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Larif Hamm (IG: @Phuturemillionaire / @PeculiarTravel)

What’s your name and where are you from?

Larif Hamm from Chester, Pennsylvania

 

1. What’s the most impactful lesson you’ve learned so far through traveling?

The most impactful lesson I’ve learned through traveling is the importance of being resilient and adaptable. Traveling internationally showed me how life is so much different than our own home and living environment. While traveling aboard, I always make sure to immerse myself in a new culture in order to learn and gain the best experiences.

2. What’s the best advice you can give to someone who wants to start a travel blog or a business, but don’t know where to begin?

The best advice I can give to someone who wants to start a business is to believe in your passion and take calculated risks. I am the CEO and Founder of Peculiar Travel, a travel curation company that exhibits travel that sets you apart. I have years of experience working in Corporate America, but I honestly never loved those years in that field. Traveling has become my passion and creating Peculiar Travel has allowed me to make it a full-time profession. If you have a desire to start your own business, I encourage you to be intentional, seek a mentor, and surround yourself with people who believe in your vision to ensure that it becomes a success.

3. What’s your favorite place you’ve visited thus far? Why?

Out of the 23 countries I’ve visited so far, Cuba is my favorite. The people were very friendly and welcoming. The nightlife was fun and the beaches were breathtaking. Cuba is a country with limited technology and resources. It felt like I was living in the 1930s for the very first time. Cuban people are grateful for the little that they have, which really made me both grow a love for them, their culture, and be grateful for the things that I may have taken for granted.

4. What country forced you to step the most out of your comfort zone? Explain how?

The country that forced me to step out of my comfort zone was Spain. This was my first time ever being out of the country. During the Summer of 2010, I studied aboard in Europe and Barcelona, Spain was the first city and country on our itinerary. This experience forced me to learn have to be resilient and adapt to the time-zone changes, jet-lag, the language barrier, and a whole new environment. My excitement for this opportunity helped me demonstrate courage and become comfortable in a country I wasn’t unfamiliar with. My study aboard experience opened pandora’s box for me and laid the foundation for my love for traveling.

5. If you could travel anywhere for free, where would you be right now and why?

If I could travel anywhere for free right now, it would definitely be Anguilla. In fact, it is the only island that currently has the least amount of COVID-19 cases, with a confirmed total of 3. I love the beach, nature and warm weather. Eating and drinking on the beach sounds like the best idea to break away from our current quarantine lifestyle.

6. What’s the best advice you can give to someone who has the desire to travel, but may not have the money or may be fearful?

Stack experiences over expenses, there’s nothing better than living. The experiences created are worth so much more than the money spent to encounter them. Traveling is one of the best teachers of life and culture. We only have one life to live, which is why it’s so important that we live it well.

 

~ Interview By: Rahiem Johnson