Introduction
A great way to gather new insights for creative ideas is to travel. In my current role I travel a lot. The past week I got back from a whirlwind tour that took me through five countries in six days. Yes, a few of those were only airports, but it still counts when you are gathering bits-and-pieces to help you develop new ideas. All new experiences are critical to expand your perspectives and help you become more open-minded. This trip was fast and chaotic, but I experienced many new things.
India
I left Heathrow airport in London and about 11 hours later arrived in Chennai, in southeast India. This was my first trip to India and though it was short, it was truly eye opening. I have been to many developing countries, but India was truly the most third world, if that makes sense. Cows walking around on major roads, dogs sleeping on the sidewalks, dusty, congested roads, and construction everywhere. The country is growing rapidly and new, modern buildings are popping-up everywhere. The problem is the infrastructure for waste removal is not the most controlled, so you often see piles of debris in the middle of the city. This is just the growing pains of a relatively democratic country trying to pull itself up from the bottom.
In contrast to China, when the government tells you what to do, you do it. So, there are some benefits to communism in terms of controlling and developing growth and infrastructure. In India, it seems to be very fluid, so hopefully the local regulations and enforcement will start to catch up with the non-stop growth. It will take a while, but will happen.
I thought I knew what crazy traffic was, but India was a whole new thing. Over 25 years ago I was in China and Vietnam and the traffic was maddening, but India is insane, controlled mayhem. Lanes are ignored, stop signs are ignored, and everyone is swerving and honking horns nonstop. Being in a taxi allowed me a relatively safe way to observe the chaos, but soon I will be riding around the country on a motorcycle, so that report will soon follow. Wish me luck!
I was only in India for three days, and spent most of the time either in a hotel, a taxi, or the office. But that short stay was a great primer for my future journeys. I will be going back monthly. The people are friendly, the food was great, and if you are a business nerd, India is the future. Check it out.
Emirates Airline
I left India at 9:45pm via Emirates airline. Luckily one of my co-workers told me I had to have a hard copy of my ticket to get into the Chennai airport. They will only allow you into the terminal after they review the hardcopy with your passport. Thank god I was given a heads up.
I think this was my first time on Emirates, and it was really nice. If you fly a lot, you will realize how much better Emirates is than most airlines. Faux wood paneling in the toilets provide a higher-end experience. For the kids the flight attendants provide them with coloring books and crayons immediately and take photos of the kids and provide the photo in a frame. A great idea to keep the kids busy right away. And when the lights turn off, the ceiling lights resemble a star-filled sky. Nice touches to help you relax.
This was only a four-hour flight but we were provided printed menus and given a full meal. The meal was what you would typically receive on a trans-Atlantic flight, but this was only a four hour flight; a perfect way to get settled. The flight was uneventful, and we arrived in Dubai airport at about 1am.
My first time in Dubai (only the airport) and I felt like I was in Las Vegas. Everything was open in the airport and people were everywhere, even though it was 1am. It was a bit of an eye opener to see so many people in transit in the early morning. After a well needed coffee to keep us awake during the layover, we boarded our flight to Milan, Italy at about 3:45am.
We were lucky because the flight was only one-third full so we were able to stretch out in a full row and get some sleep before arriving in Milan (and after another full meal). We arrived in Milan in the morning and made it to our hotel in the heart of the city. We took showers, changed, and headed to the EICMA motorcycle show. The largest motorcycle show in Europe, probably in the world.
It was a bit surreal. After just being in noisy, crazy, and busy India the day before, Italy seemed peaceful. I was back to driving on the right-side of the road and everything was spotless and organized. Sometimes it is nice to have order. Not to mention being in Italy.
Milan
If you have never been to Italy, go. It is awesome. That was my third or fourth time, and I just love the country. The men and women have that amazing Italian style. From their clothes, to how they speak, to the wonderful coffee. It was nice to be back.
We spent several days walking and walking and walking around the EICMA show and it was good to move around after days spent on airplanes and sitting in meetings. I went a bit overboard with lattes and cappuccinos, but we also found some great restaurants, so my stomach got some food on top of the non-stop coffees. Sipping a latte at night in front of the Duomo in Milan was a great way to relax, and the architecture in the city is breathtaking. I had the best tiramisu in my life and though our hotel rooms were the size of prison cells, it was a great couple of days.
After my brief stay in Italy, and enjoying the cool Italian weather (especially after the hot and humid air in India) I headed back to my new home in England to 4-degrees Celsius and pouring rain. Welcome back to merry ole England!
Conclusion
In six days, I was in five countries:
England
India
UAE
Italy
Holland
Sure, two of those were only in the airports but the different languages, food, and cultures really kept my head spinning. I typically like to stay in places for more than a few days, but since this was a business trip, I had to go where the schedule took me. I always stress to people, get out of your comfort zone. New experiences are the only way to expand your perspectives and build the foundation for new ideas. Not of all us can travel around the world, but just visit a neighboring city or town, eat at a weird restaurant, or visit a local museum. The more you can experience new things, the better you will be at developing amazing new products, marketing campaigns, or just becoming a more open-minded human being. Now hit the road!