Take Flight Project

Flight 24 / July 3, 2012 DAN OSHINSKY / Founder of...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:30:00 -0700

Flight 24 / July 3, 2012

DAN OSHINSKY / Founder of Stry.us

Do the work, and do a lot of it, and everything else will get figured out as you go.

Website danoshinsky.com / Twitter @danoshinsky

Flight Route San Antonio (SAT) —> Houston (IAH) —> Gulfport/Biloxi, Mississippi (GPT)

Airline Continental

A little about you

I’m Dan. I really like stories, and I really like building things. Right now, I’m working on Stry.us [http://www.stry.us/], a nimble news organization I founded back in 2010. This summer, I’m leading a team of six in Springfield, Mo., doing reporting, telling stories, and working with partners around the state to build stronger communities around news. And on the side, I’ve got three other projects: BooksAround [http://booksaround.org/], a social literacy experiment; JStart [http://jstart.wikispaces.com], a wiki of resources for entrepreneurial journalists; and Very Quotatious [http://veryquotatious.com/], a site for inspiration, thought and other wisdom suitable for quotation.

What’s been a pivotal point in your journey?

It was a Tuesday. I’m not sure why I remember that, but I do. It was a Tuesday, and I went to work — I worked at a TV station in San Antonio at the time — and told my bosses that I was leaving my job at the end of the month to go start my own reporting outlet.

Then I went home and booked a flight to Biloxi, MS.

This was the summer of 2010. I’d been seeing all these changes in the news industry, and I thought I could build a better newsroom. A more mobile newsroom. A newsroom without overhead. A newsroom that wasn’t easily distracted by headlines or news of the day.

But I needed to prove my idea first. So I decided to move to Biloxi.

The five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina was coming up in a few weeks, and I’d hardly heard anything about it. The Gulf Coast economy was floundering. There was still oil gushing out of the Gulf of Mexico.

Biloxi was at the center of it all.

I’d never actually been to Mississippi, though. I figured that if I was going to start a small media empire, and the thing was going to begin in Biloxi in a month, I should probably visit there first.

I made a lot of strange decisions that summer, but looking back, I’m almost shocked at how sensible that one decision was. Without that initial trip to Biloxi, the project never gets off the ground.

I went home, and booked a flight from San Antonio to Houston to Biloxi. This was on a Tuesday. I left for Biloxi Thursday morning.

What did you discover after taking that flight?

I have this theory that the best experiences are the ones that come out of the worst travel. If I have trouble with a visa, or the subway breaks down, or my flight gets unexpectedly cancelled and then rescheduled but I don’t get put back on it due to reasons that can only be explained to me in rapid-fire Spanish — true story — then I know I’m about to do something amazing.

My flight to Biloxi? I was switching planes in Houston, and Continental was kind enough to give me a full 12 minutes to cover a mile of airport in order to get from gate to gate.

I sprinted through that airport in sandals. I ran with one carry-on on my back and another over my head. I nearly collapsed on an escalator out of exhaustion.

I made the flight.

And my reward was this little plane, flying over nothing, landing into nothing. You land in Gulfport, MS., and all you see is a Home Depot and a Wendy’s. And that’s it.

I’d decided I wanted to take a massive leap forward, and here’s where I would take the first steps: In the kind of town where a Wendy’s was one of the landmarks you recognized upon landing.

And then I landed on the coast, and I couldn’t even get cell reception. It took the whole weekend for my phone to find the satellites. This happened every time I flew out of the Gulfport/Biloxi airport.

I was going to start a small media empire in a town where even cell phones went off the grid.

But I knew I had to be there. Exploring the coast, it felt right. Well, more accurately: It terrified me. I knew nobody there, and nobody had ever heard of me. And I was going to come here and convince people to tell me their stories?

I did it anyway.

I flew back to San Antonio at the end of the weekend. A month later, I put my life in a car and drove back to Biloxi. That’s when I actually launched Stry.us, the news organization I’m still working on today.

Everything I’m doing now came out of that Tuesday when I went home and bought a flight to Biloxi on 36 hours notice. Because Biloxi led to three months of reporting and many thousands of words. I don’t know why, but people there really did want to talk to me. Their stories led me to a fellowship at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism this past year. And that fellowship’s led me back to more reporting this summer in Springfield.

But it all starts — not with the idea for the company, or me telling my bosses that I was quitting — but with that flight. That’s when it became real. That’s when I knew I couldn’t back down from this dream. Stry.us came out of sprinting through Houston Intercontinental in sandals. It came out of getting to Biloxi. It came out of accepting that to get to where I wanted to go, I had to start moving.

If you’re a fan of Dan Oshinsky, check out Stry.us as well as his blog, and send him a tweet with love!

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Flight 23 / June 19, 2012 RYAN KNAPP / digital manager, NSCAA...

Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:23:00 -0700

Flight 23 / June 19, 2012

RYAN KNAPP / digital manager, NSCAA / founder, miles to go endurance

Lo que en los libros no está la vida te enseñará (Life will teach you what isn’f in books)

Website ryanjknapp.com / Twitter @ryanjknapp

Flight Route Buffalo (BUF) —> Detroit (DTW) —> Amsterdam (AMS) —> Madrid (MAD)

Airline Northwest, Iberia

A little about you

By day, I am the Digital Manager for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the largest soccer coaches’ organization in the world. When I’m not immersed in soccer, I explore the world by running and I run marathons/ultramarathons, pushing myself to the limits and raising money for Comfort Zone Camp in the process.

What’s been a pivotal point in your journey?

During my senior year in college I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain and it changed my life. After graduating I took a job full time working for the YMCA in order to figure out how to get back across the pond. A few failed opportunities later, a Scot by the name of Owen and his Spanish wife Lola contacted me about an opportunity working for them in Villacañas, a small town in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain (pop, 10,000).

I was offered the job on a Friday. I threw up an entire pile of papers on my desk, walked into our director’s office, quit my job and left two weeks later.

What did you discover after taking that flight?

I discovered more about who I was in those nine months than I thought was possible. I worked with an amazing set of bosses, developed a second set of family, became fluent in Spanish and assimilated into the Spanish culture so much that somedays I feel more Spanish than American.

My time in Spain rekindled a love for soccer and upon coming home, I volunteered with a local minor league soccer team and thus began my now five year career working in the soccer industry. Since then I’ve owned three minor league teams, worked with countless projects and people and continue to work in the game I love.

If you’re a fan of Ryan Knapp, check out The Endurance Life and Miles To Go Endurance and send him a tweet with love!

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Flight 22 / June 12, 2012 DREW JACOB / Philosopher, writer,...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:24:00 -0700

Flight 22 / June 12, 2012

DREW JACOB / Philosopher, writer, Heroic Life liver

Taking flight is a decision in the heart. Actual flights on planes are just long, measured acts of endurance. They are a means to an end. Follow your heart and, at least once on every trip, WALK across the land to get somewhere.

Website roguepriest.net / Twitter @rogue_priest

Flight Route Taipei (TPE) —> Los Angeles (LAX)

Airline China Airlines

Drew is someone I found out about last year, when Colin Wright had just launched his online forum, Most Interesting People in the Room. On the blog there, Drew had written an incredibly insightful piece on being “ExPoMod,” or Ex-Post-Modern, theorizing about the direction the world is taking. After a couple of back-and-forth responses and digging up what type of interesting stuff Drew was up to, I knew I’d have to feature him on Take Flight. Funny thing is, Drew’s a guy who prefers walking across continents, but we all know one generally flies across seas.

A little about you

I’m a priest of the gods of nature, and an adventurer. In August 2011 I quit my job to live a traveling lifestyle. For years I told the sacred myths of the ancient heroes. One day I realized it would be more fun to actually live those myths, and I set out to have a Great Adventure of my own.

All of my travels to date have been training. They’re getting me ready for my big walk. In June 2012 I set out on a 7,000 mile walk from the United States to Brazil.

The purpose of this walk is to meet the gods: in the eyes of the people I meet, in the lands that I walk across, and maybe even face to face.

What’s been a pivotal point in your journey?

One of the most pivotal times for me was coming to Mexico City. There was a lot of risk in what I did - I had an invitation to stay for two months with a friend there, who I had never met in person. The purpose of my time in Mexico was to learn Spanish, a language I’ll need every day for most of my big walk.

When I arrived, Mauricio met me at the airport. We hit it off just as well in person as online. The two of us are like brothers, and it has completely changed the nature of my trip. What I thought of as two months of language learning has also become a time of refuge and renewal. Being surrounded by great friends in a peaceful home is a welcome rest on my journey. It fills me with energy and it opened my eyes to just what a source of strength my friends are. It also reassures me that even as I cross a dozen countries I can meet kindred spirits anywhere.

What’s your business all about?

Alongside my freelance work and my blog, Mauricio and I made a pact: both of us will start our own minimalist business in 30 days. We drafted our ideas and started work on January 15. My business, Alt+Magic, will create beautiful handmade scrolls enchanted with real spells. Altmagic.com launched in February.

If you’re a fan of Drew Jacob, check out Rogue Priest and send him a tweet with love!

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Flight 21 / June 5, 2012 ASHLEY AMBIRGE / Wittiest writer on...

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 01:03:00 -0700

Flight 21 / June 5, 2012

ASHLEY AMBIRGE / Wittiest writer on the block, founder of The Middle Finger Project

As scared as you are, you’ll always be happy that you did. Always.

Website themiddlefingerproject.org / Twitter @TMFProject

Flight Route Philadelphia (PHL) —> Houston (IAH) —> San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Airline Continental, now United

I reached out to the amazingness that is Ashley Ambirge a while ago. Since those early days, I’ve seen her consistently serve up some of the most witty, cleverly-written commentary on a whole host of issues on her blog, whose namesake comes from the act of displaying a certain finger to the status quo. Ash is a huge inspiration, her writing is always thought-stirring and giggle-inducing, and her ability to work from her laptop means she’ll have taken many a flight. This story talks about a first one.

A little about you

I’m the founder of The Middle Finger Project, a marketing education company that teaches sassy small business owners how to effectively leverage the web to increase visibility, make mo’ money, and have fun while doing it.

Professionally speaking, I’m an online marketing expert with a corporate background in the email marketing industry, as well as a seasoned copywriter specializing in helping companies go from mega bland to major brand, and I’m passionate about creating small businesses that feel good for your soul…and your pocket.

I’m also infatuated with Latin dance, strongly believe that coffee tastes better through a straw and am disturbingly terrified of purple velour.

What got you on that first plane bound for Costa Rica?

Actually, I will always credit my very first trip to Costa Rica, when I was 19 years old, as setting the foundation for everything that I do, believe, feel, think and am today. I know that sounds like a brash overstatement, but it’s not.

I was young, impressionable and from a small town in rural Pennsylvania. I knew I wanted to experience another country - a Latin American country, because I was studying Spanish - but was scared out of my mind. People from my town didn’t go live in other countries.

However, it was that experience that was the real game changer for me. It was that experience that helped me realize the value of human connection, of exploration, of seeking understanding. Everything I’ve done from that point forward has been in the pursuit of connection, exploration or understanding - and it’s been those principles that have underscored the business that I currently run.

What’s your business all about?

The Middle Finger Project is underscored by the values of human connection, exploration + understanding. That’s really why I launched it - I wanted to help others see that there IS more to life…if you choose it. Developing and running an online business is one of the solutions that I promote as being a fantastic way to carry out those values - human connection, exploration and understanding, because online business requires no particular location, therefore freeing up the business owner to pursue those goals in a way that’s meaningful for him or her.

If you’re a fan of Ashley Ambirge, check out The Middle Finger Project and send her a tweet with love!

Ash, being the brazen copywriting guru she is, is also launching a 4-week copywriting workshop today. If you love her work, check this out!

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Flight 20 / May 29, 2012 NINA YAU / Truth-seeker,...

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:56:00 -0700

Flight 20 / May 29, 2012

NINA YAU / Truth-seeker, ninja-yogi

Impossible is nothing

Website castlesintheair.org + ninayau.com / Twitter @ninayau

*Travel Route Chicago (ORD) —> Seattle (SEA) —> Santiago (SCL) —> Taipei (TPE) —> Bangkok (BKK)

Selected airlines Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, AirAsia of many more

I met Nina Yau just 6 months ago in Bangalore, India. As coincidence had it, Nina’s yoga instruction academy was just a few blocks from my own aunt’s house. We made plans to meet up, and discussed life, places, inspirations, food and plenty of other stuff over coffee that was far too sweet for our likings. My history with Nina goes further back, though, when I stumbled across blog - Castles in the Air - and was pulled in by her excruciatingly gorgeous writing and highly refined view of life. You’ll see more of that in her responses below.

Her journey out of the traditional American career and life setup began with a few travels - the first step of which involved a flight out of O’Hare Airport.

A little about you and your story

Hi, I’m Nina and I’m a Truth-seeker. And, a ninja yogi. :) One can find me nowadays exploring the external and internal world, inspiring others to fearlessly be who they really are.

Before all this, however, my life was drastically headed towards self-destruction and muted complacency. I didn’t realize that I didn’t need to live my life according to what was proper, respectable, or right, until the day I found myself curled up in a tight ball in the bathtub with hot turn warm turn cold water raining upon me from the shower head, as I sobbed stinging tears of pain and confusion.

I didn’t see the point of doing things because I had to, for what possible life could I live if it was not the one I chose? So with that notion armed, I completely changed my life around. I quit my well-paying job, booked a one-way flight to the world, and haven’t stopped traveling and exploring since. There is no looking back and every day I wake now is a glorious day I look forward to enjoying and living. There is such a thing as being really happy and now I know what that feels like.

What happened after you left your past life?

After I quit my corporate day job in November 2010, less than two months later I was on a one-way flight to Taipei, Taiwan with a simple bag that carried all the belongings I had in this world.

Two weeks after I landed, I booked a one-way flight to Bangkok, Thailand and begun my Southeast Asia adventure that took me to thirty cities in six countries in three months. I saw horrific things, I experienced the expansiveness of human kindness, I laughed loudly, danced wildly, sang mightily and had the most amazing and brilliant time in my life, filled with wondrous experiences even dreams would be fond of.

I practiced Yoga on the sandy beaches of south Cambodia overlooking the staggering sunset and discovered I really enjoyed it. A few months later, I was booking my flight to Bangalore, India to begin my yoga teacher training’s course.

Every act taken in my life is at the same time deliberate and spontaneous. There is no overarching plan or timeline. There is only now and what I experience. So long as what I’m doing, where I’m at, who I’m with and who I am jives well with my inner spirit, I couldn’t be any happier.

How has this been a catalyst for you, and what’s happened since?

I left Chicago and made my home wherever I happened to be. For the better part of the year, I’ve been living in the south Asian countries. I started self-publishing my experiences of human nature as I travel. Now, I’m a certified Yoga teacher with training from India that will undoubtedly help me grow as a person and help others realize their true potential as well.

If you’re inspired by Nina, check out Castles in the Air or show your love with a tweet.

If you love this story, spread your wings and share it!

*map and travel route do not depict actual flight routes

Flight 19 / May 24, 2012 BUD HENNEKES / Student, blogger,...

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:39:00 -0700

Flight 19 / May 24, 2012

BUD HENNEKES / Student, blogger, traveler, writer

The world is waiting for your footsteps.

Website aboundlessworld.com / Twitter @aboundlessworld

Flight Route Houston (IAH) —> Shanghai (PVG)

Airline Continental, now United

A little about you

I’m Bud, and I’m a 20 year old college student. I enjoy reading, writing, and getting to know people.

Since a very young age, I’ve had the privilege of traveling all over the globe. As you can imagine this has taken me many flights in my time here on earth.

While traveling can certainly be stressful, there’s something about flying that brings me alive. When sitting thousands of feet in the sky I can’t help but feel a since of gratitude and appreciate for the many

How’d you get to the point of boarding a life-changing flight?

While I’ve been on many flights, probably the most memorable for me was when I boarded a flight from Houston Texas to Shanghai China for the first time.

I was 15 years old. My dad had just accepted a new job that would take me to the great continent of Asia.

While I had lived in The Netherlands when I was a young boy, my venture to China was the first time I had left my comfy home in Texas in over eight years.

The thought of moving to China scared me. I mean really scared me. How would I fit in? What’s Asia like? Will I ever see my friends again?

I didn’t want to fly.

The flight was over 14 hours, and quite honestly I don’t remember the exact details of how I felt. But the flight remains memorable to me for several reasons.

Sometimes in life, we’re scared. And that’s OK. The flight symbolized my journey in facing that fear. The fear of starting over. The fear of making new friends. The fear of making it when you don’t have a map.

Secondly, the plane ride planted the seed of my soon to be travel obsession. My obsession with seeing all sides of the world.

Tell us about your move to Shanghai?

Moving to Shanghai was rough at first. There were many times I wanted nothing more than a plane ticket home. But as the days passed, I slowly began to embrace my new life. And almost as if by magic, the lens in which I viewed the world began to shine.

Since that flight I took from Houston to Shanghai, I’ve experienced tremendous highs and tremendous lows. I’ve met dozens of people from all over the world. And I’ve lost a best friend.

I’ve had conversations with people that I will always remember. And I’ve fought many battles inside my head.

While a single flight may not seem like much to many people. That flight to Shanghai forever changed my life.

And to this day, every time I board a plane, I can’t but help and smile at how far we have come.

If you’re inspired by Bud’s flight, check out his site and shoot him a Tweet.

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Flight 18 / May 22, 2012 THIBAUD CLÉMENT / Founder of DODEQA,...

Tue, 22 May 2012 03:09:00 -0700

Flight 18 / May 22, 2012

THIBAUD CLÉMENT / Founder of DODEQA, traveling entrepreneur

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you need to keep moving.

Website dodeqa.com / Twitter @thibaudclement

Flight Route Paris (CDG) —> Beijing (PEK) —> Seoul (ICN) —> Tokyo (NRT) —> Hong Kong (HKG) —> Bangkok (BKK) —> Sydney (SYD) —> Melbourne (MEL) —> San Francisco (SFO) —> New York (JFK) —> Santiago (SCL) —> Buenos Aires (EZE) —> Sao Paulo (GRU) —> Paris (CDG)

Airline The airlines of oneworld

While I was scouring the pages of the internet doing a bit of research on the next iterations for Take Flight, which involve a healthy dose of travel and project-building, I came across The DODEQA Project - the brainchild of Thibaud Clément. With a few clicks and scrolls, I started feeling giddy looking at what this guy had done - and what I was planning on doing myself. Here was a dude from France, who, to combine a passion for traveling, learning and entrepreneurship, had created his own one year-long project, whereby he’d travel to one major city in the world every month, accomplishing one objective at a time. I promptly sent Thibaud a few tweets, which led to emails and finally a Skype conversation last week.

So with a bit of crackly internet and plenty of note-taking on my end, Thibaud and I exchanged info, stories and plans for what we were up to. And as you’ll see, his what he’s been up to involves a lot of flights.

A little about you

I am a 24-year old MBA + MSc. graduate. I’m a native of France, and I’m currently traveling around the world to study eCommerce in a creative way, by meeting experts on the road. This is The DODEQA Project: 12 months, 12 cities, 12 objectives. I’m passionate about marketing, entrepreneurship and web technologies, and I’ve launched my first eCommerce website: Candyscovery. When I’m not blogging or reading books, I love running, photographing and cooking. My motto? Do Your Best & Fix The Rest!

A bit about DODEQA and the idea behind your travels?

The concept of The DODEQA Project is to use travel to learn what I did not get from school. So, I booked a Round-The-World ticket to fly to twelve cities over the year, respectively in Asia, Oceania and the Americas. In a way, the pivotal time took place way before I took off, when I was still living in Canada, planning for the trip.

As far as I can remember, I have always wanted to start my own business. After a master degree in Marketing and an MBA focusing on leadership, I wanted to learn a couple of additional things to be able to launch my eCommerce website. So, I decided to build a project around the idea of learning, so that travel would become a vector for discoveries. This led me to launch two eCommerce websites, to take part in TEDxYouth@Krungthep, to write articles for L’Entreprise.com - the largest online magazine for entrepreneurs in France - and to prepare the creation of a more prominent company in France, to be launched soon.

If you’re inspired by Thibaud’s ongoing journey, check out DODEQA and his online candy and T-shirt stores, and shoot him a Tweet.

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Flight 17 / May 17, 2012 KELLY BYRD / Traveler + marketing,...

Thu, 17 May 2012 00:02:00 -0700

Flight 17 / May 17, 2012

KELLY BYRD / Traveler + marketing, PR/social media professional

Take risks - you’ll get to know yourself better.

Website kellyashley.tumblr.com / Twitter @kelbyrd

Flight Route New York (LGA) —> Los Angeles (LAX) —> Auckland (AKL) —> Christchurch (CHC) —> Wanaka (WKA)

Airline Air New Zealand

Kelly Byrd submitted her Take Flight story a little while ago. While I read her responses, I was intrigued. Here was a person who had a great job and friends in New York, the dream city of millions, and had tossed it all up not necessarily to start a business, rally around a social cause or work abroad. She left for love - and with that came a priceless life experience that’s led her diametrically between hemispheres and lives between New York, New Zealand and California. What’s also awesome is that Kelly’s headed back Down Under, this time to Australia, as of May 7. And Air New Zealand’s her catalyst.

A little about you

I am a 20-something traveler, New York native, marketing, PR and social media professional, avid music lover, yogi, techie and psychologist.

I’m intrigued by learning and development, emerging technology, eco-friendly and sustainable products, various psychological disciplines and the way social media is transforming communication.

What made you get on that cross-hemispheric flight? And what’s happened since?

I left my comfortable job and apartment full of college friends, and took off from New York to New Zealand with a boy I fell in love with. I was in search of new beginnings, to find a new side of the world, in tandem with a new side of myself, and to get to know myself better - my interests, desires, goals, dreams, wishes.

I have always been a planner. I love the art of organization and the feeling of success when something you’ve spent time and energy meticulously outlining comes together.

To stop planning, reclaim spontaneity, and accept change, was just what I needed.

Following my study abroad in college, I longed to expand my travels and international experiences. The proud feeling I get when given the opportunity to list the places I’ve been to date and the ever-growing list of places I plan to visit is like no other.

I now live in another beautiful place, and am figuring out my route from here as spontaneously as possible. Although my path and route has changed drastically from what I had planned, I have never been happier and healthier than I am right now.
And yes, I’m still in love with that boy.

If you’re inspired by Kelly’s journey, check out her blog and shoot her a Tweet.

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Flight 16 / May 15, 2012 JUSTIN MILLER / Health aficionado,...

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:12:00 -0700

Flight 16 / May 15, 2012

JUSTIN MILLER / Health aficionado, entrepreneur, traveler

If you’re doubting yourself, chances are you’re on the right path

Website limitless365.com / Twitter @justinmiller06

Flight Route Los Angeles (LAX) —> Tokyo (NRT) —> Delhi (DEL) —> Bangkok (BKK) —> Cairo (CAI) —> Paris (CDG)

Airline United Airlines, Air France, Air India, others

Justin Miller’s a dude who submitted his story to Take Flight not too long ago. As I read through his responses, I couldn’t help but feel energized by his boldness and what he’s set out to do for himself and others. While Justin’s journey began a while ago, a trip around the world, several airports and flights involved, brought him to where he’s at now.

A little about you

I’m a professional trouble-maker. I’ve been practicing since birth, honed the skill through out high-school, and now try to teach the craft as an adult.

I also am a lifestyle coach focusing on health and wellness. I pursue optimal living for myself, clients, family and friends.

I am passionate about adventure, tackling fear, and most importantly, learning form those experiences. Travel, sky-diving, bungee jumping, cliff jumping, are some of my favorite things to do.

I’m a knowledge junkie and avid reader and I’m currently on a quest for 52 books in 52 weeks.

I run a blog called limitless365.com where I discuss many health and wellness topics, lifestyle design, challenging the status quo, and generally kicking ASS and taking names later.

How’d you make the first decision to take flight?

I spent a good 40K on grad school to tell me exactly what I didn’t want to do with my life. It didn’t take me to long after that to realize I needed to make some changes. To take some risks, get out of my comfort zone, and to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

I did something similar when I was 19, when I packed up my car on a whim and left Virginia for California. At that time, I was just tired of doing the same thing, being around the same people, hearing the same stories. I needed to shake things up in order to grow as a person.

This trip, however, was a little different. I had just got to work and I realized that this is not where I wanted to be. I asked my self the age old question: “Would I be doing what I am doing right now if I had all the money and time in the world?”

My answer was a big fat NO.

So I proceeded to pull up a map of the world online. It took me all but 5 minutes to figure out what I wanted to do. I wanted to visit some of the world’s greatest cities and see some of the worlds most precious sites. I wanted to do it alone. I wanted to get as uncomfortable as I could be.

The very next day I was on the phone booking my trip around the world. Japan, India, Thailand, Egypt, and France. 3 months away. No family, no friends, just me, myself, and I.

How’d that series of flights catalyze your passions into action?

I wouldn’t call it my passion as much as I would call it my purpose. I feel like I have a lot of passions but only one purpose in this world. Funny thing is it took me 2 more years after my trip to get started.

I think I was in culture shock when I returned. Still a little lost as to what I was here to do. But that experience opened my eyes to a world of people, personalities, and experiences that I wanted to participate in. Not only for the good of myself but for others as well.

Too many of us are perfectly okay with the comfortable. It’s natural to play it safe. But it’s important to remember that personal challenges are where character is born.

When you start acting on your purpose the universe rewards you. It wants you to succeed. It wants you to contribute because it knows what you are capable of.

If you’re inspired by Justin’s journey, check out his blog and shoot him a Tweet.

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Flight 15 / May 10, 2012 SEAN OGLE / Entrepreneur, creator of...

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:19:00 -0700

Flight 15 / May 10, 2012

SEAN OGLE / Entrepreneur, creator of Location Rebel

The worst case scenario will almost never happen, uncertainty is a good thing. All of the best things in life stem from it.

Website seanogle.com / Twitter @seanogle

Flight Route Portland (PDX) —> Washington, DC (IAD) —> Buenos Aires (EZE) —> Rio de Janeiro (GIG)

Airline United Airlines

Sean Ogle was one of the first people I stumbled upon during my fledgling days of exploring work I love last year. He and I exchanged a few emails, I helped him a teeny bit with his then-upcoming Location Rebel launch, and it was obvious to me how passionate he was about location independence.

Sean recently spoke at TEDxCMU on the future of the American Dream, where touched on how a lot of the thought-origins for his current work came from a trip he took to Brazil in 2009. Turns out Sean took a flight there ;)

A little about you

I’m Sean Ogle, and, in short, I help people live more fulfilling lives through entrepreneurship. A few years ago I was in a job I didn’t like, so after an interesting chain of events, I left and moved to Thailand, where I learned how to build the skills necessary to run a web-based business. It’s been quite the journey since then, and I’m at a point now where I can solidly state that I travel whenever I want, and generally have the freedom that traditionally has only been associated with retirement.

My latest project, Location Rebel, is somewhat a result of the evolution, where the goal is to help people to reach a similar state.

How’d you make the first decision to make changes?

In February of 2009, after 10 months of begging my boss to use my very own vacation time to travel to Rio de Janeiro for Carnaval, I took hopped on a plane and 3 airports and 2 layovers later, I was in Brazil. And for two weeks, I had the time of my life in South America.

It was on one of the last days of my trip: I was sitting on Copacabana Beach, drinking a coconut and all I could think about was how great the last two weeks had been. And it hit me: “I should be able to do this whenever I want.” I was getting ready to go back to a job working 50 hours a week as an investment analyst, which I really did not like. I had never consciously decided what I wanted to do with my life and leading up to this, I had simply been following the path of least-resistance.

So it was sitting on that beach that I made a decision to make a change, and ever since that moment my life has never been the same.

Lot’s happened since the Brazil trip - how?

I’d had this idea of creating a bucket list for a long time. It had always been floating in the back of my mind, and the trip to Brazil was more or less the first time I’d been able to cross off some major things on that list.

Over the past few years, quite a few more items from the bucket list have been crossed off - largely due to the confidence and inspiration I gained from that trip to Brazil. It’s what led me to trust my gut and move to Bangkok not too long afterward, where I learned a ton of web business skills and met awesome people. Now I’ve set myself up online to work on the projects most meaningful to me and helpful to others.

If you’re inspired by Sean’s journey, check out his blog, Location Rebel, and his TEDxCMU talk. You can shoot him a Tweet too.

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Flight 14 / May 8, 2012 ELIZABETH PRESSON / Creative...

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:32:00 -0700

Flight 14 / May 8, 2012

ELIZABETH PRESSON / Creative problem-solver, startup advocate

Life never works out according to your plan— and that’s a good thing.

Website workingremote.ly / Twitter @heyellecp

Flight Route Los Angeles (LAX) —> New York (JFK)

Airline American Airlines

Elizabeth aka Lizzie aka Liz Presson is a creative problem solver, digital media maven and a new friend of mine. I heard about her and her work last year, and reached out to her not too long ago to be featured on Take Flight. One thing led to another, and two weeks ago, we met up in New York where we discussed life, work and the projects we were working on. Liz talked about a flight she took back from California last year which ended up catalyzing a lot of what she’s doing now - trying to revolutionize where and how people work. It was a story made for Take Flight

A little about you

I’ve been bringing people and social technologies together in relevant and life changing ways since Twitter and Facebook first became household names. I was a founding employee of two influential social media start-ups, both of which have become key players in the social revolution. I’ve also worked with start-ups to watch including Skillshare, Family Records,Zaarly and The Daily Muse.

Working with such inspiring companies, in environments that almost never include cubicles, my current mission is to encourage those sentenced to life on a cubical farm to think outside the traditional office. And, for those that have already made a break for it, I’m committed to providing useful content and insight to help people work remotely — effectively. I’m spreading my belief that choice of environment means more productivity and happiness through my version of Yelp for co-working spaces: WorkingRemote.ly.

I try to practice what I preach. I’m currently leading digital and community strategies for Digi International and the iDigi Device Cloud (remotely, of course). And when I’m not engaging with communities or innovators and leaders, I’m enjoying life as a New Yorker in Manhattan.

DC to New York to California to New York. What happened?

Two months after starting work on a new project with one of my best friends, we flew to California. We were going to attend a conference, and we decided to extend our trip and drive from San Francisco to L.A.

Times were easy, and we could do things like that.

So, we rented a car and drove down the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway to L.A. “Play-time” we called it— and that it was. We ate, had long talks on the beach, went surfing and listened to live music. Sometimes, through playing and enjoying yourself, you find clarity in work. And we did find clarity.

In fact, during that time in L.A. my friend (and technically my boss at the time), decided it was time to take a different path with work. That decision was the best and most frightening of my life. I knew for the last couple of months we had been trying to make what we were doing fit in a way that it just didn’t belong.

So, we flew back to New York from L.A. and I became instantly job-less for the first time in my adult life. I had just moved to NYC on a whim a few months prior to take on this job. Within 30 days, I had left my great job at a tech startup in D.C., my boyfriend and my beautiful apartment. My family was worried, they didn’t understand why I felt so strongly about taking a risk. “This is going to work out.” I reassured them time and time again. And now, I had no idea what I was going to do after that six hour flight back to NYC. But that’s where my real journey began.

So what’s happened for you since then?

Even though I was scared and worried about surviving in New York, I began to experiment in order to find out what I really wanted in life. I tried working in music, because it’s something I’ve always been passionate about.

When that didn’t work out, I found a job where I could work remotely. Working remotely became the thread that tied all of my passions together. Anything I wanted to do, anything I felt passionate about, I suddenly had the time to do it. I now create my own most productive environment every day. In finding my own fuel through working remotely, I’ve decided to make it my mission to help others do the same.

If you’re inspired by Elizabeth’s journey, check out her latest project here, her blog and shoot her a Tweet.

If you love this story, spread those wings and share!

Flight 13 / May 3, 2012 SRINIVAS RAO / Writer, entrepreneur,...

Thu, 03 May 2012 09:52:00 -0700

Flight 13 / May 3, 2012

SRINIVAS RAO / Writer, entrepreneur, co-founder of BlogcastFM

Take your first step

Website theskooloflife.com / Twitter @skooloflife

Flight Route Los Angeles (LAX) —> Denver (DEN) —> San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Airline Frontier

During my initial days of stumbling on awesome person after awesome person, Srini Rao featured prominently on my Twitter feed and general Google searches. Srini’s got an interesting story, which he details at The Skool of Life, and he’s also the co-founder of BlogcastFM, where he interviews people in the community about all sorts of topics. Last year, I remember Srini moved to Costa Rica for a bit. That got me wondering who he flew and what got him there.

A little about you

I’m the author of a blog called The Skool of Life, where I write about the things you should have learned in school but never did. I’m also the host and co-founder of BlogcastFM, a show where I’ve interviewed over 200 successful bloggers, entrepreneurs, and authors.

You moved to Costa Rica last year - how did that happen?

The story started with being unemployed after graduating from business school. I needed a way to stand out in the job market at the time, so I started my blog, and before I knew it the blog took on a life of its own.
Last year, I sold everything I owned in LA and moved down to Costa Rica for six months. I found a great little surf town there, and spent the vast majority of my days writing and surfing.

It was really during those six months, when every safety blanket in my life disappeared, that I was in a position where I had to push my boundaries. I started reaching out to potential sponsors and partners for BlogcastFM, and now we’re sponsored by Livefyre.

If you’re inspired by Srini, check him out on his blog, BlogcastFM and Twitter

If you love this story, tweet it!

Flight 12 / May 1, 2012 AMANDA MAKULEC / Global health...

Tue, 01 May 2012 09:04:00 -0700

Flight 12 / May 1, 2012

AMANDA MAKULEC / Global health professional, non-profit advisor, culinary enthusiast

Always be open to opportunities & never fear the unknown. You’ll learn more from that uncertainty than from any “plan” you make.

Website amandamakulec.com / Twitter @abmakulec

Flight Route Boston (BOS) —> London (LHR) —> Nairobi (NBO) —> Mombasa (MBA)

Airline British Airways

After I launched Take Flight, I received countless emails from people around the world who wanted to share their stories. Amanda Makulec was one such person, and I was floored with her work as soon as I checked her out. In her submission, she wrote excitedly about her experiences in the global health field, her involvement in the building of new schools and infrastructure in rural Kenya, and her passion for helping women and girls in developing countries. Her trips to Africa meant a long plane ride - but 3 different planes and 2 airport layovers later, she’s making the world a better place.

A little about you

I’m a global health professional working as a monitoring and evaluation advisor on a few interesting & hopefully world-changing maternal and child health projects at John Snow Inc. I also volunteer as an advisor with One Home Many Hopes, a non-profit supporting a girls’ home and soon a school in rural Kenya. My other loves are cooking, traveling, dinner parties, and making connections between people, causes, and projects that make the world a bit brighter.

What led up to you getting on board a British Airways jet bound for Kenya?

I was planning my summer research practicum for graduate school in 2009, and had committed to working on a water and sanitation research project in southern Kenya with the Maasai population in the area. I’ve always had an interest in maternal and child health (around orphans and vulnerable children in particular), and was looking for a way to extend my stay in Kenya to include an experience working with that population.

This led me to connect with Thomas Keown, founder of One Home Many Hopes, through an email address I found on my grad school’s practicum website. Four months after that meeting with him at coffee shop in Boston, I got off a plane at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport, and hopped into a car with the staff from the home.

What’s happened for you since then?

After spending a few weeks at the home, getting to know the girls who lived there, meeting the local staff (house mothers, a social worker, a lawyer, and others), I returned to Boston and knew I couldn’t just shelf the memories and framed photos from meeting those people.

I got involved in fundraising with the Boston chapter of the organization, running a fundraising team for our fall Breaking Ground campaign to build a new house for the girls, and shared the One Home Many Hopes’ story with friends and colleagues at grad school. When I moved to Washington DC in January 2010, our founder, Thomas, asked if I would be willing to start a DC chapter for the organization.

Saying yes to that question opened the door to two years as our chapter director, organizing events, leading our region for our fall capital campaigns (across which the organization always exceeded its targets and raised nearly $600k towards building an international quality school), and sharing the One Home Many Hopes story with people from all walks of life across DC. It’s been an immense learning & growth experience for me that allows me to connect, in a grassroots way, with a cause that I care immensely about.

If you’re inspired by Amanda, check her and her work out on the interwebz here, here and here, or on Twitter.

One of Amanda’s current work projects is USAID/UNICEF’s Every Child Deserves a Fifth Birthday - a campaign to end preventable child deaths. You should post your photo & birthday wish here!

If you love this story, spread those wings and share!

Flight 11 / April 26, 2012 CALEB WOJCIK / Entrepreneur,...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:51:00 -0700

Flight 11 / April 26, 2012

CALEB WOJCIK / Entrepreneur, blogger

Have patience.

Website pocketchanged.com / Twitter @calebwojcik

Flight Route Detroit (DTW) —> Tokyo (NRT)

Airline Northwest Airlines (now Delta)

Caleb and I share an interesting history. After I stumbled across his blog, I quickly realized we went to the same university, were from the same state, and lived in the same city! Caleb’s ascent from starting Pocket Changed as a blog in December 2010 to now having built online businesses and working for Insanely Useful Media has been an exciting one to watch. Last year, he left his corporate job and moved to San Diego, California, where he lives. He talks here on Take Flight about how a lot of what he’s aiming for in life all started with one trip to Japan.

A little about you

I graduated from college in 2008, right before the Great Recession, and landed a corporate job in Seattle. After completing my night school MBA in May 2010 I turned my focus towards working on “legacy projects.” I wanted to be involved in something bigger than just staff meetings and spreadsheets.

I started blogging in December 2010 on Pocket Changed about personal finance, career development, and living a passion filled life. Through that venture I met countless others online that were working towards major goals, both personally and professionally, in unconventional ways. They had either left the corporate world or had never entered it to begin with and were taking the risk of being an entrepreneur.

In September 2011, I put in my two week notice and started working with Corbett Barr on projects such as Think Traffic and Expert Enough. At the same time, my wife and I left Seattle and started a 10,000 mile, 3 month long road trip. I wouldn’t trade the decision to take the leap for anything in the world.

You flew to Japan during your undergrad years. How did that change things up for you?

Throughout my travels I’ve paid attention to how other people lived differently from people in my hometown. At a different pace, different values, different everything.

Through these observations I knew it was okay to be different and not follow the status quo. Taking risks would be much harder if I had never flown on a plane or traveled to distant countries.

During college, I flew to Japan and spent a month studying abroad there. It was from that point on that I knew that I wanted to have a career with the built-in freedom - one that would allow me to travel whenever I wanted to.

It took me a few years to get that point, but I have that freedom now and wouldn’t give it up for the world.

If you’re inspired by what Caleb’s work, check him out at his website or on Twitter.

If you love this story, spread those wings and share!

Flight 10 / April 24, 2012 JOEL RUNYON / Writer, adventurer,...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:08:00 -0700

Flight 10 / April 24, 2012

JOEL RUNYON / Writer, adventurer, entrepreneur

Try something scary

Website joelrunyon.com / Twitter @joelrunyon

Flight Route Chicago (ORD) —> Honolulu (HNL)

Airline United

Joel Runyon is someone who I’ve been following on Twitter for almost 1.5 years now and I’ve seen the transformation from him writing on his Blog of Impossible Things to now running the Impossible HQ, launching a manifesto and even a T-shirt line. Dude is rad and has definitely been an inspiration for me. In his journey of doing the impossible, he had taken a few flights to get him to the places that inspired him. That’s where Take Flight comes in.

A little about you

I’m a pretty normal guy who got tired of living the life everyone told him he should live. I started making small changes and testing the limits of what i thought were possible. 2 years later, I’ve been places I’ve never imagined I’d go, I’ve done marathons, races and other physical challenges I’ve never dreamed of doing and I’m helping a small group of others to do the same at ImpossibleHQ.com

You took flight. How’d you get to that point…and what happened?

About 2 years ago, there was a internet marketing conference happening Maui put on by a marketer I followed on Twitter. I had no money, no rapport and no experience. I knew his Twitter handle so I asked him if i could go if I helped him out with what was going on.

24 hours later I got an email telling me I could go if I could find a way out there.

48 hours later I was in Hawaii meeting with some of the smartest minds I’ve had a chance to meet, learning things I had never heard of before and started a new trajectory in my life.

As soon as I was given the go-ahead on attending the conference I booked a flight and headed to the airport. I didn’t know how I was going to do anything when i got there, but I decided I’d figured it all out along the way and it would eventually work itself out.

If you love Joel’s work, check him out at his website or on Twitter.

If you love this story, spread those wings and share!

Flight 9 / April 17, 2012 CHRISTINE NGO / Risk taker,...

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:53:00 -0700

Flight 9 / April 17, 2012

CHRISTINE NGO / Risk taker, traveler

Ultimately, all you really have in life are your experiences and relationships. Appreciate each moment, each bite, each sunset, each connection.

Website adventuregeek.tumblr.com / Twitter @gochristinengo

Flight Route New York (JFK) —> Hong Kong (HKG) —> Singapore (SIN) —> Bali (DPS) —> Kuala Lumpur (KUL) —> Siem Reap (REP) —> Bangkok (BKK) —> Chiang Mai (CNX)

Airline Delta, AirAsia, Tiger Airways, THAI, Bangkok Airways

When I announced that I was launching Take Flight at the tail end of 2011, Christine Ngo sent me a tweet telling me about a trip that had just changed her life. Soon enough, we set up some time to talk and it wasn’t long before it was clear that Christine’s experiences involved a lot more than jumping on a plane, and delved deep to the roots of her upbringing. Her family had traumatically left Vietnam during the war in the 1970s to arrive in the US with little more than their battle scars and a strong work ethic to start a small business.

Christine told me that “growing up in a family trying to carve a piece of their American Dream little by little each day taught me the true meaning of a dollar, of sacrifice, and of family. So I worked my ass off all throughout school, got the straight As and valedictorian medal, and earned a degree in finance at one of the top undergraduate business schools in the country.” It wasn’t long before she secured a lucrative finance job and the life that many dream of.

But it was this life and work that led Christine to question it. She mentioned to me that it was while stuck in a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam that she had her ‘a-ha’ moment, while listening to the famous Steve Jobs Stanford University commencement speech. So she swiftly took action, quit her job, and bought a ticket to Southeast Asia for a three-month trip.

She spent time experiencing some of the most brilliant sunsets, befriending and being humbled by locals, and working on sustainable development projects in northern Thailand.

Christine now lives and works in San Francisco, California, where she’s known to go for runs along Ocean Beach, have breakfast with her grandmother, and delve into a world of entrepreneurship, startups and leading an inspired life.

Taking flight, in Christine’s own words

One of my biggest regrets in college was not studying abroad for fear of foresaking future job security. I had always wanted to explore Southeast Asia so after I quit my job, I left on a flight to Hong Kong with no set itinerary, just two nights booked at a guy’s apartment through Airbnb, an open mind, and warm heart.

Even though I had left a very comfortable life back home, it was navigating this unknown period in my life that allowed me to appreciate each day for what it was. I felt more alive these three months than I have in the past three years. And it all started with that flight.

Hopping around from one adventure to the next meant that a lot of my time was spent in transit. A lot of my soul searching and moments of introspection occurred up in the air, where I had the time to reflect on the string of my experiences and background that had led up to that point in time. A lot of that introspection naturally gravitated towards my family and their story. Being in Southeast Asia was the first time I really saw what grit and poverty looked like first hand. This made me think about my family’s journey from Vietnam and why they had pushed me so much growing up to be successful because they had left a volatile and downright dangerous war-torn area where destitute poverty was a harsh reality of life for millions of people.

When my family came to the US, they had all of their former successes stripped away from them. For my family, rebuilding success meant a college education for the new generation, high-paying jobs, and life security. My family rebuilt their lives from nothing and turned out quite alright and it’s with this context that I realized that I could define my own version of success.

After coming back from Asia and realizing that I had always wanted to live in San Francisco, I had an “if not now, then when?” kind of moment and I booked my last one way ticket to the beautiful city of San Francisco. I feel alive knowing that I can wake up in a city that caters to my passions of social entrepreneurship, food and fitness, and adventure. The hardest part of my journey was just finding the guts to take action to get myself out of an unhappy situation.

For me, success is measured by the willingness to do something that absolutely scares the shit out of you, the depth and substance of my relationships, and consistently doing something you really want to do each day. I realized that everyday of your life is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Each day, you can choose to wake up where you want to be and you can choose to be happy.

I can’t wait for what’s next, but for now I’m enjoying each day and each moment.

Inspired by Christine’s flight? Spread your sharing wings on Twitter!

ALSO: Take Flight is now twice-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Flight 8 / April 4, 2012 DEVON MILLS / Writer, runner,...

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:56:00 -0700

Flight 8 / April 4, 2012

DEVON MILLS / Writer, runner, photographer

If you wait until you’re completely ready to make a big change, you’ll spend your whole life standing still. Leap, and the net will appear.

Website answeringoliver.com / Twitter @devonamills

Flight Route Seattle (SEA) —> Los Angeles (LAX) —> Auckland (AKL)

Airline Alaska Airlines, Air New Zealand

I met Devon on a chilly June evening in Seattle, where Jenny Blake had just come in on her book tour. We ended up sitting next to each other and as our conversation deepened, Devon pulled out her big DSLR camera and spoke passionately about her dreams of photography, travel and writing. A few months later, she’s made all of that her reality.

After two years of working in advertising, she realized she couldn’t stand being confined to a cubicle any longer. Luckily, she had saved up money in a “freedom fund” and felt ready to take the plunge. So, with the lofty ambition of backpacking solo for a whole year, she quit her job in November 2011 and spent the next few months selling and donating 99% of her belongings. In February 2012, right around the time I launched Take Flight, Devon took off for New Zealand to begin her adventure.

As this post goes live, Devon’ll be making her way to Singapore after spending two months in New Zealand and Australia. Up next on her itinerary are Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and many more countries.

A 14 hour flight across the Pacific. How’d to get to that point?

I first decided to leave my job to travel in September 2011, but I waited several months to actually buy a one-way plane ticket to Auckland, New Zealand. Once I did, the whole thing finally felt real and SO exciting.

I was still nervous as hell, though. I actually cried and worried a lot in the weeks leading up to my departure, and saying goodbye to my family was really difficult.

I’ll always remember what it felt like to leave Seattle with only a backpack to my name and no clue what would await me in New Zealand. My plane took off at dusk, and I studied the Northwest landscape intently in an attempt to memorize it for those times I knew I would deeply miss my hometown.

The ascent reminded me of my first skydive, which I did just outside of Seattle and also at dusk. The view from my window seat was so similar to what I saw as I plunged back down to Earth, and the fear and anxiety I felt beforehand were much the same.

This flight, however, symbolized a different kind of leap. I haven’t regretted it for a second.

You love writing. How’s that going after taking your flight to Auckland?

Writing is my passion, and it goes hand-in-hand with exploring the world. My blog is about coming up with answers to the poet Mary Oliver’s question, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

I don’t believe there is one answer, of course, or even a limit on the answers anyone can come up with. The point is to think of how you’d like to answer that question, and then DO IT!

I’ve learned so much about myself by writing about my adventures and what I’d still like to do in the future. Thanks to my blog, I can look back on some of my proudest moments — like finishing my first marathon and taking those first steps on New Zealand soil — and remember that I’m capable of doing anything I want, even if it’s incredibly scary. I hope to inspire others and help people realize that NOTHING is impossible.

Inspired by Devon’s flight? Spread your sharing wings on Twitter!

Flight 7 / March 28, 2012 DAPHNE KAKAIYA / Branding...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:36:00 -0700

Flight 7 / March 28, 2012

DAPHNE KAKAIYA / Branding Consultant

The only way to experience the world is by getting out there and seeing it for yourself.

Website brandingplaces.com / Twitter @brandingplaces

Flight Route Chicago (ORD) —> Paris (CDG)

Airline Air France

Windy City to City of Light & Love. How did that happen?

So I found out that I got an internship in France just three weeks before I was due to start. Those three weeks where such a whirlwind of moving, closing accounts and saying goodbye to loved ones that I didn’t realize what I was doing until I actually got on the plane to Paris.

Once I sat down in my seat, that’s when I had my WTF moment, wondering what I had gotten myself into. I had 9 hours of sleepless flight time to panic over my crazy decision to pick up and move across an ocean into a country where I barely spoke the language.

But when you’re 22 and on a plane to Paris to start a new life in a foreign country, it can only seem like a good idea.

You landed at Charles de Gaulle. What happened in the following days, months, years?

Once I landed in Paris, a whole new world opened up to me. I learned the meaning of friendship, hard work, persistence and solidarity. I learned that everything is negotiable and that even if you follow all the rules, it doesn’t mean you’ll come out ahead. I learned that French friends are true friends that will help you thick and thin, once you’ve “conquered” them as true friends.

And thanks to those wonderful friendships I have been able to fulfill my dream of having my own business in the field that I love.

Who is Daphné?

Daphne Kakaiya is a Franco-Indo-Venezuelan-American social media strategist and branding consultant who runs brandingplaces.com. A Chicago native, she’s pretty much the epitome of a world citizen, and of her travels to over 30 countries, she’s chosen Paris to be her home for the past six years.

More about Daphne, in her own words: I grew up traveling and my first passport picture was taken when I was three months old. You can even see my mom’s hands holding me up to take the picture. I spent summers in the lovely chaos that is Caracas, Venezuela, with its warm weather, noisy traffic jams and succulent tropical fruit. When making the connection in Miami for Caracas I always felt like I would take my first step into Latin America as soon as I stepped off the plane. It was always a bit of a culture shock, but as soon as I had to go back home to the US I would always forget a little English.

I took my first trip to India when I was six. Three connections later and a near-death landing in a “new” Air India plane, I finally set foot in Mother India. As a six year-old I was more interested in petting the cows and goats that roamed the streets than admiring the pristine temples. India got the best of me though with a 104 degree fever, and it took me 16 years to go back. I’m glad I did!

The toughest and most frequently asked question I have to answer is “Where are you from?” because it usually depends why you’re asking. As a multicultural person it’s hard to pinpoint. Most people guess whatever the local popular ethnic group is. So, if I’m in Chicago people think I’m Mexican, in Paris I’m Moroccan, and in Berlin I’m Turkish, etc. So far no one’s guessed correctly.

Regarding my life in Paris, people frequently ask me “Why France?” My short answer is, “Why not?” If I don’t have hours to go into the details of capitalism vs. socialism, 2 weeks paid vacation vs. 6 weeks and expensive healthcare vs. social healthcare, I just say that I really like it here.

Today, these life experiences have led me into a career path in place branding, and I now work independently in the field.

Inspired by Daphné’s flight? Tweet it out!

Flight 6 / March 21, 2012 JENNY BLAKE / Author, Speaker, Life...

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:47:00 -0700

Flight 6 / March 21, 2012

JENNY BLAKE / Author, Speaker, Life Coach

If you’re terrified of a big leap but you know it’s part of your “yellow brick road” — take it as a good sign and push on through, one baby step at a time. The next steps in your path will unfold in a beautiful way once you start taking action.

Website lifeaftercollege.org / Twitter @jenny_blake

Flight Route New York (JFK) —> San Francisco (SFO)

Airline Virgin America

Epiphany at 35,000 feet?

I was flying back to California from NYC during my book tour while on sabbatical from Google, where I had worked for 5+ years. I was completing exercises from a coaching business book called Beyond Booked Solid where I had to articulate my target audience and the way(s) I wanted to help them.

I could see my vision so clearly, AND that’s when I knew that I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t honor my own gut feeling that it was time to quit my job and try to make it on my own. I knew it was time to take flight, even though I was terrified about how to actually do it…

What happened when you got back to San Francisco?

A month after that flight, I quit my job and haven’t looked back for a second. I rented out my condo, packed a few boxes, and moved to New York City, from where I’ve taken many flights since. Every time I leave I miss it and the new life I’ve created here — it truly feels like home now, and I’m starting all kinds of new projects as a result of having my full time and energy to create value in the world. One thing I’m most excited about was starting to teach Geek Yoga classes at The Yoga Collective in January.

A little about Jenny

Jenny is a ‘solopreneur’ living in her soul city of New York. She’s obsessed with helping people live big, courageous lives despite the inevitable fears and bumps that come along with taking risks to follow giant dreams. She’s in love with yoga, dogs, dancing, great restaurants, music, reading, writing and travel.

Jenny also wrote and launched the highly-acclaimed book Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want, featured on CNN, Forbes and countless other sites - as a resource to help focus on the big-picture of your life.

Inspired by Jenny’s flight? Tweet it out!

Flight 5 / March 14, 2012 TYLER TERVOOREN / Writer, Musician...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:39:00 -0700

Flight 5 / March 14, 2012

TYLER TERVOOREN / Writer, Musician & Professor of Riskology

Newspapers and history books are a poor substitute for a real experience.

Website advancedriskology.com / Twitter @tylertervooren

Flight Route Washington, DC (IAD) —> Johannesburg (JNB)

Airline South African Airways

Who are you and what you do?

I’m all about risk-taking and finding new and interesting ways to do it in my life. I also run a website, where I talk about my most important ideas about risk and what it means to a life well lived, and others contribute with their own stories and advice for doing big, scary things.

Tell us a little about that flight to Africa…

Looking out over Africa for the very first time upon descent, I realized just how big the world is outside of my own little home in Portland. I’d traveled around a bit before, but mostly to comfortable, Westernized places.

When I saw the place that I was flying into, I knew before we even landed that the world truly is a big place and I have so much still to learn about it.

The whole experience was really a culmination of my own resolutions to learn more about the world.

And that one flight certainly strengthened the resolve to continue exploring.

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