Why did Carrie Pollard push off from the safe lands of the 9-to-5 life to live in Namibia for a year? How did that experience change her and shift her perceptions about the world around her?

Given the opportunity to move to Namibia, Carrie and her husband, John, did not hesitate. Leaving behind her work in marketing and advertising, Carrie settled in Windhoek – the capital of Namibia – and established a new lifestyle. Carrie speaks openly about the wonders of Namibia as well as the fact that, despite where you are in the world, life simply goes on.

John is a pilot – and not just a casual pilot – that is his profession. So Carrie has had the really enviable benefit of being able to see the world from up high. This allowed her to move through Namibia and other parts of Africa with relatively more ease. She also describes how having the flexibility and freedom to experience places from up high changes her worldview.

Ultimately, her experiences with long-term travel have shifted her outlook on the day-to-day. For one, her perception of time has shifted – it is less of an artificially regimented concept now and more of a fluid, overlapping entity. She has become more flexible, a better friend, and more empathetic.

The experiences fade over time. But they have become part of my vernacular, part of who I am now…I just want to keep going – having those experiences, that feeling of being somewhere new, and outside my comfort zone.

Show Links

Author and Airman – Carrie’s blog

Carrie’s books

Wilderness Air

Panoramic view of Namib Desert from Big Daddy Dune – YouTube

The Minimalists

Credits

Podcast intro music: “Mister S” by Luc Marcotte

Podcast exit music: “Neogrotesque” by Luc Marcotte

All photography courtesy of Carrie Pollard