Episode #378: From Almost Jumping to Building a Life Across Continents: Cara Laban on Depression, Travel & Reinvention

Episode Summary

Learn how Cara stopped escaping and designed a sustainable world travel lifestyle that works for her brain. Cara Laban left New York chasing a childhood dream of Australia, but what began as an escape from burnout turned into a two-year immersion in life overseas, from bar shifts in Melbourne to bakery work in the outback. In this candid conversation, she shares the mental health lows that followed her across continents, the road-trip mishap that left her stranded without gas in remote Australia, and the moment in Thailand when she realized travel alone wouldn’t fix what she was carrying internally.  We trace her evolution from working local hospitality jobs to building a sustainable travel lifestyle online after discovering Hannah Dixon’s Virtual Excellence Academy. That reinvention eventually led her to found Travel Reddi, an AI-powered travel logistics platform designed to simplify global mobility.  Cara opens up about depression on the road, the difference between analog and digital nomad life, and how systems thinking became the foundation of both her business and her forthcoming book: “How to Do Anything Even if You’re Lazy”.  This is a story about reinvention, self-honesty, and designing a life overseas that actually works for your brain.

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Cara Laban

Cara Laban is a digital nomad who has spent the last decade living and working across Asia, Europe, South America and Australia.  She is a systems thinker and professional problem solver who helps ambitious people design lives and businesses that actually work for their brains. She is also the founder of Travel Reddi, an AI-powered travel guide platform simplifying global travel logistics.  And she is the author of the forthcoming book How to Do Anything (Even If You’re Lazy) — a practical framework for building momentum without relying on motivation or hustle. Born and raised in Long Island, New York, her worldview is informed by her experience as a queer Jewish woman who questions power structures and believes you can honor your roots without inheriting everything that comes with them.

What You'll Learn
  • How to transition from working local hospitality jobs abroad to building a remote business while traveling
  • What long-term travel really looks like behind the Instagram highlight reel — including mental health realities
  • How Cara’s new an AI-powered travel guide platform “Travel Reddi“ helps you simplify global travel logistics.
Links From the Episode

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LEARN MORE ABOUT HANNAH DIXON’S VIRTUAL EXCELLENCE ACADEMY

TRY “TRAVEL REDDI” FOR FREE

CONTACT AND FOLLOW CARA

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Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[1:14] Introducing Cara Laban

[2:48] Guanajuato, Mexico

[3:49] What Cara loves about New York

[5:44] Growing up Jewish on Long Island

[7:07] The role of theater in Cara’s life

[8:43] The Transitionary Moment when Cara Decided to Move out of the U.S.

[12:50] Moving to Australia and Living in Melbourne

[14:29] Learning Salsa and Bachata in Brisbane

[15:21] Living in the Australian Outback and Meeting Aborginal People

[17:45] Running out of Gas in the Outback

[21:10] Couchsurfing in Tasmania with No Couch

[23:34] Working Local Jobs in Australia

[25:24] Cultural Immersion when Working Locally vs. Working Remotely

[26:16] Having a mental breakdown and transformative moment in Pai, Thailand

[28:26] Managing Depression, Anxiety and Mental Health in the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

[32:48] Becoming a Virtual Assistant

[35:42] Building Her Remote Consulting Business

[38:02] How to Do Anything (Even if You Are Lazy)

[41:31] Launching “Travel Reddi” and How to Use it for Free

[48:29] Find Follow and Connect with Cara