Questions answered

I know last week's announcement brought up many questions. I also realize I am not obligated to answer them but they are part of this story… and for those of you invested in this new journey and future of the blog, it is only fair you should know more of what's going on behind the scenes.

As part of my growing desire to digitally capture as many moments in time as possible to preserve these memories, I spent Saturday evening soaking up every last drop of home…

And one last sunset in the city of my birth, saying goodbye to the Pacific Ocean before boarding the plane.

Q: How long will this journey last?

Absolutely no idea. Maybe I'll have some sort of epiphany and realize I want to go back to my small town surrounded by family and friends and live happily ever after. Or perhaps I'll decide I can only be fulfilled by exploring the world and constantly finding myself in new environments, and I'll be a nomad forever. After these first few days I have a feeling about which is more likely but only time will tell.

Q. Why Thailand?

It actually was not the first place that popped into mind when deciding to take the leap. Originally I would pictured Europe, probably because that is just the most common place people run off to… but there is so many options I am unfamiliar with and I did not want to plan and overthink it. It is also quite expensive… which made Southeast Asia (known for being extremely inexpensive) a great place to start. I have always wanted to visit the area and the more I read about it, the more I realized how well suited it was. Tropical weather, well composed beaches, diverse cultures, easy to get around, and dirt cheap. It was destiny.

Q: What about your house(s) and cats?

I contacted a property manager and found a lovely tenant to move in and take care of the cats. It covers the mortgage and I'll continue to rent it out for the duration of my trip, knowing the home and pets are cared for. My family and friends also live nearby and can step in if needed.

Eventually all three homes will have to be sold. Our first home in LA went under contract last week and is scheduled to close in less than two months if all goes well. For the Florida house, we are still debating on whether to sell or split the equity. Our current house will need to be put up for sale at some point in the near future too, but I have not decided whether I want to finish remodeling it first to maximize the equity. It is all up in the air.

Q: How are you financing this?

As most of you already know my business is online, so fortunately I can operate remotely. I have outsourced my printing so all I genuinely need is my laptop and a good internet connection. Because of this my profit is also much lower, but as long as I can cover my expenses that is all I care about right now.

I have always planned for the future and placed priority on saving vs spending, taking measures towards financial security and independence. Of course I did not anticipate this turn of events, but thankfully I worked hard enough in my 20's to build a business and produce enough equity in our homes to make this possible. If it was somewhere in Europe I would be blowing through money at a much faster rate, but a little goes a long way here and I can live off much less than what I do in the states.

At this point, my focus is not on building wealth. It helps to keep my home but I am not attached to it—to me there is no value in things. If I stopped working right now and traveled until my money ran out and had to start all over, so be it. I would have a life rich with experiences and memories—that is all that matters in the end.

If I decide to keep this lifestyle indefinitely I know I can figure something out. When you genuinely want something… you will find a way.

If there are any other questions, please feel free to reach out. I am still debating on whether or not to open up and share the experiences that have led to this point and how I made it through the lowest days in my life. I know there are many of you out there struggling the same way and need to connect with others who have navigated that road and found a much better path, and I know I can help.

That may come in time but for now there is places to explore, people to meet, stories to tell and photo to share. More from the first few days of my trip very soon…