ONE thing changed my life forever. It wasn’t a mentor, business...

@matt_gray_
MATT GRAY@matt_gray_
44 views Mar 31, 2024
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ONE thing changed my life forever.

It wasn’t a mentor, business idea, or partner. It was travel.

I traveled to 12 countries in Europe in 60 days after graduating university. This experience changed my life’s trajectory.

Why traveling is the best decision you can make:
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When I got into Ivey Business School in Ontario, I was over the moon.

I’d got in by some combination of hard work and a miracle.

Throughout high school, I made it my mission to get into a top uni so I could run my own business and be a founder.

But I soon came to hate it.
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There seemed to only be 4 core paths I could go down:
• Consulting
• Investment Banking
• Accounting
• Sales & Marketing

I wanted to be a founder, but I was being taught to be a follower. A slave.
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When I graduated, I made it my goal to travel before I started working and getting sucked into the rat race. I wanted to live, not get lost.

So, I booked a Eurorail pass for 2 months with my 3 university roommates.

This one decision changed my whole life.
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For 2 months, we traveled non-stop.

12 countries across Europe: England, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Slovenia.

It opened my eyes to new cultures, people, and perspectives. A new way of life.
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My belief is that travel is the best mentor.

And not just to basic 5* resorts - I’m talking backpacking around and staying in hostels, meeting new people every day.

Each country was a chapter of self-discovery. Every stamp in my passport was a new lesson in life.
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Most days, I would wake up in a new city and almost forget where I even was.

We were treating it like a Disney theme park. Were we in Madrid, Barcelona? Oh right, we arrived in Berlin last night. What a life!

Every city has a different personality to it. We had the travel bug.
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First stop, England.

We wandered through London’s cobbled streets - taking in the centuries of history.

Riding the London Eye at sunset with Big Ben just below, it felt like time was standing still.

Even the subway was like a trip through a living museum.
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Then we were in France.

From Paris, the city of lights and love, down to the sunny beaches of the Riviera and then Monaco.

Croissants and café au lait, a picture of elegance. We even snuck into the Cannes Film Festival - seeing the stars up close was pretty damn awesome.
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Spain next, fiesta central.

We explored from San Sebastian to Madrid and Barcelona, taking in the nightlife and partying until sunrise.

The hostel scene was also amazing throughout - meeting young and vibrant people from all over the world was super exciting and romantic.
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Onto Italy, a feast for the senses.

Went to Rome and Venice, and then through Cinque Terre, some of the oldest port towns in the world.

Gelatos in hand, vespas everywhere, sun 24/7.

La vita è bella.
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Then Croatia, one of the most underrated and beautiful places ever.

Just gorgeous; Dubrovnik, Split, Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Turquoise seas, waterfalls, cliffs - I was asking myself: “how were these places even real?”
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In Austria, we took in the postcard villages and mountains.

The music in Vienna and the peace of the Alps was therapy for the soul.

And the beer was pretty incredible too.
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Through to Germany, we toured Munich and Berlin, which became my favorite city in Europe.

Berlin’s culture was rebellious and youthful; graffiti, clubs, and energy everywhere.

Felt like a real middle finger to the establishment.
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