I just finished The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau, a book that spoke to me like few others. As the author says on his Amazon page, “You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to. Those who are open-minded, ready to challenge the status quo, are hard-working, and personally responsible can lead lives of rare authenticity.” Reading these words made me feel like I have shared the writings of a “soul mate.”
My colleagues at work would often inquire how my wife and I were able to take working vacations to such exotic places as Mauritius, Borneo, Bhutan, Kenya, Australia, and Mongolia. I would respond that most of our travel took place during the three-month summer hiatus when school was not in session. “But isn’t that when you are supposed to do your research, write books, and prepare lecture notes?” they would ask. “Yes, but I don’t need every single summer for these tasks and, besides, there are other ways to grow and improve as an academic professional–for example, working overseas and living and learning about new cultures. “Oh, that sounds great, but I could never do that.” Sadly, when I hear them utter those words, I know they never will.
That, dear friends, is the crux of the problem faced by Chris and myself: Namely, there are so many people who allow the scope of their dreams to be set by others; who routinely follow the expected path through life; who believe that other people’s perceptions of them, rather than their own desires, are what count the most. Let me give an example of this.
In early 1990 my school, Macalester College, signed an educational and cultural exchange with Miyagi University in Sendai, Japan. The agreement specified that every August two Miyagi faculty would visit Macalester, while every January two staff from Macalester would spend one month overseas. Visitors would stay on campus for about ten days meeting with faculty and students, giving public talks, and presenting guest lectures–not a burdensome load. The remaining 20 days would be spent traveling the country and learning about its people, history, and culture, with all expenses covered by the host institution. In simple terms the agreement traded one-and-a-half weeks of light academic work for a fully paid two-and-a-half week Japanese holiday! This was a unique travel opportunity, and I submitted my application on the first day they were accepted.
Macalester has 160 full-time staff, with two selected each year. With 80:1 odds against me I doubted I would be in the initial group and was simply hoping the exchange program would last long enough for me to reach the front of the line. However, I had not accounted for the lethargy and lassitude of so many of my colleagues who were content following their unchanging daily routine–work, eat dinner, play with the kids, go to bed. They watched football on Monday, bowled every other Thursday, had sex on Saturday night, and spent a week or two each summer “up at the lake.” It is so easy to fall into this rut and, once in, so awfully hard to get out. The end result of their inertia was that of the 160 eligible faculty ONLY THREE APPLIED, MYSELF INCLUDED! (Sorry for shouting.) That is so sad because reading someone else’s adventure stories may be a pleasant diversion, but it is nothing like having these adventures yourself. Four months after submitting my application, I headed to the airport for a flight to Tokyo and four glorious weeks touring this fascinating country–all on the other guy’s dime.
For those readers who might now be willing to consider a dive into the deep end of the pool, I would like to make the following two recommendations: First, read Chris Guillebeau’s book to inspire you to live life with gusto and bring more excitement and adventure into your daily routine. Second, read my book, On The Other Guy’s Dime, to learn the nitty-gritty details of exactly how you can do this. Trust me, you won’t be sorry.
(Get On The Other Guy’s Dime to read about our 15 working vacations and how you and your family can duplicate these adventures for yourself.)
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