautiful world out there for you to see. Take time to breathe, explore, and find joy!

Take the time. Go somewhere new. Knock a place off your bucket list. Make some memories that will make your heart happy! Renew that sense of childlike wonder and lean into the magic of the joy of the moment.

Get out of your state, get your passport, get out of your country - if you are able to I highly recommend getting off the continent you live on.

Get out of your own comfort zone. Try food you never would have tried before. Go even if you don’t know the language.

See how people on the other side of the world do things. Maybe you could learn something or get a new idea from your travels– I almost always do.

With Joy,

Rita Metzinger

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