The First 100 Days of Traveling the World on a Motorbike with Sinje Gottwald

Sinje: Conscious decision-making is one of the most important things in life.

Trinity: Hi, everyone. Welcome to the first 100 days. A show for revenue practitioners by revenue. Partitioners giving you unscripted access and exclusive resources to help you navigate any new transition or initiative. I'm your host, Trinity Nguyen from UserGems. In this episode, we're examining the first 100 days of charting your own path.

Quitting a successful career to travel the world on a motorcycle may sound like something from a movie, but for Sinje Gottwald, EMEA Sales Executive at Workato, it became a reality after nearly a decade in the tech industry at Microsoft and Salesforce senior started an adventure that would change her life.

You sat down with my co-host Christian to share her story and the lessons she learned on her journey while she always wanted to ride a motorcycle, she never dreamed it would take her to so many places. 

Sinje: When I got my motorcycle, it has nothing to do with a trip like this. I didn't even think of a trip like this back then.

So I just got it because I wanted to ride a motorcycle and I thought it was good, fun, and I had time to get the license. So I did that. And then once I got the license every year, from that day on, I went on a bigger trip somewhere in the world for two weeks. Once I drove from Germany to Morocco, for example, but also flew to New Zealand or to DS or anywhere to Columbia.

And just rather than motorcycling around. And that then at one punch forgets the idea of going into a big trip for a longer time. 

Trinity: So what was the pivotal moment when Sinje decided to leave everything, let's jump into the rest of the conversation between Sinje and Christian.

Sinje: See, this is not a decision that you can take within a day or anything. So for me, it took about seven years and it was the hardest decision I took in my life. I really the hardest, but also the best decision I could. I took in my life and looking back. This lecture, so many good things in my life. It was a really good decision, but what was really hard in the beginning when I first thought about going on a trip like this.

It's so far away from the life that I was living at that time. Just the idea of being on the road for longer than two weeks, being on the road alone, as a woman, leaving behind everything, giving up everything, just saying goodbye to family and friends. I sold all of my things that, that I owned in Germany.

And also, I didn't really know how long I would be on the road for, and also didn't know exactly what the going. This whole thing was so weird to me as well. That for a very long time, I thought there are so many reasons that speak against this really weird idea. Um, more than. That's speaking all for this, but it was always in the back of my head.

And around three years before I actually went on this trip, I realized that whenever someone asks me, Hey, what did you do? And whenever you meet new people, I would start saying, yeah, I work in tech. I could have right around the world on a motorcycle. And that was then 2017. I just, there wasn't a specific moment where I realized there's this.

One life I have right now, a really good life, a great career, great friends, a really nice home. And everything was perfect. Like from an outside perspective, everything was more than perfect really. But at the same time, I was 33 and I was like, this is not really feeling the way it should be for myself and my life.

And at the same time, I had this idea of traveling around the world on a motorcycle. And this combined led to this moment where I realized for myself and became really clear all of a sudden, if I don't go for the stream now, Then with every single day that I don't go for it, the chances that I will actually go for it.

Decreases. This became so clear and it's more of a, like a logical thing in the end. And once I realized this, it went really quick. So I quit my job sold, everything, found a motorcycle. This all happened within three months. Other people take a year to plan and prepare for this kind of trip for me was like, okay, I have to do it now.

And I have to leave this year because otherwise who knows what will happen in life. Yeah. In the end, it was a really quick decision, even though the time before it was pretty long.

Christian: I think for so many of these decisions where it's so easy to just keep doing what we're doing. And I think specifically, like, especially if you're, if you have a Korean tack, like, I think there's always the thought, can I go back?

Am I in a sense jeopardizing everything that I've done until this point like at this good career, I worked for amazing companies. And now if I take my time off is like, what's this all for nothing. Yeah. 

Sinje: Definitely had that thought as well. And obviously, my colleagues that while you're kind of stupid to leave this position in the company and you will never really resume and get back on this track and everything.

And also like to me now, it's crystal clear that it's not true, but at the same time when I was in that situation back then, I wasn't a hundred percent sure if this would actually lead to. Myself, never keep going back into tech or not having a career or anything. So, yeah, it's different. How it's also interesting how my perspective changed a lot from back then to how I look at things now.

But also I have to say one thing, I think 10 years ago, this would not have been possible in the same way that it's possible now. So I think. If I had left like a career 10 years ago and done something differently for three years, I didn't work for three and a half years as this a long time. I think now going back was okay.

And I had a story and I could explain everything, but I think 10 years ago, this would have been a different situation. 

Christian: Yeah, I totally agree. From my perspective of hiring people maybe to three and a half years, a little bit too long, but like having done something like this is hugely beneficial. Like it makes it very interesting.

Obviously, I think the question then is, do you actually want to go back to tech the fact that you actually had a career and you worked already at amazing companies for a certain amount of time is beneficial here when you want to go back because you can refer back to that. So basically you, you started and you had no idea for how long you're gone.

Yeah. What was your original plan? There must've been something you tell your parents say, yeah. I'll to see you. At some point. 

Sinje: I actually told them, no, I actually told them, Hey, I'm going to go on this trip. Quit my job and I will get rid of everything. And then I leave on June 6th. I have decided to leave and I told them that I would be back someday, but I told them that I didn't know when that will be.

And for myself, I thought maybe a year, maybe one and a half years, and then I'll probably have enough return. But when I was on the road, It's just everything changed. And the feeling for a time changed, everything changed at one point, I didn't even know anymore what day of the week we had. And so it all just became so much long and also the way I traveled, I got slower. And, um, yeah, just let to a lot longer, like a bigger trip than an alternative plan.

Christian: And from the things that you've experienced, do you have anything, something where you say that's my most memorable experience? 

Sinje: This is a really hard question because there are, of course so many things I experienced so many, you know, people that I met so many good and not so great things that happened.

Beautiful places that I saw. And there's just so much that I, that I could start talking about right now. But I think one thing or one country actually that is really memorable to me is Iran. And there are three reasons to this. Yeah. So on the one hand side, Oh, sorry. I said, I went out in the beginning and told people that I was going to go e-sports to Asia through all those central Asian countries.

And also Iran people would always say, Oh my God, senior Iran is like solid. So dangerous. Some people even said they will kill you or you're stupid. And even though I hadn't met, of course, a lot about Iran and knew what to expect. It was still a slightly stressful moment. Once I was at the point of view as a vagina.

In Iran. And that was mainly because women in Iran are not allowed to ride motorcycles. So I was there and I knew that I was going to ride into this country on that huge BMW. And I didn't know if I would maybe offend anyone. So I wasn't sure how people would take this. And then from the very first, second, the minute I stepped into this country, everyone was so helpful, so friendly, so welcoming.

It was amazing. And, and I think that's one of the things that just from what I thought I knew about. This country compared to what the country was actually like, the discrepancy was just so big that this taught me a lot about how our brains work, how we learn about countries, about media, and everything.

And I always thought that I was pretty conscious about all of this, but obviously in this case I was not. So that's one thing. And then there are two other things, you know, I've really memorable. I've got to run one really negative. I had an accident, which was a stressful situation, the crashed into another car because there was diesel on the street and that led to a whole, it was crazy though.

There's this. There wasn't really that much into a trip. So I think it was a month two, and I wasn't really as relaxed as I wasn't what's the end of the trip. And so this whole situation with the police getting involved, taking my passport and the ambulance surviving, trying to take me into the ambulance and that didn't want to because my bike was there.

My bike is like my life, so I didn't want to leave the motorcycle. People were trying to support me, but then there were like 30 men around me. I had to wear a headscarf, the woman I crashed into the driver, she was screaming for an hour. So the hesitation. Okay, Arctic everyone was friendly, but it was still out of control.

And so that was the first station on this whole trip where I actually decide for myself that this is it. I have no control over this situation and I didn't give up, but I consciously decided that I wouldn't be able to control this whole situation. 

Christian: And do you think that made the further journey easier? I think just realizing that you will get into these situations. 

Sinje: Of course I was aware before I left on the ship, that I would get into situations that are difficult or dangerous. Also, I knew that I would crash several times because being on the motorcycle all the time, of course, the chances that you will crash at some point is really high.

So I was aware of all of this, but because it was the very first time that I was in a really challenging situation. And also I never had any excellent my life before. So this whole thing, and I was ended up nothing. I didn't break any bones, but still, it was just. Challenging. And also the motorcycle was damaged.

I couldn't continue. And so it was like forbidden. I thought this is it two trips over, but then this always like any, like every time I experienced something negative on this trip, it always turned into something beautiful. And in this case, it ended up meeting people who supported me in so many different ways.

And also in the end, someone fix my motorcycle didn't even want me to pay for it. And yeah, it was crazy. Like it was just so many different things happen in this country. And then also. I got invited to a wedding from strangers. This whole, whole country is full of really nice people. And I think that's compared to, or maybe if I think of all the other things that I experienced on this trip, this is something that is really emotional to me because it's very special.

Christian: Interesting. I heard that already before like we have this image of Iran, that's usually not necessarily the most positive one. So when you actually go there and experience the kindness of the people that it just hits you so much harder because it's so very different than what you would expect.

Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I saw some of your, you always have to deal with like accidents or I think the bike stopping to work and you getting a crash course and mechanics and to get through that or at the end, at least. 

Sinje: So because this whole thing before actually leaving it wasn't much time. I would probably do it differently if I went on this trip again, but I only had two days at a mechanic and she just explained me a few things that I didn't understand when I was at the mechanic back then.

But, and I left not knowing anything like no mechanical knowledge or skills whatsoever. That's also looking back. This doesn't even have to say, but then again, If you want to prepare like a hundred percent friendship like this, you’re not ever going to leave. So it's good how it went. And also now I'm okay with fixing the basic stuff on my motorcycle.

So even like having to change my oil, wasn't something I knew I would have to do. So I did that first time after 17,000 kilometers, which is way too late.

Christian: So you need to be a little bit naive to even start the attorney. Got it. I think that the question that, for example, turning it from my team is really curious about when you heard the stories that traveling, you come in touch with a lot of these safety risks and you already talked about it.

And I think it's definitely even riskier for women to do that trip in across the world, in all these countries. Did you experience any of these risky situations? How did you deal with them and how did you prepare for them?

Sinje: Yeah, I think this is one of the most questions I got actually. How'd you deal with this as a moment of how what do you do in certain situations and how'd you feel being on the road for such a long time alone as a woman?

And also whenever I stopped somewhere, like the first question was, where do you come from? And the second was where's the rest of your group. Like people. Always expected me to be with someone else in preparation of this scenario that something could happen because I'm a woman or there, there were a few things that I tried to stick to throughout the whole trip.

So I did camp a lot and there is this rule that almost every woman who comes alone in remote places knows you either can be in a place where there's absolutely no one else. No one knows that you are camping there or you come somewhere where there are lots of people where people can help in case you are in some emergency situation.

That's one thing. And it's really important because it sounds simple, but it's one of the number one rules too. You have to stick to as a woman. And then I had a tracker with me. It's a never. Really had to use it, but it's a, it's an SOS button you can press and you can help hope like it sends that help.

Like in 20 minutes, someone reaches you, which is of course not possible in most places I went to, but it's a worldwide support service. And of course, I try to make sure to not ride at night, never to not walk around at night alone. And I try to at least let people know. Where I was going, roughly it got, of course, less towards the end of the trip.

In the beginning, I was very thoroughly doing this and telling my parents and my siblings that I won't be going this, I tell him that I would be in this remote area for it. But I think that's one thing I want to make clear is definitely that you have to be more cautious as a woman, but traveling alone as a woman also has many positive sides to it.

So I actually think that traveling alone as woman is easier than traveling alone as a man, because everyone. Wants to support you. Everyone wants to help you. And you're more approachable as a woman. So wherever I stopped people, women, men, kids would always come and ask me where I was from. People hadn't been water always gave me present through the car windows while I was driving.

Like things happen. And this is, I think, easier if you're a woman. And as I said earlier, like Yvonne, they fixed my bike and it didn't have to pay for it. Not that. Didn't want to pay. I wanted to, but like, everyone's really trying to support you in this training and then this driven want to make sure that it doesn't stop at the place you're meeting those people’s perspectives.

Christian: Yeah. And it definitely sounds like there are these things that you need to be more cautious about the rules that you follow about like camping, even I would, I would assume that just choosing where you stay the night probably starts an hour before you even find something, just to make sure that's a good place to be.

Sinje: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. That's something that I always tell people when they contact me and say, Hey, I want to go on this trip around the world as well. What are the safety measures I should take? It's just also something else that makes sure that you don't drive until an hour before it gets dark and make sure I didn't have a long an hour or two that they can use in case something happens and make sure that you can stay somewhere the night.

Christian: Going back to reality in the business sense. So obviously, so you transitioned back into working. So what made you come back COVID and you would still be like, would you still be traveling if it weren't for COVID.

Sinje: So what happened exactly a year ago when you know, all of a sudden code was everywhere and borders close.

I wasn't Molly, I wasn't Bamako and the new spread and no one was really sure if this would be something that to be there for two weeks or half a year or even a year. And the borders closed around tamale. And I had to decide whether I should continue South. I was on the way to South Africa along the West coast of Africa.

So from Morocco to South Africa, And I had to decide what I was going to continue South Lord's too. I'll be done. I'm recalls, or he'll be better to go back to Senegal and park the bike there and then fly it to Germany to be safe in case it gets worse. And it was a pretty stressful time. I decided to take the safer way and left my motorcycle and Senegal, which is, you know, silicates, my bike is still in the car.

And I flew home with a governmental flight from the French government because of the Apple was already closed and everything. It was actually exactly one year ago. So. Went back to Germany and thought I'll just fly back to Carla in a couple of weeks and then not continue. And the original idea was to continue down South to South Africa and then go back up North to Europe on the East coast of Africa.

And then eventually I would have to go back to Germany at some point, maybe now, maybe, I don't know, it didn't really have a plan, I guess I would have made it back home by now if it wasn't wouldn't have happened. So yeah, that was the original idea. And then also Lala was on this whole trip. There was this one point when.

I needed to stop for a bit because the constant traveling also is exhausting at some point. So I stopped in New York where I met some friends and I went to a film school for two months and learned about documentary filmmaking. So the original idea was actually to become a documentary filmmaker after my whole trip.

Because I love it so much. And it's one of my passions in life. It only developed into this last couple of years, but so that was the original idea. But of course, because of Corona happening, one thing I learned from this fall trip is to stay flexible and not to stick to one thing and think that.

Nothing else is possible in life. So pretty quickly I realized that this whole situation will probably last for a bit longer and then decide to go back to tech and yeah, then I started screening the market and also, I wasn't sure what my chances were to go back. I wasn't really aware of what the market was.

Um, not having worked for such a long time. You can lose the. The feeling for this whole thing. And yeah, so I decided to go back, and then I had my first discussions and interviews and everything. And then pretty quickly I realized that none of the bigger tech companies would be like a good idea for myself to go back to after being on the road for such a long time.

And so I decided to go to a smaller company. Um, everything is a bit more dynamic and there's a bit more chaos, which I really need in my life. And also more, more freedom at the same time. And also have to say. Because I get this question a lot. Is, was it really hard to take this position or did you feel like not going back to work anything after not having worked for such a long time?

There is a point where there was a point where I really wanted to work again. So I couldn't wait actually to do something. I thought joining back and being part of a company and building something was like a great thing. Cool thing. And building stuff anyways. It's always good. So, so that was helpful. And, but that was before reality hit.

Christian: I can definitely see that point. Like I think Trinity was traveling for half a year in Europe and there was a time where it's okay. I think I want to get back to work and I don't think it lasts too long, but I understand that there is a point where you think that you already said that, like, in a sense, the perspective of traveling influenced which companies you go after because you don't want this, like strictly defined, here are the two things that you do, but you need a little bit of chaos and freedom. So it already influenced that. Do you think it also influenced how you work? 

Sinje: Yeah, definitely. So I think one of the most important things that I apply learning-wise from the trip to business life now work-life is to stay relaxed, like a lot longer than I used to. I think this whole trip, you constantly have to make decisions in that because I was alone.

I couldn't talk to anyone or try to find out if there were a better idea and things. So I had to make decisions on an hourly basis actually, constantly. And especially on this trip. You can start a trip and think of all the negative things that can happen. Being very stressed out by all the things that can happen.

They won't, most of them will never happen, but you can lift that whole journey and go through this journey and constantly thinking about all the negative things that can happen. And I think I dropped this completely and taking this over to my work life now, before I definitely was thinking about everything that could happen and the negative impacts of the task, but now I'm just.

Focusing and doing what I can. And I think another thing that is going hand in hand with us is to act, there is no way to just sit and wait for anything to happen. There are specific things that you can do, and these are the ones that can act on. And then there's like other things that you have no influence on.

And if you're way off those two areas, then it becomes really clear that you have to act on the ones that you actually have a chance to change something.

Christian: Yeah about, I think it puts things into perspective. It's good. It's not as bad as crashing into someone in Iran in my first month. So I think I'll get over this.

Yeah, definitely. And yeah, obviously like this, you make every decision. On your trip, you made every decision for yourself. So I think this, yeah, this whole decision making, and I guess that transfers into the job with, okay, I'm going to drive the, my career, my job as much as I drove the decisions on the bike.

Sinje: Yeah. I think conscious decision-making is one of the most important things in life. At least for myself now.

Christian: Going back after your trip. Is there something where you say, I wish I would've known this before or thought about this before, right? Any tips for transitioning from like more generally like one big life event to another big life event, like traveling to job, for example, 

Sinje: Yeah, maybe the other way around from job to traveling, because that was harder because not statistics transitioning back to my job now, I already knew what I could expect, but before from jobs to traveling, I had no idea what to expect.

So the unknown where like a lot bigger lecture transition from working to travel. And so I remember the first couple of weeks I was traveling as if I was working. I had my alarm set every morning for six 30. I. Needed to have breakfast until a specific time and had to leave at a specific time. And I needed to write at least 400 kilometers.

I knew exactly where I would stop and stay for the night. I wouldn't exactly know one-on-one to look at on this trip, everything. So everything was completely laid out a plan and everything. And does this like, compared to how it was in the end? Totally different. So in the end I had no route at all. Like I just left in the morning whenever I felt.

Ready to leave. Sometimes it was very early at six in the morning, but sometimes it was 10 or even later, sometimes I decide to stay. The same day, there was no rule that I had to stick to. And once you realize this, it makes this whole trip, so metaphoric so enjoyable as well. But yeah, the first few weeks, it was really hard because the brain, the way the brain works and how much Rick conditioned as well, to be honest, it's really hard to get that out.

And for me, it took months actually to get to a point where I could really enjoy the trip and really was aware that I was now on the strip and that I could just. Do what I feel like doing every single day. And before I had the feeling that I have to achieve something that I have to make sure that this is a day worth off having left the job and everything.

So that was a lot of pressure that I make for myself. And I think the learning then I think is transitioning. It's also what I said earlier. Relax. Just relax. It'll all be good. It'll all turn out. Good. And just enjoy the journey because we tend to. Think too far ahead and forget to just live the knowledge.

I know it's like a simple thing to say, but now, and this is also something I try to have in my life every single day is just, just to enjoy whatever, have that specific day and be aware of it, enjoy it, and be conscious about this. 

Christian: So. Sometimes life moves too fast and we've been traveling for a month and then didn't stop to enjoy it made its own legs.

You treated the travel at the beginning, like a job. You have deliverables, you have outcomes that you need to achieve and you get a performance review after months to see if you really try. Well, the 400 kilometers and I can see how it's different than you just wake up. And what do I want to do today? What excites me today? Any words of encouragement for the senior of 10 years ago? Seven years ago. 

Sinje: Yes, I definitely, I have my personal life principles that I have as a guide for myself. And that these are three first one is to be bold. And I wish that I would've had the courage early in my life to, to be bold and take decisions and be like, take risky decisions as well, because anything, anything had happened in my life after I took any bold decision away, it took it.

Any bold move was extremely positive. And I grew extremely like the person that I am now compared to I was 10 years ago is the same person. By the way, I look at things, live my life, how I feel, and everything is very different. I'm a lot stronger, softer, and strong at the same time. I know that I'm capable of a lot more than I thought I would.

And so I think being bold is one thing. And then the other thing is to go for your dreams. That's I think the most important thing really, there is no one else in this. Life and on this whole plan to actually push you, if you have a quick dream to realize this dream, no one's going to do this for you. And no one's going to support you really in the steps or the process that leads up to actually taking the first steps.

Once you take the first step and you're passionate about whatever it is that you do, people will support you. And. Great things will happen. And I think just going for the stream and whatever it may be is probably the most important in life. And also from my perspective, it's the best feeling, really having a life for so many years, as a sudden the beginning, and then actually achieving our stone for it. It's a crazy feeling, an extreme, emotional feeling. And I think that's something that everyone should go for it. 

Christian: Jus do it. And I think in your case, the way you described as you intuitively already knew that this is what you want to do, and it still took a while until you did it. And I think this is where the boldness comes in.

Sinje: Yeah. And also in my case, now that I've done this and I get so many people will send me messages and tell me while you're inspiring and I want to do the same. What's the same for me. I got inspired by other people. So I think we have to just open up a little bit and see what's interesting to us.

Sometimes people tell me I want to do the same and I want to travel around the world, but Hey, this was just my personal dream. I think everyone has his or her own individual personal dream. We just have to be more creative about how we want to and can live our lives. And I think. The way we are brought up currently, as you know, we go to school, we find a job and this is like the whole process for our lives is set out.

But I realized, Hey, there are so many more options as someone you have in life. And I think most of us are just using this tiny little part of us. And I think, yeah, I think we should become more creative. I won't be can't do in our lives again.

Christian: And I think just realizing that I think very few people who are bold and, and take the chance to regret doing it. Right. You came back. You say this was an amazing time. And I think the example with you is actually also great because like your career didn't suffer, you started all the fears that you had about like, is this jeopardizing anything turn out to be no, that's not the case, so we can definitely look at this and see, my life will go on afterward. And I think it's a risk I need to take. 

Sinje: So any decision in life, like one of the risky ones, ball, one cetera, the things that you had, like positions where you have to think about it, like for a longer time, most of the times never applied where you. No the right way, a hundred percent. So even in my case, when I decided it wasn't a hundred percent decision and it doesn't have to be, so sometimes, you know, we'll be weighed for a point where we're like, yeah, now I know how I'm a hundred percent sure for most situations, this will never be the case. And that's okay.

Trinity: TheFirst 100 Days is sponsored by UserGems, a software that helps companies identify buyers that are more likely to buy a product. UserGems tracks your current and past customers for job movements so that when they switch companies, you can sell to them again. And based on your sales and product usage data, it also finds prospects that are similar to your existing customers.

According to reviews and G2 crowd. And I quote, use gems is a prospecting miracle. If you, in a revenue role, check out UserGems.

Christian: So Trinity. Now that if you listened to Sinje, what do you think? 

Trinity: One word from me is, wow. I love that interview. It's so inspiring. I feel like I've never met her. I only heard about her through you and I'm like, can we be friends? Because she sounds so awesome. She sold everything. I mean, I, I took off and went on my voluntary sabbatical air quote, but she sold everything and packed things up, and the only property or like the only asset she has was the motorcycle, right? Yeah. So awesome. 

Christian: Yeah, Andrew, quite a Scots to do that. That's a huge step to do. And I think that's, that's a little bit of what motivated her for the interview. It's in a sense to show other people that they can do this step because I think all of us, we have these things where we think about, should we do it, but we have Fred and it's a huge life-changing thing. And she said, if she can just not do a one person to do that step and then be super excited and it makes her happy.

Trinity: Another thing that stuck out to me in this episode is that she didn't really plan that much. And it all worked out in the end. And then she learned to not stress out and over-planning for stuff, which I felt like she was talking directly to me.

I'm a planner. I always learn things. Always, always planned. Thanks, XL sheet. That's me. So the moment she said that she didn't really plan anything, like even now with the benefit of hindsight, she was like, yeah, maybe that was a little bit too naive, like not knowing how to fix a motorcycle. And then when off traveling the world on a motorcycle, when we talk about like, Oh, make, take that leap of faith, take that transition, et cetera, et cetera.

But that just step one. Like a lot of people is actually not like that. Hesitant from taking that leap of faith, they might, okay. I want to take that leap of faith, but I'm going to have a five-year plan and here's like every day, this is what I'm going to do. Right. I mean, essentially the first 100 days we have this worksheet of what you're going to achieve in the first 30 days, the next 30 days. And the next 40 days, she's just like, just do it and it'll be okay. And I think that's, that's refreshing. 

Christian: Yeah. And I think it's even more now, right? I mean, she, she didn't go in without a lot of planning. She just said, I'm going to do this. And she did it, but there were still moments where I'm like, okay, I want to, I have this plan for myself that I want to achieve something that I could get up early.

This is how many kilometers I drive. And even that went away over time. And the comparison I saw to a job is. Where so often we have these plans and we are fixated on the small details on this small, getting the small tasks done that. I think if you travel, it's like stop and enjoy what you're doing. And I think if this says it's more like stop the smaller tasks because you know, always fill your day with the smaller task and take your time to think about the big picture.

And I think at traveling, the big picture is enjoying the moment. And in business, the big picture is where do you actually going with that instead of every single day, focusing on getting the smaller tasks done that never ends 

Trinity: I'm right now, just very fixated about live in the moment. Don't be too paranoid, even though in the startup world, there is another mantra that say only the paranoid survive, but senior gives me inspiration for not being too paranoid. Things will be okay. 

Christian: I told senior after the call that I hope that she inspires people. And I hope that she will inspire people.

Trinity: Inspire me. That's exactly what I was going to tell you. I'm like, I'm so inspired. Can I take maybe another six months off? 

Christian: Thank you. So please inspire other people to quit that job and go on a travel journey.

But what I find so interesting is so senior and I met at, uh, while we were both working at Microsoft. It's an, I don't even want to look at the years, but I think it's been like 13, 14 years or so. And we started at it as a first job. It's Microsoft. So super awesome company for someone that got us and. And the funny thing is, so we restarted with this cohort of people, all these high achievers from these different countries.

And then after a few years, you hear these messages of these people are dropping out and doing something completely crazy. And I told her that, like I added her into my mental list of these people doing crazy things. I had a person who was working for Microsoft in England, and then he quit Microsoft and he went to Africa and became an elephant farm.

And I feel like this shows a little bit, so I've seen the business world. I think I have to see my resume and now I want to do something completely crazy, something completely different. Maybe that's where I find my true calling and then probably do it for a few years. And then I go back into the business, but I found this very interesting and I still have friends on, uh, from Microsoft on Facebook that do absolutely crazy things. I need to understand the motivation behind this.

Trinity: It's refreshing, especially that we in tech and everyone just kind of moving around in tech, it's refreshing to hear stories of people choosing different paths, maybe temporarily, maybe long-term to know that it's not just this hamster wheel forever. People can still find enjoyment and fulfillment elsewhere as well.

Christian: And I think so often we actually worried that we're out of the hamster. I mean, we're working towards the hamster wheel for the first 15 years of our life, going to school and having these good grades and then we're finding the hamster wheel. And now we're worried that if we do something that's so out of the ordinary that we're not making back into the hamster wheel.

So we, in a sense wasted these first 15 years. And I think senior elder shows that no, that's actually not the case. Once you get out, you have your own experiences, you can always get back in, then build upon the experiences that you already know. 

Trinity: Are you going through a major transition within your organization or your career?

Do you have a first 100-day journey to share recently on the past? If, yes, I want to hear from you email me at podcas@tusergems.com. And if you're looking for the ultimate revenue leader, cheat sheets, sign up to receive them at usergems.com/podcast