Tag: Travel

Be Careful Turning The Things You Enjoy Into Sources Of Income

Rain falling on a row of SCUBA tanks

Passion Lost

Sitting in my standard issue corporate tan cubicle with absolutely no natural light, I begin to think back to the days when I used to make a living doing things I actually enjoyed. Back when my “passion” paid the bills. 

It doesn’t help that my Instagram feed is filled with people that appear to be living the dream. Digital nomads living off whatever it is they are passionate about, and all while traveling the world. 

It shouldn’t come as a shock that I haven’t always wanted to make a living sitting at a desk. Wasting away on one task after another until the day is over. Then sitting in traffic with all the other lost souls trying to get home. Another day over, and still feeling defeated.

My professional life wasn’t always so drab. There was a time I made a living doing things most people would envy. Things that could be considered a vacation. 

Are you for SCUBA? 

I originally came to Florida to be a SCUBA instructor.

After three years of living mostly outside while in the Army, and returning to a very cold winter in Colorado, I decided I was done with snow.

In true fashion, for those that know me personally, I came to the conclusion that I needed to get my life on island time and be rid of the colder weather once and for all. I have always had trouble deciding where I really want to live, so didn’t really think too much into another life-changing decision. 

Jumping all into my new endeavor I moved to the FL keys and earned my SCUBA instructor certification. I would spend the next three years teaching diving and working boats in various locations. Spending time in the keys, Bahamas, and even Seattle.

I really enjoyed working on the water. Most students and customers were in good spirits as they would have been on vacation or seeking a new leisure activity.

But, one day it stopped being fun and became just another job.

It might have been the first time a paycheck bounced or had an anchor dropped on me. Gradually I lost interest in diving at all. Adding all the non-fun aspects of work began to drown out the things I enjoyed about the industry. 

I think the same experiences affected my friends as well. I only know one person who remains a professional diver today. In fact, they may be the only person that still actually dives at all. That makes me a little sad.

Passion turned to dust

Each time I go out to clean my garage, I see my dusty old gear and think back to the good old days. Hanging out on boats, bumming around islands, and thoroughly embracing the boat billy lifestyle. 

My days in the sun have been replaced with beige walls with no windows. Responsibilities have changed from watching over someone’s life to checking boxes and responding to emails. 

Life changes, and we must learn to adapt. It could be that I needed a solid source of income once settled into a long-term relationship. Might be that I really became bored looking at the same pretty fish every day. Either way, my passion for diving died as a result of it becoming my only source of income. 

Granted this is my own experience, and I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that are able to make this type of lifestyle work for them. 

Just a cautionary tale for all those out there looking to make a living off the things they love. 

Choosing the mountains over the sea

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Searching for the right spot…

I tend to wander between the mountains and the sea…

I was fortunate to grow up in Colorado which has amazing mountains. Now after living in Florida for several years, I’m realizing just how much I took my home state for granted. I have always been looking for another place over the horizon.

Most of my youth was spent outside climbing trees and camping. I started to get into hiking and climbing towards the end of high school, however, I felt this force pulling me to the coast.

My family and I took a vacation to San Francisco that completely changed life as I knew it.

One day we took a walk around some docks full of fancy yachts. At the end was this very run down green steel two-masted sailboat. At first, it was funny to see this mess of a boat sitting between all these very expensive watercraft, but after a few minutes, I fell in love with it. I could see the work the owner was doing, and where they were starting to make progress in fixing up this old boat. At that moment I was taken by sailboats forever.

changyu hu - Unsplash.com
chengyu hu – Unsplash.com

I could see this sailboat taking me on grand adventures to places I could only dream about. Why buy a house and be stuck in one place when I could live on a boat any place I wanted…

At that moment I think I became a wanderer. More consumed by the journey rather than any destination.
As soon as we got back to Colorado I started to take sailing lessons. I was able to find a Red Cross class that taught basic sailing classes. I learned to sail in a little Sunfish on a large lake not too far from the house. A far cry from that grand ship that inspired all this.

The class was great, and not too long after finishing I bought my first boat. My friends and I would take that boat to the lakes high in the Rockies several times over the following years.

And then I changed my mind…

Anyone that has been around me long enough knows that I change direction frequently, and quickly.

After I finished high school I had decided to move to Orlando to learn to work on boats. I had lost all interest in going up to the mountains and camping. All my focus was on getting to a nice sunny spot, on a boat of course. I secured my spot in school and even started to look at apartments.

After everything was in place I decided on a whim to just join the Army instead. With all this focus on boats and the sea, you would think that I would have chosen the Navy. I did go to them first, however, at the time, they were not guaranteeing what job you would end up with. Knowing my luck I would end up doing laundry, so jumping out of planes and blowing shit up sounded much better. Joining the Army was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The reasons behind that deserve their own post.

The next chapter…

Fast forward three years and I found myself working at Denver International Airport in one of the worst snow storms I can remember. After I got out of the Army I decided to go back home and enjoy the great outdoors Colorado had to offer. I started to get my hiking gear together and even joined a climbing gym.

Sitting in the break room that very cold evening, I found a SCUBA diving magazine. In the back, there was an add for “Paychecks in Paradise”. Having spent the last three years being cold, I thought it would be nice to get a little slice of paradise!

A month later I was learning to dive in the FL Keys. I finished dive school and jumped on a sailboat and headed to the Bahamas. After a few months I found myself in Seattle, but six months later I was back in Florida.

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rosin hormones – Unsplash.com

The nice thing about being a SCUBA instructor is that you can generally find work. You don’t make much money, but it did allow me to move frequently. I was really enjoying the warm salt water and sunshine, but then a familiar feeling came back.

The thing with being back in Florida was that I miss the mountains. There are plenty of places to go camping and hiking, but it isn’t the same. Florida is very flat… and also very hot. If you plan to do anything outside in the summer, it is best to make sure that it involves water. My wife and I spent a couple nights camping in the summer in Ocala and it was not very fun.

Finding a happy medium in the land of no mountains…

The bad thing about moving between such extremes is that balance is hard to find. While heading out to the beach here is easy, finding a nice hill to climb is more difficult. It’s not easy to find the time to make an eight-hour drive to the nearest mountain range while working a full-time job. Not much fun spending more time in the car than on the trail.

My goal is to take at least one major hiking trip a year. In 2016 I went on an amazing hike in Washington that challenged me in ways I have never been before. Trips like that makeup for not being able to run out for a quick trip over the weekend.

sebastian pichler - unsplash.com
sebastian Pichler – unsplash.com

I will always find myself daydreaming of the exact opposite of the environment I am in. I know that about myself now. As much as I long to be out in the middle of the woods, I can still see myself on a sailboat heading to some distant island.

I think happiness has a lot to do with finding a little bit of peace where you’re at, while always looking towards that next adventure…

Business Travel: Tips from my time on the road

Over the last couple years, I have been working for a company that has required quite a bit of business travel. Although I am far from a road warrior, I have some international and domestic travel experience under my belt. Most of this may be common sense to some, however there are a few things that I have learned along the way.

Heading out with the sunrise

 

Flights

Be careful how early you schedule your travel if your plans require you to be at a vendor site, or meet with a client the same day. You don’t want to hit the wall too early due to picking the red-eye. Sometimes it works better arriving the day before.

My rule of thumb is to fly in the morning if possible to avoid bad weather. Research the weather patterns in the area you are traveling too. Know what times of day are best to arrive/ depart. Anyone who has flown out of Denver in the summer can attest to the afternoons being very stormy and resulting in lengthy delays.

Be sure to get your frequent flyer miles. Depending on how your company manages your travel you can get rewards for the flight and the purchase. You might have to stick to one carrier to maximize this, or you can also use a credit card that gives you points for all purchases. Chris Guillebeau has a great Highbrow course on earning frequent flyer miles.

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are worth the money. Being able to skip the long lines at security and customs make life much easier.

Hotels

Pick a hotel chain and stick with it for domestic travel within the US. Some are a little fancier than others and you will get a sense of what you like, and what you don’t. I prefer the Hilton branded hotels as I have had good luck with clean rooms and good customer service. I would give the opposite advice when going overseas, just pay attention to the reviews.

Take the time to look at a map of the area so you don’t end up right next to the train tracks or a busy highway. If you have no choice, be sure to get a room that faces away from any loud areas. Also, weigh the cost of local amenities with the distance you would have to travel to your work destination each day. You don’t want to spend 45 minutes in the car stuck in traffic just because you picked a hotel next to the only Starbucks in the area.

Traveling alone vs with a group

Hopefully, if you have to travel with coworkers you enjoy their company. There isn’t much worse than being stuck next to someone you don’t like on a long flight. On the flip side, even bad company beats being the guy sitting all alone at the bar each night. I have been lucky in that I really enjoy the people I work with, and get a chance to know them better while away on business.

Be careful in what you share with your coworkers and clients while out on after-hours events or meals. While everyone tends to open up and share stories after a few drinks, you can’t take back anything embarrassing that you let out in the open. You might not want to share tales of drunken exploits with your boss, clients, or coworkers that may end up your boss one day.

Afternoon flight from Tampa to Nashville

Packing

Be sure to pack the right clothes for the weather you expect. Going from Florida to any place that actually gets cold is a challenge considering none of us own a winter coat. Also, pick outfits that are one step more professional than you think you need and that fit well. Being underdressed or uncomfortable will affect your self-confidence and that is the last thing you need while out of your normal element and meeting a big client for the first time.

While you can pick up most things, such as a toothbrush, just about anywhere it is a little more difficult for medications. Be sure to check to make sure you have enough to get you through the trip and keep them in your carry on bag to ensure they don’t get lost. Should you really need a refill, you can have a prescription transferred to a local pharmacy. This can take a little while but will work in a pinch.

Be sure to check out the local food and cool things to do in the area you are going to visit. Depending on the reason for your trip you may end up with some downtime over a weekend that will allow you to really explore. Traveling for business can be fun and exciting, or be really awful. Most of this will be in your control, so go forth and make sure you have an awesome trip!

Please feel free to share your experiences and/ or feedback in the comments below. If you would like to subscribe please use the form below.