The First Step

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tzu

It all started last Spring on a typical Manhattan Sunday… at a bar for brunch. We were in Hells Kitchen at Bourbon Street Bar and Grill basking below the atrium because despite it being March, it was still too cold to be outside.

After several rounds of drinks and great conversation, our friends Whitney and Jeremy were talking about “a couple they knew who had quit their jobs to travel”. That was a fantasy that we all agreed would be amazing but not exactly in the cards for us. The four of us tucked that conversation deeply away, finished our boozy Sunday and went back to the grind the following day.

That Summer, Nate and I took a vacation to Vietnam (separate post to come but pictured above ). During that amazing but too short 17 day vacation, we talked more seriously about seizing the opportunity for long term travel. We both came to the realization that the opportunity to travel was not just going to miraculously happen but instead, it needed to be decided upon. It had to be a planned action to cut the cord!

In the words of JFK ” things do not happen things are made to happen”

So we did just that. We made the decision that if by the end of 2015 neither of us had greatly improved our current situation,  we would quit our jobs and travel.

We both had great jobs that we loved very much, which made it difficult, however,  come Jan 1st 2016 it was time to collect on the promise we made to ourselves. We both trepidatiously turned in a 30 day notice, subleased our apartment and planned a farewell party. Leaving our jobs, our friends and our life in New York for the uncertainty of what would unfold after 5 months of traveling was exhilarating but a little scary as well.

We were committed to our promise though and February 8th left New York with just a backpack. First stop, family vacation in Vail, Co.