Every now and again, I have an overwhelming need to just...stop. Not because I am unhappy or unsatisfied with my personal life or even my job. In fact, it is because my personal life and my job can quite often merge into one.
Working online can do that to you.
There is never the need to log off, so you never do. Tablets and smartphones allow you to work from anywhere with an internet connection, your home, your bed, even the toilet (Yes, I have done this before). So, after writing an article about being eaten by the internet you can read it here I decided that it was high time I took a break from it all.
Realising that my budget did not extend to a beach in Thailand, I ended up opting for a mini break a bus ride away - an aparthotel called The Rosebery in Clerkenwell you can read about that here it was great. However, instead of feeling satisfied, recuperated and ready for work, I felt as if I wanted, no needed more. A complete break from the commuting, the work, the social media updates, the deadlines, the demands on my time, everything. Freedom from the treadmill.
That was probably why I was so keen to interview Lauren Metzler. At age 23, Lauren quit her job to travel the world as an artist in search of adventure. With just a sketchbook and a couple of hundred in her account, she took her chances on the open road and has now been travelling for over 4 year. Here's what Lauren told StyleAble about her wanderlust and her love of art...
Lauren Metzler
"I grew up listening to my Grandparent's stories about travelling all over the world. They were long term travellers; they lived everywhere they travelled and had children in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ghana and the Saipan islands. Whenever I visited my Grandfather, he would dazzle me with tales about his adventures living abroad. His stories inspired me to travel the world on my own and sparked my insatiable thirst for adventure off the beaten path.
I majored in Fine Arts and studied Art History and Painting whilst abroad in Italy. That was my first real taste of travel. I wandered all over Italy and France, mesmerised by the beautiful sculptures and paintings I had read about since I was a child. I drank wine underneath the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower and swam in the Mediterranean, saw Mona Lisa's smile and walked the ancient streets of Rome. I met so many wonderful people and had such an incredible time, really growing as an artist surrounded by such incredible art!
I knew when I got back home my itchy feet wouldn't stand still for long. I booked a one way ticket to Southeast Asia and have been travelling for over four years now.
I work as I travel. Recently, I've started getting a little income from my travel blog, The Wandering Orange. I also sell art to fund my wanderlust through my online shop: http://laurenmetzler.storenvy.com/
If I wasn't travelling, I think I would explode! Well, not really, but if I wasn't travelling I would definitely feel lost. Wanderlust is something some people have ingrained in their very soul and they cannot ignore it, no matter how hard they try. Making art and travelling the world are the only things I want to do in life. I could never work in an office, so I will always find a way to travel."
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Photo by Taylor Laird.