A Spontaneous Road Trip from Serbia to Vietnam + the Benefits of Unplanned Travel with Mia Kercher

Why would anyone choose to travel across two continents alone, with nothing but a cat and no real plan?  Mia Kercher is a copywriter, marketing strategist, and hypnotist who traveled overland from Serbia to Vietnam as a solo female traveler. She crossed twelve countries by car, foot, bicycle, and tuktuk, all with her cat, Cleo, by her side. Prior to this trip, Mia spent two and a half years backpacking through Europe, eventually settling in Serbia, where she built her energetic copywriting business, Evoke Writing. She recently finished writing a book about her journey.  In this episode, I talk with Mia about her journey, including the weeks she spent in Afghanistan, and how she kept her business running while living off-grid.  This conversation is about what happens when you choose curiosity over a plan. Mia's approach to travel has never been about research or certainty, and that mindset gets tested in a big way on this journey. We talk about the discomfort of being an outsider, the surprising kindness that can meet you in the most unexpected places, and how solo travel builds a kind of trust in yourself that is hard to find any other way. It is also a conversation about intuition, and how tuning into your subconscious mind can change the way you make decisions, both on the road and in business.  What would it take for you to say yes to an adventure with no plan and no idea how it would turn out? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.  Tune In To Learn:  Why Mia decided to leave her expat life behind and drive across two continents  What it means to travel by "chaotic order" instead of a plan  The single overlooked document that completely rerouted her entire trip  How she prepared to enter a country most of her friends begged her not to visit  What changed the moment she stopped fearing the attention she was getting everywhere she went  The stranger who gave her a private tour most tourists never get to see  A roadside encounter that turned from friendly to alarming in seconds  How one man's dream of becoming an actor led to an unexpected fundraiser  Her strategy for traveling with a pet without drawing a crowd, and when it backfired  Mia's business strategy for making money on the road when she knows she's going to be off-grid or without wifi for a while  And so much more  Resources:  Sign up for our FREE newsletter  Mia's website  Instagram  Substack  Want More?  Solo Traveling Europe and "The Stans" in a Campervan with Maria Glaser  Overland Travel 101, the Pros and Cons of Full-Time Travel, and Favorite Hidden Gem Destinations With Eric Highland  Road Tripping To India: Life On A Land Rover Overland Trip  Thanks To Our Sponsors  Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel   Experience intelligent trip planning for calmer travel with the TripWaffle app   Earn points on rent and mortgage payments. Apply at joinbilt.com/zerototravel  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices