“I don’t want to live a normal, regular life,” Mia Bowyer told me during our very enjoyable lunch.

Mia, the 213th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, has had the courage to build a life on her own terms. She loves having adventures, meeting new people, experiencing foreign cultures and savouring the world in all its rich, chaotic glory.

One thing that struck me about Mia is that while she’s an excellent conversationalist with a lot of energy … she’s a great listener and asker of questions as well.

Mia is also a brilliant marketer who uses social media as a force for good. Her agency, One Earth Marketing, helps ethical organisations build their brand and attract clients through social media. One Earth Marketing donates 5% of profits in marketing hours to its chosen charity partners – because Mia walks her talk.

Mia has had adventures in many countries, but she didn’t hesitate when I asked her to name her favourite – India. Mia was fascinated by the people and the culture. She also got incredible fulfilment from her role as head of marketing for Plastics For Change, which reduces pollution and poverty through fair trade recycling.

I’m glad to now count Mia as a friend, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, one day, she headed overseas, so she could have more adventures while working remotely.

Why live a normal, regular life in Sydney when there’s a big, fascinating world to explore?