Introduction

MY STORY

My story begins in the fall of 2012 – well, technically, my story begins in Portland, Maine on March 3rd, 1993 at 4:01pm… but that is a far longer, far less interesting story. This particular story, regarding my love of travel, begins in the fall of 2012.

I had just completed my freshman year of college and, though I enjoyed my friends and studies at school, I found myself lost among the manicured hedges and arbitrary deadlines of the collegiate experience. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in or what career I wanted to pursue post-grad, so I opted for a year off to travel, work, and figure it all out.

I traveled everywhere from the dusty honky-tonk bars of the American South to the humid jungles and desolate beaches of Eastern Costa Rica. From the cool, green rolling hills of Ireland to the blazing hot sun and bioluminescent waters of the Virgin Islands. Yet, after all this, what I figured out was that I had figured out nothing at all, and I was just one year older. So, I (somewhat reluctantly) returned to college to continue aimlessly “moving forward” and eventually earned my B.A. in Sociology.

Despite its ostensible uselessness, this gap year planted within me a seed. A stream of questions that I’d never though to ask began to flow, visions of innumerable life paths I’d never before considered appeared. Had it not been for this time when I stepped off the fast-moving treadmill of the modern-day school-college-job track, I would not have thought so deeply about these questions, or likely even considered the innumerable possibilities my future held.

Now, it is 2018 and I’m twenty-five years old. I work for myself and I travel the world, meeting amazing people and constantly creating: photographs, videos, music, and more. It took me a while to get here – and I still haven’t “figured everything out”, and probably never will. But that’s okay. I find life is much more exciting when you don’t know what tomorrow holds anyway…

I hope you’ll join me and take what you can from my life. I’d love to have you along for the ride.

“Don’t fear death, Fear the unlived life” – Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting

SOME BRIEF NOTES

This blog isn’t meant to self-promote or to say, “Look at me! My life is awesome!” ­– it’s meant to inspire others to think differently and go against the grain. To introduce the different potential life paths out there and to share what I learn along my way.  It goes without saying that I am extremely privileged to be in the position I’m in (living, working, and traveling this way). I couldn’t lead the life I do without the help of my family, friends, and the “invisible knapsack” (in the words of Peggy McIntosh), which I possess. However, my aim with this blog is to help others move towards the life they dream of, regardless of where they start out from. So, whoever you are – wherever you come from– I hope you’ll come along on this journey with me.