Can you introduce yourself? What do you do and what makes you so passionate about traveling?
Good morning! My name is Marnie Dachis Marmet. I am an author, serial entrepreneur, board-certified health coach and the founder of Zenful Life Coaching, a practice dedicated to helping women and teens create a healthier and happier life. I support clients in implementing personalized nutrition and wellness plans and making gradual, sustainable lifestyle changes. My areas of expertise include longevity, mind-body-spirit holistic health, gut health, yoga, mindfulness and meditation. As co-creator and co-host of “The Art of Living Well Podcast,” I empower listeners to challenge the status quo, providing information and inspiration for living their healthiest and most authentic life. I have also owned and operated ChillyBean Promotions, a promotional products company, for more than 20 years.
I live in Minnesota, where I enjoy an active lifestyle, traveling, photography, reading and spending time with family, friends and my dog.
I am passionate about traveling because I love exploring new places, meeting people from different places and learning about their lives and cultures. I find that when I am traveling I am 100% living in the present and I feel very fulfilled and excited to be having a new experience.
What was your very first or most significant travel experience that made you realize your passion?
I went to the Fiji Islands when I was 12; it was halfway around the world, a place I had never heard of before visiting there. My older brother and I flew across the world alone and met our parents there. I felt like I could travel and navigate anywhere on my own after that experience. That trip sparked a desire in me to see the world at a young age.
Many people find that traveling can be a stressful experience, especially with the logistics involved. Considering that you started traveling at a young age, how did you manage the different responsibilities?
I’m very good at managing logistics, and I don’t find travel particularly stressful. I plan all of my own travels (and have for years), never trusting a travel agent to invest the time to personalize my trip exactly to my preferences. I love researching the places that I am visiting ahead of time and finding off-the-beaten-path adventures. If you are willing to put in the time, things typically go smoothly. I like to start with airfare and then move on to lodging. Lately, if traveling with my family of five, I have been booking more AirBNB or VRBO over hotels. Once those details are set, I spend a lot of time reading reviews and finding fun things to do with a mix of both structured and free time.
Travel doesn’t always go as planned and I have had my fair share of canceled flights, and as frustrating as it may be, I have learned to try to make the best of it.
Moving to an entirely new environment and a new community also means that you are further from the safety of people you know. Was safety ever a concern while traveling? What was your experience with the people you met in terms of their openness and support?
I have traveled to a number of countries over the years where safety has been a concern. I always register with the US consulate and follow any travel warnings. Plus, it is important to be very aware of your surroundings and respectful of the people and their cultural practices. I have found people to be very open, helpful and supportive when I am traveling.
Living in another country during your younger years is a unique experience. How did that time living abroad shape your perspective and contribute to the person you’ve become today?
Living in another country has opened up my eyes to the great big world and made me appreciate what I often took for granted being born and growing up in the US. I met so many people and I loved learning about the local people’s lives, their history, foods, language and how their lives differ from mine. It has also very much struck me that although our lives may be very different, we are all human and very similar in many ways.
You mentioned that travel has made you appreciate what you often took for granted. Could you elaborate on a particular instance or aspect of this newfound appreciation?
I lived abroad in Israel a number of years ago, and tutored a Russian woman in English. She shared with me why she had made aliyah (emigrated to Israel), because in her country she was not free. She had “Jew” stamped on her passport, and she could not even get a job easily or go to the movies. Her ultimate goal was to move to the US and live the “American dream,” but she was not able to gain entry at that time, so she journeyed to Israel in the meantime. She left her family and friends to start a better life for herself. She was fluent in five languages. Listening to her stories made me think about how fortunate I was to move about freely in the US, and not have to think about many of the issues she discussed with me.
In your bio, you mentioned that despite the differences in our lives, we are all human and similar in many ways. Could you elaborate on a specific instance or insight that exemplifies this realization during your travels?
I was in Barcelona a few years ago and we hired a woman who was close to my age, to tour us around for the afternoon. She was born and raised in the area and she shared so much with us about politics, culture, food and her life. I was captivated by her experiences and struck by how so many of the life issues she talked about were similar to mine: raising children, being a good mom, aging parents, being a writer, wanting to stay healthy. When she described her life and childhood, it was quite different from mine, but we bonded over being women, mothers, authors and more.
How did you integrate all these experiences accumulated throughout your travels into your everyday life? What advice do you have for people wanting to improve through traveling?
I think that traveling has taught me to live in the present. I used to “live to travel.” After diving deeply into why, I discovered that I needed to create a life at home where I felt as happy and content as I do while traveling. For me, this means: staying present, getting outside in nature each day, incorporating things I love to do each day, and appreciating the people around me in my own day-to-day life.
Get out and explore the world! It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are so many creative ways to travel. It can even be in your own state. Make a plan and do something exciting and different. Meet as many people as you can and don’t be afraid to ask them about their lives.
