ABOUT ME
My friends and family call me Brian, but many of my colleagues in business also know me as Hayden. I know it’s confusing, but I wanted to clear that up first.
I love to travel but I don’t mean like a regular vacation trip.
I know… that’s fun too!
But I am talking more about finding more time to really immerse yourself in the lifestyle and culture of a country, city, town, or village.
Throughout the majority of my career life after college, long-term travel was more of a dream than a reality. Up until moving to Thailand in 2013, the only other countries where I’ve spent more than a month would be Jamaica and London.
My parents were born and raised in Jamaica, but I was born here in the U.S.
Because of my parents, I’ve been traveling back and forth to Jamaica since before I was born, literally.
Many times I was sent to Jamaica on my own to stay with family and I think that is part of the reason why, I still enjoy traveling so much!
To dig deeper into the origins of my obsession with travel read My Story: How I Caught The Travel Bug
Waking Up
After 25 years of working in the US and years of schooling and the debt that goes with it, I found myself wondering if I could continue for the next 30 years doing the same thing.
With only 1 week’s vacation maybe twice a year, one week usually at Christmas time. I was beginning to wonder what I was working for.
Whenever I’ve traveled, I’ve always met people from other countries with 1-2 month holidays or even longer!
These were not always wealthy people either. It took me a long time to realize that it was only because they lived a different lifestyle, where their priorities were much different than mine.
So many years have passed and my only significant memories aside from the many weddings, and newborn babies of friends and family, are the vacations traveling with friends and family, maybe once a year, so….
What happened to the last 20 years?!
“Work” happened.
Mostly “work” a few memorable moments with family/friends and a few of those long holiday weekends when there never seems to be enough of.
The Paradigm Shift
In 2012, I went on my first trip to SE Asia. It was this short two-week trip that opened my eyes to a different way of life. I met old friends in Bangkok and made new ones in Phuket and Krabi. A few weeks later, back at work sitting in my cubicle, I realized something had to change.
Leap of faith
In early 2013, seven months after my initial trip to Thailand I applied to take a CELTA Certification course located just outside of the amazing city of Chiang Mai.
Making the commitment to sign up ensured that I would make it back to Thailand by July.
In April, I began designing the first iteration of this blog.
In late June, of that year, I put in a few week’s notice at my comfortable IT job, and by early July I was moving to Thailand.
Living Outside My Comfort Zone.
2014, was a humbling year.
Unfortunately, my plan to live in SE Asia was short-lived because I couldn’t secure any remote work in my career.
Teaching English was my backup plan for income but it was no longer appealing to me after a rigorous certification course.
It also left me with my pride broken and physically sick by the end of it.
Even though I was still having the time of life living in Chiang Mai, I was also beginning to feel emotionally homesick, and finances were getting low.
So, I returned to the U.S. in February. 2014, after spending six months in Thailand and a month in Bali, Indonesia.
I found a contract job that allowed me to work remotely, but I realized I had to find a more stable way of ensuring my location independence.
In August of 2014, I began developing my first online store. I launched in late October and made my first sales online in early November.
However, what finally seemed to be a lucrative endeavor turned out to be a long arduous process.
This was only the beginning to a long period of discomfort over a span of years, but I was willing to do whatever it takes to get back on my feet again.
“We can’t afford to waste tears on might-have-beens.
We need to turn the tears into sweat that can take us to what can be.”
-Denis Waitley
In my Latest Updates I’ve made an outline/timeline of the various life changes that have occurred since, that first paradigm shift I experienced visiting Southeast Asia.
Inspiration
More personal stories that might inspire you too.
Travel Resources
Links to help you research and plan your next trip.
Blogging
Resources to help you start your own Blog.