There’s a proverb that says, “To the person who has never left his/her village, the world is only as big as that village”.
Before 2014, this used to be me. No matter how much I read about other countries, no matter how many times I saw them in the news, or learned about them on the internet, I could never truly have a broader view of the world and its workings until I began to travel.
Now that I’ve experienced life outside of Nigeria, certain things now make sense to me. When I’m having a conversation with someone, I can tell their level of exposure from the things they say.
For example, someone said that no one respects Zebra crossings. I told them to go to Dubai. Pedestrians are almost more respected than people with vehicles. As long as one person is standing by a Zebra crossing without traffic lights, every car must stop and let that person cross.
Another lesson I learned on my first trip is that airports are expected to have free wifi so that when you land, you can contact your family and friends to tell them you’ve arrived.
I learned that when you eat at a Food Court in the malls, you are expected to clear your plates yourself, instead of standing up and letting the waiter clear it.
I also learned that there are countries where you can leave your shopping cart with all the things you’ve bought, literally anywhere in the mall, and no one will steal anything from it, like the UAE.
No matter how much you think you know based on your research, you can never replace the knowledge that comes from experiencing it for yourself.
If you’re traveling by air, the first place you will encounter in another country is their airport. That experience alone can reset your mental faculty.
The first country I visited ever, was Dubai, back in 2014. I first had to delete the mindset that it is only the super-rich or people who had money to waste, that could afford to travel.
It wasn’t until I had experienced it for myself that I began to understand why people travel. It’s not a money-wasting activity, it is a necessary experience.
So many businesses you see today, are a result of someone traveling, seeing how things are done in other countries and then trying to replicate that same experience here in Nigeria.
From malls, to restaurants, car shops, the advent of loyalty programs at your favorite shops, Pharmacies, Health Institutions, even down to things like shawarma, milk shakes, fitness centers, Schools, churches and mosques, cinemas and many more. If you live in big cities like Lagos, you’ll understand what I mean.
I got the idea for my interior design company during my very first trip to Dubai.
I got the idea for how to export my jewelry pieces from my trip to South Africa.
I got the idea for creating my very own Coaching Certification Program, as well as my 7-figure Consulting Firm, when I was in Abu Dhabi.
I got the idea for the OPEN Awards, my 1KM group coaching program and another global business idea, during my travels to Kenya and Tanzania.
I also got the idea for the Dubai Retreat while strolling down the beach one morning, before my flight from Dar Es Salaam to Nigeria.
There’s a kind of spiritual deliverance that happens to you, when you travel. It is almost as if you’ve left your territorial demons behind and your brain is free to think and see possibilities like never before.
You don’t have to be a millionaire to travel. Hey, you don’t even need to travel outside Africa. You can go to Kenya and Tanzania and have a good time.
You can go to the UAE, Turkey, South Africa, Greece, Mauritius, Madagascar, Senegal, Morocco and similar countries and have a great time without spending a million.
Again, you must first deliver yourself from the mindset that you’re “wasting money” by traveling. The return on your investment can be more than 10 times what you spent traveling. I know this for a fact.
Even if you decide to start with Ghana, it won’t cost you more than N250,000 for 5 days, and this includes all your basic expenses plus shopping money.
Learn to see travel as an investment rather than as an opportunity to “pepper dem”. Incorporate travel time and travel income into your business expenses.
Plan for it and prepare for it. Instead of viewing the world through a key hole, open the door instead so you can see clearly.
