They Laughed When I Said “I Want To Work Remotely and Travel The World” | Inspiring Story #2 - Daily Inspired Life

They Laughed When I Said “I Want To Work Remotely and Travel The World” | Inspiring Story #2

Karletta loves Kangaroos, Karletta Marie, Karletta Dionysiou, Work Travel Lifestyle

I sat down at the black marble-top table, my face blushing hot red as Narelle and Megan choked back their laughter...

Narelle and Megan were two human resource consultants who regularly ran workshops for corporate companies and government departments.  Narelle would often call me in to assist with preparing workshop content and course materials. 

It was Monday morning.  Iโ€™d risen at 6.30 am, dressed up, and then downed my coffee without a bite for breakfast.  Iโ€™d commuted 55 minutes in horrendously heavy traffic for a 45-minute meeting with Narelle and Megan about an upcoming 2-day workshop on time management.   Iโ€™d felt prepared for my meeting. YET still, Iโ€™d managed to find myself running down Queen Street Mall in my black high heels and pencil skirt โ€“ LATE!  I sat down panting, hands still shaking from the adrenaline rush โ€ฆ

Narelle sits directly across from me, back straight, in her grey suit.  Her mousy-brown hair, cut mid-length, brushes against her white shirt collar buttoned tight against her neck.  She places both hands on the coffee table and cocks her head towards me with a mocking smile, โ€œKarletta doesnโ€™t like coming into the city for meetings.  Sheโ€™d prefer we conference online.  So, thank you, Karletta, for meeting us hereโ€.  โ€œActually,โ€ she continues, eyebrows raised, turning her head towards Megan, โ€œKarlettaโ€™s plan is to work online, so she can travel the world.โ€  

Megan smirks back, lifts her coffee cup to her mouth, and rolls her eyes โ€ฆ โ€œOh really?โ€

I will forgive Megan and Narelle for their mocking smirks and choked-back laughter that day.  

At that time, from their sphere of work and business experience, my idea of doing the work I did for them from anywhere in the world, was just a demanding, impossible dream.   

At that time, Megan and Narelle didnโ€™t know โ€ฆ

  • about the rapidly growing online industry that was emerging stronger and stronger with every passing year
  • how easy it was to use the multiple online conferencing facilities available to them
  • about the advanced online communication tools, marketing platforms, project management systems that simulated a business environment for the online world
  • the hundreds of dollars they would save in resources, time and energy by sending me their materials via email or by an online document management system
  • just how much of their creative energy and joy was being stolen by the demands and environment of living the daily โ€œrat-raceโ€
  • how many more life choices they could take by grabbing hold of these new emerging online opportunities
  • that many women from around the world, from different professions, backgrounds, and walks of life, had taken their areas of expertise and turned them into opportunities to make an income while traveling the world.


At that time, Megan and Narelle also had no idea that already, I was working with several overseas clients - from both the USA and UK (Iโ€™m Australian) and that my dream to work online and travel the world had already started to unfold.  They were yet to embrace the real possibility of living a daily inspired life, filled with freedom to explore the world while earning an income.

That was seven years ago (and a lot has changed since then).  In the past two years alone, Iโ€™ve travelled to and lived in places I only dreamed about.

In the past two years, Iโ€™ve been enchanted by the romantic, light-filled lanterns of Hoi An, Vietnam, and mesmerised by the long lashes of a giraffe while on Safari in South Africa.  Iโ€™ve been in awe standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, and Iโ€™ve stood, silenced by the rhythmic beat of Reiki drummers in Sedona.

Iโ€™ve experienced the magic of Scotland with her mysterious Loch Ness and sang songs during the Trad festival in Ennis, Ireland.  Iโ€™ve sat watching the most spectacular sunsets, while sipping wine on the beaches of Cyprus, Iโ€™ve watched whales in the crystal waters of Moreton Island, Australia, and Iโ€™ve enjoyed a local tune in a quaint village of Macedonia.  Iโ€™ve enjoyed many enriching conversations and have been captivated by stories of people who are so different, yet so much the same as you and me.  Iโ€™ve loved and learnt so much.    

But I donโ€™t want this story to be about me; itโ€™s about ALL the stories that have unfolded for many women around the world.   I want our stories to inspire you to see a life you may have thought impossible โ€“ become possible. 

To help you imagine the different possibilities available to you, I recently reached out to other women in my community who are already living their freedom-to-travel lifestyle.  I asked them the same question you are likely asking โ€ฆ

โ€œHow do you fund your freedom-to-travel lifestyle?โ€ 

This list has been gathered from women who have already transformed their lives into a โ€œfreedom-to-travel lifestyleโ€ for women who want inspiration and the courage to break free from the cycle of living a life that no longer inspires you;  where you drag yourself through the next day of work for a boss that doesnโ€™t appreciate what you do.  Itโ€™s a list to inspire those of us who want to experience LIFE, to truly live and experience the world through every moment and all our senses.

Download the list:  "49 ways women are earning a real income to fund their freedom travel lifestyle (even without being young, hot, sexy, bikini clad bloggers"

Share the Inspiration
  • Well done, Karletta, for being well ahead of the times and open-minded! Your intuition proved right and made you a winner right from the beginning! It is mind-boggling to think how the pandemic alone moved everything online within weeks! I will be you one day!

    • Karletta Marie says:

      Hi Mihaela …thank you. It is interesting reflecting on this story after all the changes over the last year. I’ll look forward to reading more of your travels when it all gets going again xo

  • Becca says:

    I love this inspiring post!! It is my dream to travel the world, writing and meeting people with my daughter and husband in tow. Thanks for sharing your story! I also loved my time in Vietnam a few years ago and am excited for our upcoming move to Arizona!

  • I am jealous. I wish I could follow your lead. I do love travelling and writing but have kids and mortgage and worry about taking that step. My wife and me do get away as much as we can and still have a lot of places to tick off. Thanks for your post.

  • Dani says:

    Raw. Beautiful and just inspiring. This is one of the things I love doing, showing people who told me that my dreams that I want are impossible but I have made them possible. Keep going girl. Keep proving people wrong. โค๏ธ

  • Kata says:

    Thank you for this inspiring blog post. I decided to leave my job that I hated and started to invest more in myself. I learned a lot during the past year and now I feel ready to make a living without a 9-5 job. But even working as a freelancer is frowned upon by everybody I know. They keep trying to drag me down telling me that what I am doing right now is not feasible in the long term. “Hold my beer, dear!”

    • kdadmin says:

      That is brilliant news! It’s true, not everyone is supportive or understands but what a lifestyle hey! So glad you found your way.

  • […] I could never afford an education. Iโ€™ve been told great jobs are for the few. Iโ€™ve been told travelling the world and finding the man of your dreams is for Hollywood. Iโ€™ve even been told 51-year-olds shouldnโ€™t […]

  • […] I was grateful … and because of that, I knew I must try my best to make the most of what opportunities I had available to me.    I put a plan together,  and with encouragement from my husband, I gathered the courage to start my own hustle on the side  […]


  • >
    karletta marie - daily inspired life

    Hi,  I'm karletta marie...

    JOIN and get your free digital magazine with inspiring stories straight to your inbox PLUS tools to start creating your beautiful life.

    karletta marie - daily inspired life

    Hi, I'm karletta marie.

    JOIN and get your free digital magazine with inspiring stories straight to your inbox PLUS tools to start creating your beautiful life.