First Post - The Ideal Life

The blog's central theme is travel and by no means a how to guide. Where I've been and my current lifestyle are  a product of hard work, a general lifestyle idea, and fate.  Good fortune seemed to always be right around the next corner. Another possibility is I have an inherent ability to find adventure and happiness in the mundane.

So how did this less ordinary adventure begin? At twenty- five I realized while sitting behind a desk at a credit union, my life path could be my unique experience. Dreams of travel could become a reality. My vision at the time was to travel the globe with no intention of following the traditional path of working and traveling a week or two each year while juggling family responsibilities.

Fortunately I grasped during this epiphany, a paramount caveat. This ideal life would come at a cost and I alone was responsible for bearing the cost.  Initially the plan was not complicated but as the years passed, became somewhat more detailed. The foundation was simplicity. Basically don't complicate the endeavor with excess which needs to be maintained and ultimately is extremely limiting. Save as much money as possible and in shortest amount of time.

Now with a simple plan, I needed to implement it. I didn't graduate from Harvard and, to be honest, my transcript was pathetically average. At this point in the process, I remember a feeling of hopelessness. Why had I been average academically when it would have been easy to excel.  After a minimal amount of rehashing the errors of the past, I moved on to doing what had to be done.

When in doubt, always revert to the foundation of the plan. It was “simple” I had to work harder, longer, and exceed expectations. The simple work ethic had its faults. Mainly, others have to recognize productivity and this can be impacted equally by actual results as well as political maneuvering. In my demented mind, I never doubt my ability to out work my peers. In the political arena, I have self esteem issues and as I improved my position at work, I always assumed my peers were intellectually superior. Socially, at times, I become a little lost and this forced me to even work harder.

Oddly enough, I wasn't concerned because I accepted that my communication skills were lacking and most didn't care to grasp my simple approach to succeeding at work. Even when I reached the executive level, I was always out of place. I was the grunt mixed in with the true executives. They enjoyed my awkward input at my expense and for the most part my business unit financial contributions. My results were always exceptional during my later years but my explanation of those results was lacking.

Saving was easy since I had few to no liabilities. During my longest work stint in my thirties I was able to save in excess of $10,000 each month for 4 years. At the time, I was living near San Francisco and still managed to live comfortably on a $2,500 budget. My simple plan was working and  I didn't need to sacrifice enjoying life while saving for my next adventure.

Limiting responsibilities wherever possible was the third facet of my plan and also based on simplicity. Supporting a family is a noble endeavor and took much introspection to determine its roles in my life. At the time of the original plan, I had no intention or desire to raise a family. Actually still don't in the traditional sense. I've managed to slowly assume many responsibilities of raising a family but that is a story for another occasion.

Eliminating the largest obstacle, raising a family, was probably the choice that empowered me to experience life my way over the years. Having the freedom to put yourself first or near the top makes decisions easier. Not a sacrifice most would make and probably regret if they did. I haven't regretted the decision and time will only tell if it was the right choice.

Well that is the gist of my plan. Where has it left me today? I'm 44 years old and retired now for three years. Traveling often and enjoying life. Every day isn't perfect and to be honest, there have been difficult times. I'll share some of those challenging periods to add perspective and also ramble on about my travels and other hobbies while traveling through life.