Hello from LifExchange.  I am Shari – owner, operator, marketer and inspired entrepreneur.  I was recently told that my blogs, newsletters, etc were not personal enough.  I am my business.  I love to travel and it has changed my life!  I woke up one day in a job that did not move me and my wonderful husband said enough, it is time to open your own company.  After a bit of laughing and shaking my head I realized he was serious.

I have traveled to Peru, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Ireland, England, Germany, Turkey, Ghana, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Spain, Morocco, Israel and a few other places in my life’s journey.  He was right, why not help others find their dreams, passion and inner self the way I did.  So LifExchange was born and 1 year later here I am.

In our first year we had 115 students from 8 countries come to the US to Work and Travel.  We have signed-up our first American to go overseas with a company who has hosted over 5,000 Americans and the possibilities for what is next is endless.  But I guess the real question is why.  Why do I believe everyone and I mean everyone needs to travel abroad?

I think there is a sense of both self and community at a global level that is only found with international travel.  For me that “self and community” opened a world of love, laughter, and fun along with a deeper understanding of peace, humanity and the importance of the common good of others.

My plan is to write a series of short blogs sharing how I came to feel this way and some of the experiences that taught me these life lessons.  However I do not want to end my first personal post here so let me share one trick of international long flight travel that has worked for me.

My philosophy on flying.  Any flight no matter how far is just a matter of scheduling like any day in your life and it can fly by.  Example – a 14-hour flight to China may be ¼ a book, 8 hours sleep, a 2 hour movie and then another ¼ a book – presto – I am in my destination.  A 9 hour flight to Brazil – one hour reading, 2 two hour movies, a 1 hours nap, 1 hour for food, bathroom and drink breaks, and 2 more hours of reading.  So simple, the day fly’s by and I am at my destination (no pun intended).  You need to be sure if the flight you have booked does not have personal movies on demand that you buy a cd player and some movies to bring with you.  This is key.  I plan all flights like a day I would schedule for business.  Like life my schedules are flexible and open to change but as a planner this helps me pass the time quickly.  Oh, I almost forgot the one exception.  And this is BIG.  Speak to your neighbor!!!!  It is not planned but you may end up next to the most interesting person, a local to give you advice, a new friend to explore with or a random contact that you find yourself calling for a job 5 years later or the most fascinating conversation you could imagine.  Then again if you have the other kind, you know who I mean, you will be glad you have that movie on hand.  Here is the deal, you never know who is just next door.   Take the time to start your international experience on the flight.  Because this is where your travels begin.

Till next time,

Shari