Before I get started, I would like readers to understand, my story is
of a guy who loses it all and finds almost everything through an unexpected
series of events that started on the 14th of November 2014. You may
have heard of similar stories before, tales of white collar warriors sacking
in the nine to five for a life on the road or maybe this is you, or maybe you’ve
been thinking you want this to be you.
This is a blog about exactly this, self-discovery and adventure of the wildest
kind. Not to mention a totally awesome new girlfriend I met along the way,
which is how I ended up nine countries later here in Arizona, USA.
It’s best I start at the beginning. A little over half a year ago, back in
my home town in Cheltenham, England, I remember how I felt in my little wooden paneled
office with the leather bound desk, Laptop PC and cluttered cabinets. I worked
as a financial consultant for a large financial institution called Lloyd’s
Banking group. I had all the normal commitments such as bills, rent, two large credit cards and a loan for my car. For so long I felt trapped.
Then, one day, the completely unassuming assuming email appeared with a red
exclamation and calendar invitation.
"All Consultants please attend an important mandatory business update tomorrow morning in Birmingham. Cancel all appointments for the day and rule out your diaries accordingly. Lunch will be provided"
This was the last time I closed my laptop at the bank. In the meeting that
followed, the bank informed us they were going to let go / lay-off / make
redundant, one thousand members of my national team and that was that. A reminder there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Seven months later, this is how I ended up happier than ever in Flagstaff,
Arizona. The payout I received from the bank gave me the opportunity to clear
the majority of my debts and give just enough to do some traveling on a shoe
string. Several years ago one of my close friends spent a year traveling
through South and Central America. He subconsciously planted a seed that grew over the years. The stories and experiences he shared inspired me to
visit this amazing part of the world. Now Cassidy and I want to share our experiences
and provide you with information on what we did and how we did it, or perhaps just
inspire you.
Cassidy and I met on the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. Spending
five days hiking through rough mountainous terrain at nauseatingly high
altitudes was an unforgettable experience (and a hell of a first date, might I add)
– I highly recommend this as a cheaper alternative to the Inca Trail, more on
this in another post. As other solo travelers may understand, deciding to
travel with someone else on a permanent basis is a big decision and one not to
be taken lightly. It turns out this was the best decision I could have made and
I wouldn’t change it for world, no pun intended.
As a result my two month trip turned in to six and counting. We worked our
way through most of Peru, including the remote Amazon rainforest in the north, partied
in Colombia, road tripped through Panama, became beach bums in Costa Rica,
climbed a volcano which nearly erupted on us (check my short video blog on this here)
in Nicaragua and took in some extraordinary views in Guatemala. Instead of travelling
home I then took up Cass’ invitation to stay in Flagstaff before continuing the
next leg of my adventure - Australia! Even better, she is coming too, another
reason we decided to start our blog together. Armed with working Visas, Cassidy
and I plan to settle ourselves in Queensland and experience the iconic
backpackers dream there and then continue with our mission statement to: Take
Over the World.
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