How Traveling The World Transformed My Life

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I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

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Zimbabwe, Africa, 1995

It was late afternoon as I walked out of the back of the accommodation I was staying in.

When I arrived outside, I looked toward the horizon to see one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever witnessed.

The sun setting over the plains of Africa.

I have seen some spectacular sunsets, but that one in Africa is seared into my memory.

I will say that you have not lived until you’ve witnessed a sunset in sub-Saharan Africa.

I can’t say what made it so spectacular.

It was just a sunset.

Maybe it was the thought that went through my mind as I stood there and watched:

“Gosh…I’m watching a sunset…in Africa!”

I was 23 then, and my time in Africa was too short.

It was one of my favorite life experiences of all time.

I will go back to Africa at some point in my life.

I can’t tell you exactly when, but I will.

And, I’ll let you in on a little secret…

At one point in my life, I seriously considered moving to Africa permanently.

I was in Africa in 1995 because I was in the U.S. Army, and that was where my mission was.

While I was there for work, it was an assignment I thoroughly enjoyed working with people I am privileged and honored to call friends to this day.

I served 8 years in the U.S. Army, and for most of that time, I served somewhere abroad.

I am currently starting the 14th year of my current career.

14 years.

The longest job I ever had.

The second longest job?

8 years in the U.S. Army.

It hit me the other day what the common denominator is between both jobs:

Travel.

In the Army, I had no choice but to travel.

In my current career, I’m afforded plenty of time off and ample opportunities to travel.

In the Army, I traveled where I was told to go.

In my current career, I travel where I want to go.

The places I went while serving in the Army were places I never thought I would go.

For instance, within two weeks of arriving at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, I stepped off a plane onto the runway of Port-au-Prince International Airport.

I ended up staying in Haiti for six months (you can find out more about this trip if you google “Operation Uphold Democracy” — I was one of the first American troops on the ground).

Shortly after returning from Haiti, I was back on a plane heading to sub-Saharan Africa.

That was when I was in Zimbabwe.

One of my favorite trips of all time.

After Zimbabwe: Seoul, South Korea.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I started my tenure in the Army by spending two years in Germany.

Eight years of paid vacation.

That’s how I choose to think of my time in the Army.

Those were the days.

Until I decided I was ready to try something new (and ended up in Miami, Florida).

What’s the point of all this?

The point of all this is to say that if I had never enlisted in the Army, I wouldn’t have developed the passion for traveling I now possess, especially to places foreign and exotic.

However, I did enlist.

And I did develop a passion for traveling, especially to places foreign and exotic.

As a result, I can’t imagine a life without traveling and spending time in places foreign and exotic.

And neither should you.

Forget Florida.

Forget Disney World.

Forget your parents’ house or your in-laws’ house.

Forget the beach (unless it’s in a place foreign and exotic).

Please check your passport right now to ensure it’s not expired.

Then, pick a place you’ve been curious about traveling to, go online to buy airline tickets, and go.

Just go.

The more foreign and exotic the destination, the better.

It may just be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

Remember:

The best life experiences are the ones you stumble upon. Not the ones you planned for.

And…

Life’s entirely too short.

Quote that caught my attention:

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”

—Saint Augustine

You can find the collection of financial tools & resources that helped me grow from a 6-figure debt to a 6-figure net worth by clicking here.

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