I have some exciting news to announce.

On April 1st, Lumi and I will be heading off in my new car (that I’m dubbing Lancelot) on a 3 month+ road trip around France. Yep, Leithy, Lumi and Lancelot are leaving London for a while.

Why?

A few reasons.

#1. Because London is getting me down

All this Brexit madness coupled with the frenetic greyness of the city is overwhelming. London used to be a fun place I explored cultural and natural wonders. But now I basically only see busy Shoreditch or dash about on the tube to other busy parts of London. I am craving serenity and greenery and novelty.

#2. Because I can

There aren’t that many times in your life you are totally unencumbered by commitments or restrictions. I am (newly) single, doing consulting work I can manage remotely, in a home I can easily let out for short periods of time. What is keeping me here?

#3. Because I *am* newly single.

And sometimes a change in routine, a shake-up of one’s life, is just the recipe for healing a broken heart.

#4. Because I’m trying to break some bad habits, and get into some new habits.

I want to stop depending so much on Netflix and my phone, and get into the habit of meditating, exercising, learning, reading, thinking, just being. But it’s just so hard to do these things when you are stuck in a routine in busy demanding London. Getting away breaks these habits and allows new positive ones to be formed and hopefully sustained.

#5. Because I love adventures.

I revel in unexpected, slightly scary, horizon-gazing decisions where it could all go horribly wrong or could be the best thing I’ve ever done.

#6. Because London is overwhelming.

There are so many demands on my time, attention and focus, that I become horribly anxious, and I’m not even running a big company anymore. Online comms such as emails, messages, posts, etc have my brain systems all awry, and the demands for my offline time (and the time spent commuting between meetings) makes me feel like I’m busy doing nothing that matters. I am craving some space and time to work on the deep and important projects that make my life feel productive and lived. This isn’t just work either, we forget sometimes that life isn’t about just work. We work because it gives us money that we can use to do the things we want, or because it gives us a sense of purpose. But what if we can do the things we want or gain a sense of purpose without working 15 hour days at a desk in an office? I want to read books, learn French, train myself on game mechanics, write a book.., all these other things we don’t ever have time for because we are working so hard and so overwhelmed with distractions and commitments.

#7. Because I want to solve this problem for everyone else

Yes, all this leads me to my final and most exciting reason for leaving London. Because I’ve decided what my next business is going to be, and it involves solving issues #1-6 above for everyone else, at scale, using technology and design. And what better way to understand my target market and come up with real innovations than to wholly LIVE my customers life, and DIVE into it myself.

I’m quite terrified. I mean, it’s incredibly exciting, but it is slightly mad to be heading out ostensibly alone, with just a puppy, to a country where I don’t speak the language, to start a new business while on the road.

So I’d love your companionship, support, comments, etc, and I’ll be sharing with more details with you soon.