“Not all those who wander are lost” – J. R. R. Tolkien
There was a time not so long ago when I decided to do something out of the ordinary. I purposely decided to ignore the all-pervasive rules of propriety and reasonable conduct, and for a change do something liberatingly crazy.
Tired of living inside a box, I sold my house, packed my things, and set out for a journey without a return ticket. Just like that. Without much planning, without making pronouncements or worrying needlessly about the future. I simply left my old life and went where my feet would carry me. I didn’t even have a specific destination in mind; I just wanted to taste life again, to experience something more exciting than every-day office work; to laugh and to cry, to be successful and to make mistakes.
Was it easy? No, it was downright frightening. I was scared silly, for it felt like dying to just allow everything that had been my life to end in a single heartbeat. But my resolve was set, and I prevailed in my decision. I knew that sometimes one must die to be reborn again. This is what life is about. And from experience now I can tell you. Death? Death is… liberating.
Just like that. Without much planning, without making pronouncements or worrying needlessly about the future. I simply left my old life and went where my feet would carry me. I didn’t even have a specific destination in mind; I just wanted to taste life again, to experience something more exciting than every-day office work; to laugh and to cry, to be successful and to make mistakes.
Having spent my entire life in Poland, I decided to go somewhere to Asia. I figured that it would be proper as out of all human cultures, it feels most strange to me there – and as aforementioned, I was looking for refreshment, not familiarity. I left a few months after the start of COVID-19 pandemic, which proved to be fortunate for me, as in these unique circumstances I was able to keep my job working remotely. This wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
I picked a country in Asia and a city and one day I found myself living in another part of the world. Just like that. I wasn’t traveling as a tourist or sightseeing; in a matter of days, I became a local. Winding through the crammed alleys of street markets became an every-day necessity, as I set out to look for pots or other household items.
Very quickly I acquired a scooter, as it is the easiest means of transportation in the metropolis of that region. Every day I was drinking in the exotic culture of Asia, tasting new food, discovering new places, as well as encountering issues and problems to resolve that I wouldn’t have encountered anywhere else. All in all, it was a total immersion into a completely new world. And I loved every second of it.
I wasn’t just wasting time having fun though. Although it did involve a considerable amount of partying and chilling, I was meeting people from all over the world, looking for business opportunities and learning about the reality of life and business in Asia. It was a very stimulating period, and it led me to many an interesting conclusion. From such an exotic vantage I was also able to view my previous life in Poland in a different light. And what I saw filled me with a mixture of dread and relief.
As most people in a business environment, I used to be very busy, running from one encounter to the next, always late with everything and weary to the bone. I’d had no time for leisure or self-development, nor did I have energy to laugh or even simile. And as most people, I had been frighteningly unaware of what I’d been doing actually and why. I saw many redundant patterns in business, and I observed the phenomenon called bureaucracy.
It struck me: how can people spend 8 hours working and during that time create more problems for themselves to solve than do actual work? Because of my surroundings I also noted how a simple job, even if poorly paid, can make people satisfied and happy; whereas complex well-paid jobs tend to leave people burned out. And somehow with all those thoughts, came a burning desire to change that.
I decided to use all my previous experience in business, as well as my contacts with people all over the world, to do something worthwhile for a change. I believed that somehow I can bring a gust of fresh air to businesses, infusing them with energy and inspiration they lack to be able to thrive. I figured that having travelled and having found what I had lost, I can come back to my origins and share it.
Out of this desire to help, and out of the belief that I can, was born Amare Marvel. The concept in principle is simple. I seek out businesses with inspiring ideas, and I help them make those ideas reality. I help find investors, counseling, and creative solutions, and I do so by connecting them with businesspeople from around the world. I ceaselessly travel, discovering new places, meeting new people, looking for opportunities. What I achieve, I achieve by bringing people together. This is my story.