Living Boldly Series: Chris Davies

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At the heart of Unsettled lie bold, inspiring, provocative, human-centric stories. At the end of each retreat, while we do say goodbye to our participants, we also create bonds, friendships and connections that stay with us indefinitely. In our ‘Living Boldly’ series, we highlight members of the Unsettled alumni family who have been an integral part of our story. These are the people from over 65+ countries who we’ve shared adventures with, had late-night conversations about love, life and politics with, and also shared a new Unsettled ‘home’ with. Today, we continue to live boldly with the same crew.

This week, meet Chris Davies.

Home Base:
Oviedo, Spain

Lived Unsettled In?
Medellín, Colombia

What you do to earn a living?
I’m a teacher of English as a foreign language, more by accident than anything else.

What makes you feel most alive?
Cooking at a professional level is a fantastic challenge, and it’s great to put in the hard work and see people enjoying what you made for them. Luckily, I had the opportunity to do this several times with Unsettled.

Describe what it means to “never settle” in your own life?
For me, living unsettled is about following experiences rather than money, following freedom rather than security, and not accepting ‘second best’ in my career or my life.

What was the most defining moment on your Unsettled experience in Medellin?
A couple of us volunteered at a social project in Medellín (Via Cocina in Comuna Buenos Aires) that provides cooking classes and sit-down meals for the local community. Brian, the chef, aims to change the way local people think about food by showing them how the wonderful ingredients of Colombia can be used healthily and creatively. We served a 5-course meal to 32 people (not a small job) and it reminded me how much I love being in the kitchen. It made me totally re-evaluate my mid- and long-term plans, which now include much more Colombia… and much more cooking.

What in your life has changed, or have you committed to changing, since your Unsettled experience?
Unsettled helped me realize that I was on the wrong road, doing things I don’t want to do just for the money. You meet a lot of great people who have been through the same thing, and it gives you the push needed to make positive changes, personally and professionally. I came out of Unsettled with a whole new plan; now I just need to make it happen.

What’s your favorite quote that you think the world needs to see?
“Life begins outside of your comfort zone.” An old boss of mine used to say this, and he was right – as soon as you push outside the boundaries you’ve set for yourself, you really start to live again.