To say that it took courage leaving our corporate and lucrative careers in Los Angeles and selling the majority of our possessions to chase our dreams of traveling the world seemed like the understatement of the century at the time.  How could we trade in business professional attire, dinners at five star restaurants and work events at the hottest clubs for one size fits all hippie pants, simple street food and local beers enjoyed on plastic chairs under weathered awnings?  We had already sacrificed the majority of our twenties to save every penny for what began as a wonderful thought.  Nearly every comfort of our western lifestyles was about to be surrendered for long hours spent on uncomfortable buses and mattresses scarcely capable of meeting the requirement to be labeled as a “bed.”

The uncertainty of the unknown awaiting us was only surpassed by our growing curiosity and excitement at the possibility of becoming world travelers, a title we longed for with every ounce of our being.  For years we spent our nights reviewing the blogs of others in the world who had seized the opportunity to live a similar dream, often declining invitations from friends to enjoy a night of socializing at the expense of building our savings account.  Our romantic date nights consisted of three dollar bottles of wine and board games (more often than not with each of us controlling two players in the process to make them possible) instead of partying with the rest of our demographic.

Nevertheless, our burning desire to venture into the unknown couldn’t be ignored, nor suppressed into submission no matter how determined our family and friends could be.  As certain as we were of our upcoming decision, was it difficult?   The short answer: “Yes.”  The long answer: “Hell yeah!”  Living in a world of material possessions we were often asked why would want to spend so much of our hard earned money doing something so seemingly crazy instead of purchasing a home or a fancy new car.  Yet, our inspirations remained present in our lives while not only reading about the adventures of others but communicating with those brave enough to take a leap of faith.  Not ONCE….not a single time did we find another traveler expressing words of caution against leaving our familiar lives behind to seek experiences others dreamed of.

As it tends to do, time flew by without warning, leaving us dumbfounded at how quickly over two years had escaped us.  Our return from an epic adventure proved to be filled with its own challenges, mostly re-integrating ourselves into the western society.  We couldn’t go back to our previous lives.  That old pair of jeans no longer fit like they used to.  Lopping off eight inches of my hair and removing my piercings while considering a position in the corporate world once again nearly brought tears to my eyes, unwilling to change who I had become to aesthetically please others.  Fortunately, we’ve found our happy place.  We’ve finally manifested the perfect jobs allowing us to work remotely and continue preparing for the next trip, a constant in our lives.

Looking back I can’t imagine neglecting that insatiable yearning we felt to finally book two one-way tickets to Hong Kong.  I now understand how true the saying is, “You never know where life is going to take you.”  In my wildest dreams I could have never imagined I would have created a blog depicting all of the amazing, positive experiences we’ve since relished, nor the completion of writing a book filled with the wildly entertaining stories people love to hear about…and yet here I am.  Our dreams have only escalated over time, inspiring us to continue doing what we love and preparing to give back to those responsible not only for unbelievable stories captured in my book, but unparalleled encounters with amazing people from all over the world.

The Road is Always Calling is the perfect balance to Burn My Map, yin and yang in its truest form.  Here you’ll find nothing but the best of the best from our extensive travels without sacrificing the entertaining aspects inspiring hard pressed smirks and laughter, saving the unfathomable and at times harrowing for my yet to be released publication.  If you’re looking for inspiration, enjoy reading those “feel good” stories responsible for putting a smile on your face or simply need a laugh for the day, you’ve come to the perfect place!