We recently connected with Nicole Lewis and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have been a practicing veterinarian since I graduated in 2013, working in a variety of roles during that time with a goal of working primarily in global wildlife conservation while also incorporating my love of travel with my adventure travel blog into my full time career. In May of 2024, I decided to leave my full time clinical position to pursue my goals. I created my own LLC called WildSide Vet LLC to offer contract work and pursue wildlife conservation research and to focus on growing my blog business and writing books. My first year pursuing this has resulted in less income, as one would expect, but a deep sense of freedom and a strong feeling that this was the right move. I have since signed several work contracts and made connections with several people in the field that are turning into conservation partnerships and my blog has grown significantly. I have also finally allowed myself the time and space to begin writing novels, something I have had a passion for and a drive to do my entire life but never allowed myself the opportunity to try. I am confident that 2025 is going to bring more growth and a settling in of this new path as I continue to learn and grow into the person I always wanted to be.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in a really small town in Nova Scotia, early on I knew I wanted to be more and do more. I had a strong desire to work with endangered species and I decided the best way to do that was by becoming a veterinarian. But it wasn’t a straightforward road and even today I am still working to make that and adventure travel my primary career. When I graduated veterinary school I worked in several different roles from clinical medicine to government working with a variety of species. During this time I also discovered a love of travel and wanting to share with others the beauty of our natural world. I wanted to find a way to do both, to work on wildlife conservation issues and also travel to beautiful natural places to inspire others to want to fight to protect it. In June 2024 I started my own LLC called WildSide Vet, offering contract work to organizations working on wildlife health issues and to start to build relationships with groups working at the forefront of wildlife conservation. Alongside that my blog, Wandering with a Dromomaniac, shows others how they can go on adventures sustainably and how they can make good choices when it comes to getting into nature and protecting wildlife. I am living a life that I am creating, not one that others have prescribed and I want to inspire others to do the same. To not accept what they are told but to go see for themselves what lights them up and push out of their comfort zone for something they are passionate about. I want to show them what is possible when you take a holistic approach to things and how to take steps to get outside more.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I have brought my desire to work in wildlife conservation and my love of travel together to work to become a professional explorer. One that uses their skillset (in my case veterinary medicine) to create change. So, other than the requisite training and veterinary knowledge, I think an unshakable (some would say stubborn) determination and an openness to learn from others are key in succeeding in this field. There is so much knowledge out there and we can always learn something from others, so being open to those opportunities will make you a better conservationist. And if you allow others to discourage you or you take your failures as anything other than a learning opportunity you will never get to where you want to be. You need to believe in yourself and be determined to put yourself out there, get dirty, and stretch way outside your comfort zone while also be humble enough to recognize when you don’t know something and to ask for help.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There have been many times in my life where I have had to be resilient in order to keep moving forward. It started back with trying to get into veterinary school, a challenge all on its own. It took me several years of applying to get accepted and during that time, I did a Master’s degree, of which I am so happy I had that opportunity because it has made me a better doctor. I could have given up after the first or second try, like many do, but I knew what I wanted my life to look like early on. Then I failed the big exam at the end of vet school and had to retake it. This was a huge blow to my confidence and even though I absolutely nailed it the second time, I was still shaken. From there I ended up working several jobs that were a poor fit for me, ones that made me feel less then, ones that made me lose my sense of self for a while. It took years for me to find myself again, through focusing on my own personal growth and mental health needs. All throughout my career I have held onto this drive to work in global wildlife conservation and I have never let that go. In 2024 my hand was forced into taking a risk and leaving my full time job to chase this idea and nothing has ever felt so right and slowly I am seeing the rewards from my persistence. I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go but I have the drive and passion to fully step into the person I intend to be and I plan to use my platform to educate and inspire others and to listen and learn from them as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wanderingwithadromomaniac.com
• Instagram: @wandering_with_a_dromomaniac
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderingwithadromomaniac
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-lewis-ms-dvm-b27249190
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wanderingwithadromomaniac4829
• Other: https://wildsidevet.org

Image Credits

All photos are my own