Zarko Lelovac

Homebase:
I’ve been traveling for over a year, so this is an interesting question for me; I guess Belgrade, Serbia is ‘home’. Technically.

Unsettled destination:
Lima and Sacred Valley, Peru.

What do you do for work?
Currently, I’m on a career break. After nearly 15 years of working as a corporate lawyer, in January 2017 I decided to take a break and search for inspiration and opportunities beyond work. It’s been a year since, and I can truly say this has been one of the best decisions of my life. The plan is to continue traveling for the rest of 2018, but go back to the corporate world in the new year. However, I might also continue to develop my passion project related to art, and leave the corporate world behind. For real, this time. Can you tell I’m still confused which road to take?

What makes you feel most alive?
When I’m traveling to new countries, discovering new cultures and speaking to people from other parts of the world. Whenever I find myself in a new environment, or in an unknown or uncertain situation, all my creative abilities soar high. It also makes me feel young again!

Describe what it means to “never settle” in your own life?
For me, it’s close to the meaning of being a digital nomad. The idea of constantly traveling and never staying in one place for more than 3-6 months. That to me is never settling. While it does require energy, positive attitude, a significant amount of savings, and maybe even being able to earn an income while being on road… but it’s still exhilarating. It might not last for long… but I’m charged about it for now!

What was the most defining moment of your Unsettled experience in Peru?
Our visit to Machu Picchu and really immersing in the Inca culture. In fact, since finishing my Unsettled journey, I’ve read up a lot about the Inca civilization. The Indigenous communities around the world have added so much value to our daily lives. The way they’ve lived and respected the nature, forest, water, and their agriculture and construction capabilities; if you think about it, they were way more advanced than our ‘modern’ civilisation today. The adventure trip to Sacred Valley was a huge cultural awakening for me.

What in your life has changed, or have you committed to changing, since your Unsettled experience?
Many things have changed…before my Unsettled experience, I felt I needed more clarity on how I wanted to live my life. But I didn’t know where to start. I’ve achieved a lot in my professional life, but sometimes, you have to take a big step and just quit to shift things around. My month with Unsettled gave me an opportunity to pause, review, analyze, and change my routine. I’m still continuing to work on myself, and giving myself the space to perhaps return to my old routine, but brand spanking new.

What’s your favorite quote that you think the world needs to see?
I really love Unsettled’s mantra: Embrace the unknown. Because the unknown is an area where all our fears live… If you can really face these fears and hold them close, then you’ll find an amazing creative energy within yourself and realize that the only thing stopping you from moving forward… is you. I found this energy and instantly found my life to be much more profound. And for me, a profound life is the door to constant happiness.