Kari Cardinale

For me, building a new course is sort of like being Willy Wonka. I get to create something sort of magical. We excel in aggregating exciting ideas from all over the world that you would likely never have found on your own, and packaging it up with a pretty bow and a fun group of travelers from around the world. Imaginations are ignited, folks get unstuck and start to make life decisions with clarity, courage and excitement.

One of the core MEA tenets I hold so dearly is developing a growth mindset. This is in comparison to having a fixed mindset. Sounds obvious right? Not so easy. At the most fundamental level, a fixed mindset comes down to how often we say “no” vs. “yes” in life.

One of our co-founders, Skylar, recently made an insightful comment during one of our team meetings. He said something to the effect of, “I am no longer hopeful that the world is going to turn around anytime soon.”

In February I will turn 55. It is a lovely number and an easy milestone to slide into. It turns out I am the poster child for our most common demographic at MEA, age 54. Does that mean our average age will… age along with me?

As the world opens up, many of you may begin to notice a strange phenomenon. I am starting to call it the “phantom IRL” effect. It goes something like this: After 14 months of lockdown you finally get to meet someone in person you haven’t seen in a really long time, or someone that you have only known through zoom or some other type of video-based communications.

2020 may have been a year of radical shocks, disruptions and dissonance. It was a year of endings. Much of our normal way of life ended. Our ability to travel, hug each other and feel safe being in public ended. The entire globe was thrown into a transition of massive proportions.

In six short months, the world of work, travel and interpersonal connection may have changed forever. Covid has forced the entire world to find new ways to connect for work and play. It is now a daily practice to use Zoom, WhatsApp, Facetime or Google Meet from our desks, bedrooms or patios.