Well folks - we did it! 34 countries by my 34th birthday.

With three weeks to spare.

I had legitimately given up on this goal.

But one thing led to the other, and sure enough, mission complete.

In striking fashion, nonetheless, knocking off nine countries in ten days during a wildly adventurous whirlwind of planes, trains, and automobiles.

Shoutout to my partner in crime, Sloo, for being crazy enough to book last-minute tickets on a Tuesday night and fly out the following Sunday.

Legendary.

Over the last 1.5 years (562 days to be exact) of traveling, sabbatical, and time out in the “real world,” I’ve been collecting experiences.

And learning.
A lot.

Learning about myself, the world, and the people in it.

So for today’s piece, it seems fitting to finally reflect on some of these lessons and share them with you.

So without further ado, here we go ⬇️

Discomfort, intuition, courage, boundaries, and resourcefulness.

1) Bali belly is real.

My last day in Bali I was either on the toilet or in bed for 48 straight hours. So much so that I cancelled my trip to Nepal, took a gallon of Imodium, clenched real tight, and flew home. Be careful out there!

2) Sometimes it’s not about the money - it’s about practicing being uncomfortable and challenging yourself.

One afternoon I was trying to get money from a bank in Honduras, using some foreign app a girl told me about, butchering my way through Spanish with the bank teller, all to save $3 on transaction fees - I never got the money, but I did sweat profusely and “stayed in the pocket” until it was time to wave the white flag. But I grew through the process, challenging myself to just keep trying, improve my Spanish, and voluntarily do something hard.

3) Short term discomfort for long term satisfaction.

I was leaving Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, 12 people crammed into one bus flying through the mountainside, two wheels off the ground for 90% of the ride. It was insane. Lady in front of me reclines her chair. "OH HELL NO” I think to myself. Too scared to say anything, I sat in silence, knees up to my chin, thinking of 873 different ways I could ask her to put her chair up. Twenty minutes go by and I still haven’t said anything. So I made a commitment to myself that I would simply tap her on the shoulder and say “excuse me”. Then I would HAVE to say something. So I did. She turned, I looked perplexed, it was weird, and then I said something revolutionary, “Could you please put your chair up?” (in Spanish mind you 😉) Oh of course! she exclaimed. I’m sorry! Feeling mighty proud of my courageous act, I smiled, closed my eyes, and then tried not to puke for the next three hours as we weaved our way to Honduras.

4) Do the things you resist and embrace discomfort.

I made a friend in El Salvador but was hesitant to meet up because it was redirecting the plans I had made. But I leaned into the resistance and met him at the lake - and sure enough, I had one of my all-time favorite weeks while traveling. I also asked a girl to dance one night, I was petrified because she was beautiful and a terrific dancer. F*** it, I thought. And went for it. We became friends and spent the next month exploring Koh Phangan together and still talk to this day.

5) Deep down, you know.

Whenever I asked my friend, Sena, for her opinion on something, she would usually respond with, “You Know.” Wow. She’s right. Deep down, I usually know. She taught me to keep trusting myself.

6) It’s okay to say no.

I met a lot of people traveling, and it’s still important for me to prioritize my alone time. It’s a natural reset. And even though it can be tempting to just keep saying yes, sometimes the most powerful response is “No.” And it makes the next “yes” that much better.

7) Your body knows - listen to it. Like seriously - stop, feel, listen.

8) Follow your heart. “Get out of the mind. Connect to your heart and higher self. Listen to your body. Your mind will lead you in the wrong direction. The mind wants to win. The heart just wants to be happy.” - Ernie from Thailand

9) When people leave and we feel our saddest and most alone, this is the opportunity where we can meet ourselves.

10) Be resourceful.

You are responsible for you. 
Need to get somewhere? Ask a local.
Confused on which bus to take? Ask a local.
Looking for something to do? Ask a fellow traveler. 
Or a local. 
You won’t get anywhere sitting around hoping for something to happen.
Make it happen.
And ask around until you get the answer(s) you’re looking for.
P.S. - there’s a good chance the local next to you knows.
Or can point you in the right direction.
P.P.S. - life works similarly. We’re in the business of figuring it out.

Friendship, community, communication, and shared experiences.

11) Hostels are great for community. I loved my Honduras host family, morning chats, evening workouts, surprise meals. I’m glad I went out of my comfort zone and tried it.

12) You never know where one conversation is going to lead. I made a friend in line for a bus in El Salvador (s/o Mav). We chatted for five minutes, instantly connected, exchanged numbers, met up six hours later at a random spot on a lake, did yoga, talked to locals, cliff jumped, hitchhiked back into town, ripped motorbikes around ES, and became roommates spending the next week together.

13) Stay the extra bit of time around the campfire. Sing one more song. Do one more dance. These are the moments that continue to shape my entire experience.

14) Say exactly what you want and don’t want. Another lesson from Sena after some strange man posted a video of our group dancing on his social media. There was nothing wrong with the video, but it was weird that he did that. So thanks to Sena’s encouragement, I very directly told him to take it down. And he did. I felt empowered. For saying exactly what I wanted and didn’t want.

15) Proactively bringing up points of contention is a fast-track to solving relational challenges.

16) Tell people how you feel. Honestly and openly. It yields deeper connection, trust, vulnerability. Even when it’s uncomfortable. If there is resistance, that’s your cue to speak up. I had a feeling that my friend was mad at me. I was nervous to ask, but brought it up anyway - and come to find out, it wasn’t true. Something else was going on, and I was then able to be there for her.

17) Shared experiences create tremendous meaning and fulfillment.
I was traveling from Honduras to Nicaragua solo.
Then a fellow traveler asked if he could tag along.
I said yes (with some initial resistance, loving the idea of alone time)
We proceeded to share a room and two bus rides for 19 hours together.
Sitting (and sleeping) side by side.
Sharing life stories. Learning about each other.
Doing this crazy travel together.
And it made the trip substantially more meaningful.
I’m 33.
He’s 19. 
Didn’t matter.
We were both going to and from the same destinations at the same time.
With good hearts and a love for the world.
So the next time someone asks you to tag along, consider it.
Or better yet, initiate it. I love solo traveling, but having people to share experiences with was always my favorite and most meaningful part.

18) Campfires bring people together. Music unites. Campfires and music… build community. Singing circles. Drum circles. Dancing in the firelight. These are magical moments. So let’s do them more often.

19) Telling the truth is hard. But necessary. And required to live an aligned, authentic life.

Perspective, nature, books, music, and what travel can teach us.

20) I love going with the flow, and I also learned it’s important to identify a couple things I really want to do, and do them. So that I leave with no regrets.

21) Books find YOU when traveling. The Obstacle Is the Way found me in Cartagena, Colombia, and inspired me to have the hard conversation I was avoiding. Eat Pray Love found me at my hostel in Bocas del Toro, Panama - confirming I was right where I was supposed to be. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck also found me in Cartagena, giving me the necessary reminder to stop people-pleasing - when I needed to hear it.

22) Take advantage when you’re with people. I wish I would have asked my friends, Nick and Lina, more about their content creation processes instead of later wondering how they do it. There’s no time like the present moment. And the future is not guaranteed.

23) I learned how to hold space in more profound ways. And what holding space truly means and feels like. Creating safety and comfort and total presence for someone needing it. And listening to listen. Not listening to respond. I love holding space for people. Just as people have held space for me. 

24) Beaches in the sun are great. But beaches lit by moonlight, are powerful. 

25) Wherever you go, there you are. Travel doesn’t remove the challenges you’re working through, you are still you. Just in a different spot in the world. That being said - travel can definitely shift your perspective on things. Sometimes all it takes is one conversation on the coast of Croatia, or one breakfast shared with mom in Honduras to remember to hold the faith.

26) This modern world does way too much laundry. Seriously. It’s insane.

27) Natural resources are overused and abused in this world. Let’s do our part to take care of the one Earth we get to live on. My favorite sign in Bali read, “Hey paper towel superhero, you only need one paper towel to dry your hands.” No need to overcomplicate it.

Play, movement, meaningful work, honesty, and living the life you want.

28) I love running. So much. It’s arguably my favorite way to explore new places. And here’s a running cheat code I discovered for feeling good about myself: be in decently good-enough shape and run shirtless in a Latin country. Instant mood booster 😂

29) Ride motorbikes. They’re the best. Once I got over the fear of learning to drive one, it became one of my favorite pastimes. But be cautious when you turn on sand, I learned that the hard way 😂

30) Keep playing. Chase each other barefoot. Try something new like poi. Throw the ball for the dog. Work on your handstands. Climb on rocks on the beach just because it’s fun and feels natural. Run on dirt roads. Strum an instrument. Explore your curiosity. 

31) You’ll never know if you don’t try. Try to sing louder. See what happens. Go for the headstand. Grip the steering wheel. Hop on the bike. Put your thumb up for a hitchhike.

32) I want to work with people. Towards a meaningful mission. A unified vision. In the real world. Not alone. The solopreneur life looks nice, but deep down, I thrive around humans.

33) We can literally just do things.

34) If you’ve ever thought about buying a one-way ticket, do it. I’ve still yet to meet anyone who has regretted traveling.

And there we have it. 34 lessons from traveling to 34 countries. If you’ve made it this far, you’re a real one.

Getting out and exploring the world has changed my life for the better, and I think it can for you as well.

Even if it’s just a trip to a different local grocery store.

And as #34 says, I’ve never regretted a travel experience in my life.

Don’t think I ever will.

Cheers to the adventure ✈️

Tip: Consider the passage below ⬇️

Look at every path closely and deliberately.
Try it as many times as you think necessary.
Then ask yourself, and yourself alone…
Does this path have a heart?
If it does, the path is good.
If it doesn’t, it is of no use.

-Carlos Castaneda

Source: The Book of Awakening, Mark Nepo

(s/o Lana for gifting me this special source of wisdom)

Action: The next time you’re deciding between paths to pursue, actions to take, or decisions to make, ask yourself, “Does this path have a heart?”

Why it matters: For me, this doesn’t mean that just because the path has a heart we should pursue it.

But it does mean that without a heart, I can at least completely rule it out.

And there’s power in that.

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Here’s some honorable mentions from the 34 countries that didn’t make the cut above

See you next week 😎