"What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Daniel, it's time to choose your major, what do you want do? The deadline is only a few weeks away, you have to choose a major now!"
That is when I dropped out of college at the age of Twenty. From a very young age maybe four or five, I always felt like this, whatever it was, was not for me. From asking permission to go to the bathroom, to being pressured into a career as a math teacher. I knew deep down this wasn't for me.
Instead of choosing a major, I bought a plane ticket to Seoul, South Korea. I had no idea where this would lead me. Before I knew it, I was making more money than I would have imagined teaching English under the table.
Working illegally on a tourist Visa, forced me to do visa runs every three months, I was literally forced into exploring neighboring countries, like Thailand, Philippians, Taiwan, Japan. I never did wake up one day and just decided to be the World Travel Pro. But 14 years later. This is who I am, and now I own it, and love it.
25 years old in the Philippians
Along this journey of mine, at the ripe age of 22, I had more money than I knew what to do with. So based on the American Dream, or American cultural propaganda, and encouragement from friends and family. I squandered everything I had and buried myself into debt. To be cool, to be normal, I needed to do what was cool and normal.
So at twenty two years of age I took out a 30 year mortgage for 120k, put down most of my savings in a down-payment. I bought a five bedroom house in Orlando, Florida because every good American knows bigger is better! I had an in-ground swimming pool, a bar, a pool table, a Saab Convertible, a girlfriend with fake tits!
I was made in America! Living the dream. My Ego was riding high and so was I. Drugs, alcohol, sex, big screen TV's, parties that would piss off my neighbors. I had it all, and nobody believed I earned it myself at the age of 22.
Then the money ran out!
All good! I've got credit cards! That will keep me going! Like a good propagandized youth I thought "we'll I guess I should get a job" after all, I can't retire at 22. So I handed my life over to "The Mattress King".
I spent 65 hours A week with only Sundays off selling mattresses in Orlando, Florida. I was taking orders from an A-hole drug addicted boss. I had to rent out four of the five rooms, sharing my space with unpredictable people to maintain my mortgage, taxes, pool upkeep, house upkeep, utility bills, gasoline, car upkeep, car insurance, health insurance, credit card debt, keep the girlfriend happy, and much more.
I WAS IN HELL!
How things have changed! I now can fit my entire life into a backpack. I can pick up and go anywhere on the planet literally tomorrow!
Much more has happened between then and now. I finally got out from under the house after being underwater in my mortgage since 2008. I spent a total of four plus years teaching English under the table in Korea. I've had business successes and business failures. I was even a personal chef for 6 months!
I've bicycled over 1,000 miles through five countries in South East Asia. I've spent almost 3 years in Central and South America and have become fluent in Spanish. I've mountain biked from Quito to Cuenca, Ecuador; 500 klm through the rough Andes Mountains. I've spent time with indigenous cultures living off the grid. I've seen things and have become someone that I never would have, if I had just followed the herd, and stayed in Albany NY, where I am from.
Me biking the perimeter of Bali, Indonesia.
My mountain bike in Ecuador.
The Andes Adventure!
I've taught myself conservative investing strategies and money diversification tactics. I've learned how less is more. I've learned how to live a simple, happy, peaceful life. Most of these understandings have come through a combination of pain and suffering, and by observing those who have nothing (material wealth) in other countries; yet are some of the happiest people in the world.
Now I'm super excited to be a new member of the Steemit Community. I believe this is an awesome platform that truly does reward people who bring something to table. I'm a wealth of information and travel knowledge and I'm excited to share it with you all!
I'm destined to get some hate mail, and I'm looking forward to it. As some people simply can't handle the truth, and prefer to get spoon fed warm fuzzies at all times. I write and expose the real world as I see it. Not the world inside the confines of your cultural parameters.
After years of travel I have washed away much of the American preconditioning, and more or less have no culture. Do you remember being told to "line up", "Put your head down", "raise your hand", "Don't speak out of turn" since age five? How does that have an effect on you, still to this day?
Travel has taught me that every culture is different and there are thousand of cultures on this planet, cultures with-in cultures. To me the best part of traveling is learning from how we are all different, and how each region of the planet does things differently, and brings something unique to the table.
From this open minded perspective is from where I write. I'm not here on Steemit to brag about my travels and how awesome everything is. I'm here to open one mind at a time, and show the community that there is more to life than what you have been told. I will continue investigating the world, and will share it with others; even if it's not so pretty; even if it is a little uncomfortable. So come along and follow me on this journey. I promise you will not be bored!
Side Note:
I'm encouraging fellow steemians to ask me travel questions.
I'll be doing a series called "Travel Questions Answered".
Free consulting will possibly save you thousands in unexpected expenses, time, and headaches; and it's a great way for me to share my info with the community.
Questions will be turned into blog posts.
Some example question are below:
Besides air fair, I have 3,000 dollars. How, and for how long can I live in South East Asia?
I'll be traveling through Mexico, what are some strategies to prevent getting food poising?
Cuenca or Vilcabamba Ecuador for retirement destination; what are the pros and cons?
Compare: Vietnam VS Cambodia VS Malaysia.
Feel free to ask me anything you want! Just give me a little background of who you are and your situation, so I can tailor my response to what is best for you! I'll always give a straight and honest answer, and if I don't know I'll let you know that as well.
If you feel I'll bring value to the steemit community, please resteem and upvote. Thank you very much!
Bonus photos I set aside for this intro:
Dalat, Vietnam
Kuala Lumpor, Malaysia
Crator Lake Quilotoa, Ecuador
Nagoya, Japan
Ko San Road, Bangkok
Seoul, Korea
Koh Chang, Thailand
Camping in Tennessee
Bali, Indonesia
