Zero To Travel Podcast

Debbie Arcangeles 0:00
I've had a lot of fights with with the family with that. But I knew that I needed to make myself happy at the end and not just about making money. So that's another thing that really changed my life as well. A lot of people, especially in Western countries, like Europe and the United States, when you think about travel, you think about travel as like exciting. It's a you know, you're trying to find yourself and you're seeing all of these touristy destinations, and it's really fun. But for me, my first experience with travel was to literally leave a country and go to another one that I didn't know, for a new life.

Jason Moore 0:41
That was a clip from my interview today with Debbie arc Angeles, a fellow travel podcaster from the offbeat. life.com and we talk about that offbeat life, you know, is that becoming really the new norm? In some ways, the unconventional lifestyle? And what does it really mean to live a quote, better life? That's a topic we explore. In this interview, she shares her number one key to funding your long term, travel lifestyle, and her best advice for explaining to others who may not be as supportive as you would like, how you want to live, why it's important to you, I think this is pretty critical, especially when you have people in your life that may be giving you negative feedback around certain things you want to do. We touch on that and how that was for her. And she just shares her lessons learned from that, of course working for yourself comes up anytime you talk about funding your long term travel lifestyle that can be one of the topics not for everybody or is it Who is it right for who is it not right for we get into that she shares some of her favorite offbeat destinations, how podcasting has changed her life, how to take rejection and turn it into a lesson to improve yourself some key lessons from her journey to location independence and the unconventional life and how being an immigrant shaped her location independent journey, and much more Plus, with a Stephen King, the famous author have to do with this interview and some of the topics discussed here. You'll find out in this show all of that and plenty of other juicy nuggets coming your way right now. So buckle up strap in. Thanks for being here. And welcome to the zero travel podcast my friend.

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You're listening to the zero to travel Podcast where we explore exciting travel based work, lifestyle and business opportunities helping you to achieve your wildest travel dreams. Now your host would wander and tremble junkie, Jason Moore.

Jason Moore 2:49
Hey, what's up is Jason with zero to travel.com Welcome to the show, my friend. Thanks for hanging out, letting me bring a little travel into your ears today. This is the show to help you travel the world on your terms to fill your life with as much travel as you desire, no matter what your situation or experience. Welcome my friend and you hear it every show right there in the intro on your terms, right travel on your terms, which really means living life on your terms, right doing the things you want to do. And sometimes that involves doing something different than the norm than the status quo. however you define that something that maybe not everybody approves of, maybe you don't even approve of it at times, because you're like, where is my life going? What am I doing? They'll feel like we've all been there at some point. And I think one of the keys here, as we get into this interview on this topic of an offbeat life is just really defining what that means to you in this moment. Right, I want to talk about that a bit more. I'll share with you what that means to me right now in this moment in my life. And I want to share a story from a listener who wrote me an email that really drives a lot of these points home that we're going to be sharing today. And this was really empowering, I thought and it came down to a three word question at a turning point that they had, which immediately turns their life into a life of travel immediately, almost immediately, I'd say even though there was a lot leading up to this. So I want to share that wonderful listener story in this show. And I mentioned the Stephen King tie into the show, which sounds odd I just finished a Stephen King book and I had one of these sections highlighted specifically for the podcast because I said you know what, this really, this concept really ties in well with everything we're talking about here today. Before all that let me tell you about my trip to the beach. This last weekend. I went to hook beach out here on the Oslofjord H UK if you want to look it up on Google Earth giant cruise ships cruising by and people out You know, I couldn't believe there were some people swimming even though it was a little chilly with keep taking our jackets on and off. And it was just lovely to get out by the sea. Sometimes you got to get out by the sea. You got to smell that saltwater. You got to hear the sound of the ships, all that good stuff. It was just lovely. And we brought a whole bunch of stuff to keep us entertained buckets and shovels and my kids were collecting shells. And one of the things we brought was our rumble blankets. If you go to rumpl.com You can check them out, we brought the original puffy blankets. It was the perfect thing to take to the beach with us. And whether you're camping, going to the beach, having a picnic, whatever you need a blanket, a blanket to wrap yourself with a blanket to sit on. We need blankets, and why not get one of these super cool, well designed blankets for 25% off right now. That's right, they're giving a special deal to zero to travel podcast listeners. Until May 30. You will get 25% off at rumble ru mpl.com with the promo code zero to travel all one word zero travel. And if you order something, you'll also get a beer blankets on them a free beer blanket if you want to see what a beer blanket is, go to the website and check it out. I've never seen 25% off for these blankets and I am a fan. This is one of those companies that does everything right. They make these blankets out of recycled water bottles, which is incredibly cool. And they're made up of the same technical materials that you use for sleeping bags and things like that. So when you take it out, it keeps you warm. It's weatherproof, it's durable. And most important of all it is cozy. You can use these blankets at home on your couch. We have one of the Nano blankets here on the couch at home to us and then we have the original puffy that we can bring out with us wherever we go. Perfect thing to keep in your car to get his gift to bring with you on your travels. And again to have at home. So check them out rumble are you mpl.com They recycle over 5 million plastic water bottles a year and offset their carbon footprint. Each blanket is made from 60 recycled water bottles, and they offer over 135 prints and you can get them for 25% off now until May 30 With that promo code zero to travel plus a beer blanket on them zero to travel all one word with that promo code so check them out. Thank you to rumble r u m p l.com for supporting today's show. Now we know our listeners work hard and your credit cards should work as hard as you do. US Bank offers a wide range of credit cards for a wide variety of financial needs. And one of its most useful cards is the US Bank visa platinum card with a low introductory APR for 24 billing cycles this card is a tool for getting ahead. The US Bank visa platinum card is a savvy financial move for large purchases unexpected expenses and balance transfers and with the ability to customize your payment date. This card gives you control over your financial future Apply now at us bank.com/platinum. With the US Bank visa platinum card you can be worryfree for the next two years to see if you qualify for the best introductory APR out there visit us bank.com/platinum Limited time offer the creditor and issuer of this card is US Bank National Association pursuant to a license from visa USA Inc. Some restrictions may apply. Now we're gonna slip and slide into this interview in just a moment. I do want to share quickly the Stephen King, quote, I read from the book The dome, which was a crazy book about this dome that comes over a town and then of course all hell breaks loose. I don't have to get into the specifics. But anyway, one of the characters of the book was sharing how there were only two rules for living with fear. And he repeated them to himself as he was waiting in his jail cell. And these were the rules. Number one, I must accept those things over which I have no control. And number two, I must turn my adversities into advantages. And I thought those two rules really tied in nicely with the conversation you are about to hear as consistently. I think Debbie found a way to turn any of her adversities into advantages. I was really inspired by that. And this conversation I hope you enjoyed as much as I did stick around again on the back ends. I'll share what it means to me to live an offbeat life right now in this moment. And we'll give a shout out to that wonderful listener in this community and we'll leave you with a quote as well. So I will see you on the other side my friend enjoy the interview

and track change 530 Children

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who's the wife

Jason Moore 9:57
of 112 On the lower level after hitting the poster, white plates for establishing what the pocket I'm so fortunate to be on the line with Debbie arc Angeles is the founder of the offbeat life a podcast and website that helps individuals ditch the cubicle to become location independent. We love that topic here. We'll get her best advice from the lessons she's learned during her journey to location independence, discovered the good, bad and ugly of remote work through an interesting experiment she's doing right now talk about how to fund your long term travel lifestyle. And I'm sure loads more. So Debbie, welcome to the zero travel podcast.

Debbie Arcangeles 10:39
Thank you so much for having me, Jason, I'm so excited to talk to you,

Jason Moore 10:44
as well. And we should mention your URL, which we of course, drop in the show notes to the offbeat life.com You've been podcasting for a while. I mean, we have very similar missions here to help people live that long term travel lifestyle how, how was the podcast been for you? Personally, the whole podcasting journey.

Debbie Arcangeles 11:04
Honestly, it has completely changed my life. I'm not just because it allowed me to become location independent. Now I can work from anywhere I want. But also it really took me out of the cubicle lifestyle, quote, unquote, and really do something that I enjoy I love, which I was really, really depressed. Before I did this, you know, I had anxiety attacks all the time, I just didn't know what to do. And I was looking at people like ujs. And I was like, how on earth did they do this? How were they able to, you know, go out there and be independent and have the freedom to do what they want to do and also make money while they're doing what they love. And I started interviewing people. And then lo and behold, a year and a half later, I was able to do it. And leave leave the job that I didn't necessarily hate but it just wasn't my passion. So yeah, it completely changed my life.

Jason Moore 12:05
People have asked me pretty recently, like, what do you think about podcasting? Or, you know, what has it done for you? Or these types of questions? And I say, Well, alright, the three biggest things that have changed my life the most are travel, having a family and having kids and all that, and starting a podcast, which sounds insane that that would be in the top three, but I wouldn't say it's like traveling, but it's like traveling in the sense that you are getting so many different perspectives. And you know, selfishly, you get to interview all these people, and then learn from them and pick their brains and just have all these thoughtful conversations. So it's just awesome. And now we get to have a fun one here today. I wanted to ask you about your photography. On your about page on your website, you said quote, I was always told not to pursue anything in the arts because it wasn't practical. And I was, quote, going to be on the street begging for money. That's quite a leap to go from that messaging to teaching photography classes to indigenous children in remote areas of Guatemala, photographing indigenous families for a nonprofit being selected as an artist for world peace celebration in China. How did how did you end up getting into photography and doing that despite sort of this messaging you you got at home?

Debbie Arcangeles 13:18
Yeah, I was I was always always very stubborn. I kind of just dance to my own be in those terms. I'm an only child, I'm an immigrant. My families are immigrants. And you know, it's, it's very normal for immigrant families to feel like that, right? We're supposed to come to the United States do really well with jobs like nursing, being a doctor, teacher, etc. All of that stuff, you know, the norm, the normal stuff that you're supposed to do. And I didn't technically want to do that. I wanted to pursue my passion. I wanted to be in the arts. And I just ended up loving photography. When I was in college, I took photography. It ended up being a minor that I had, I did you know, film photography for for a very long time. I did photojournalism, I traveled to the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, South America. And yeah, it was just something because I wanted to do it. It wasn't something that you know, was expected and I had a lot of fights with with the family with that, but I knew that I needed to make myself happy at the end and not just about making money. So it it it really that's another thing that really changed my life as well.

Jason Moore 14:40
Sometimes Yeah, knowing that and then actually acting on it are two different things. Right. So you actually taking the action. I'm wondering if those experiences were your was that your sort of first international type of on your own travel experiences or those come earlier for you?

Debbie Arcangeles 14:59
Yeah, I mean, the first international travel I've ever done was to immigrate here in the United States. So that was like, the first thing, and I didn't you know, a lot of people, especially in Western countries like Europe and the United States, when you think about travel, you think about travel as, like, exciting. It's, uh, you know, you're trying to find yourself and you're seeing all of these touristy destinations, and it's really fun. But for me, my first experience with travel, was to literally leave a country and go to another one that I didn't know, for a new life, right? It wasn't like, Yay, we're gonna see the sights. And you know, we're gonna go back, it was like, literally leaving an entire family entire life to go to a new one. And it was a really scary one. I mean, that was my first experience. But the first one that I've done by myself, technically, I was with friends was to Paris to France. So that was when I was 16. I, you know, I didn't want to have a sweet 16 party. A lot of you know, people do that here in the United States. So instead of having a sweet 16 party, I begged my parents to let me go to Paris for a few weeks. And that was my first real taste of travel. And then after that, I couldn't, I couldn't stop.

Jason Moore 16:19
Yeah, wow. Well, I mean, can we talk about your upbringing a bit, you had a very unique upbringing, as you mentioned, you, you immigrated to the US and you were born in the Philippines. But it sounds like you're your mom went first. And then you were kind of back at home with your family? And then is it okay to talk about this? Because,

Debbie Arcangeles 16:41
yeah, of course, I love talking about this stuff. Um, yeah. So when I was around, I don't even know probably tour between two to four years old. My mom left she went to the United States. And my dad at that time before my mom left was was a full time worker. He was in the Merchant Marines he traveled for work a lot. But what ended up happening and this, you might be surprised about this. I don't know if you know this, Jason. But a lot of immigrant families, at least in the Philippines that I know of, it's usually the mom that leaves to a different country to work and the dad is actually the stay at home dad. So in the United States, you see a lot that it's the mom that stays at home, you know, you have the stay at home moms. But in the Philippines, it's mostly the dads. So it was very, it's very interesting, at least in my circle. That's what I saw. I don't know, you know, the rest. But so my mom laughed when I was still an infant, still a toddler. And I didn't see her until I was nine. I think I maybe saw her once or twice during that time. So I didn't really know her at all. And I was just with my dad, he pretty much raised me since I was a baby until I was about nine. And then we came to the United States around that time, and then it switched. Now my mom stayed at home with me, she obviously had a full time job, but my dad went back to work to become a merchant marine again. So I literally had even though I had both parents, they weren't divorced. I always had a single parent household until I was about 18. And my dad actually came back to work full time in New York City. And then I had both of them. But at that time, I was already an adult. So it's, it's very strange. And I tell people all the time, like my parents aren't divorced. But I always had a single, you know, parent household in that sense. So it's, it's interesting. And it's also an interesting dynamic that it's, it was like my dad, who was a stay at home dad, and then my mom. But then at that time, when I was around nine and up, like, you know, I was older already. So it was it was a different dynamic, the relationships and all of that.

Jason Moore 18:55
Yeah. Wow. I'm glad you mentioned the Yeah, the idea of, you know, first coming to New York, and like, it's, I mean, the sort of the Western vacation narrative mentality is like, oh, travels all this joy, and you know, fun, and we're going to have a good time. And this is, you know, the opposite of that. Like you said, you're leaving your home country and going to a totally different place. What was it like the first moment you saw your mom again, you kind of realized, I live here, right? That's a lot to take in for anybody at any age, let alone eight years old or nine years old.

Debbie Arcangeles 19:32
Yeah, it was, it was pretty overwhelming, as you may imagine, because I already had, it wasn't like I was four or five years old. You know, I had already created relationships. When I was younger. It's not like I was old, like, you know, older, like a teenager or anything like that. But I did have these really important relationships in my life and also most of my dad's family, who I grew up with who, who pretty much helped to raise me I just lost them you know, like Yeah, I just had my dad one day. Yeah, and just one day. And my mom, I didn't really know her, she was kind of like a complete stranger in that sense. And that was also an interesting dynamic, because even though it's your parent, like you don't really know them know, like, only seeing them like twice in nine years, or in six years, it's pretty strange right to see a parent like that. So that was really overwhelming, because not only am I going to a new country, but now I have to know a completely different parent that I didn't know. And also stay with them by myself with my mother, because my dad left to travel after like a year or two of being in the United States with me. So it was it was very strange. It was a strange experience. It was overwhelming. But yeah, you just have to do what you have to do. Right? You have to kind of just go go with what you have. And I think children are really resilient in that sense. Because you have no choice. It's not like you're, you're an adult, and you could just take and be like, Screw this, I'm gone by, you know, you're you can't you can't do anything. So you just have to do what you have to do.

Jason Moore 21:07
Yeah, I mean, kind of thinking about that and where you are today. How do you think that that whole experience has impacted you?

Debbie Arcangeles 21:15
Honestly, it's gotten me to a point where it's, it's made me stronger. And it's so interesting to me, because in the United States, there's a lot of like, feminine power, all of this stuff. And when I was growing up, I've always seen women who were the breadwinner, they always took care of most of this stuff. So for me, I'm like, why are they just saying this? No, I'm like, I've always seen this, you know, the always seen women who took power, who were the breadwinner in the family who sacrificed a lot of things. And the dad were the caretaker. So I'm like, why is this so foreign in the United States, and I live in Southeast Asia and like, this was normal for us. So it was it's so interesting, when I see all this stuff happening. I'm like, This is so weird, because I'm like, I've always lived like this, you know? And if anything, it was switched on, like men can be sensitive men can take care of families. They could also be breadwinners, I've seen that too. But yeah, and also, it really allowed me to just see obstacles as just a way like, it's just a way of life, right? You just move with it. And and I think that's why a lot of immigrant families are very strong in that sense. Because you are, from a very early age, you have all of these obstacles already. So all this stuff that you carry with you throughout your life, it's just like, Okay, here's another one you have to get through.

Jason Moore 22:42
Yeah. Oh, coming into the US and then trying to kind of fit into that culture and society, what were some of the biggest, I guess, noticeable differences, some of the things that you kind of took to right away that were, oh, this is great. And other things. We were like, What is going on here? Can you remember that time period and some things that stood out because, you know, as travelers we're just passing through often. So depending on how long we're in a place, I feel like we can, it's almost like you can play the game of fitting in, right, like you can dip your toe in it. Yeah. But there's no real stress of fitting in sometimes, like if you mess up, you know, on the street, or people understand what you're a tourist, whatever. That's a lot different than you know, moving to a country and living there for an extended period of time, you really kind of got to figure it out. And maybe fit in is the wrong word, but just kind of gain those understandings in order to find your place within a culture right and coming from another culture that can be challenging sometimes. I mean, I live abroad, so I am speaking for myself, maybe but this is my, you know, experience with it. I'm just curious what what yours was in that regard.

Debbie Arcangeles 23:53
Yeah, I mean, honestly, it was all a blur. But the two things I couldn't remember is the first one that it's so funny because I love it now, when I first tasted pizza. So you're, you know, everyone talks about pizza in New York. It's amazing. It's one of the best places to have pizza besides Italy. So the first time my mom bought pizza, it was literally the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my life. Jason I was like, This is so gross. Now the reason why I say that is because in the Philippines, we mostly eat rice, vegetables and fish. We don't have a lot of like fatty foods like cheese, right? And when we do where, you know, my family was very poor. So we didn't have any of that. You know, in the mornings I would have rice and salt and eggs. That's that would be my thing. And sometimes like when you didn't have enough money, it would be rice and sugar for dessert, you know and rice and whatever. Vegetable you had in the back that you're growing. So when I first tasted pizza, I'm not even kidding. Jason, it was the grossest thing because all of that fat and oil in your mouth when you first taste that, and you've never tasted anything like that before, it was just like eating lard. Wow. So that was one of the things that really stood out in my mind. And the one thing that I absolutely loved. Um, it's obviously this is not cultural wise, but the first time I saw snow, because in the Philippines, we don't have snow there. So, you know, I was a very stubborn can, like I've been taught, you know, I told you and I'm still a stubborn adult, right? Oh, my mom told me she's like, you know, you can't wear a dress outside. It's literally a blizzard, you have to like wear something. So then I was like, No, I don't want to like, I'm used to wearing dresses. So then she just gave me tights, you know? And I went outside, and I didn't realize how cold snow actually is. And then when I first touched it, I'm like, Oh, my God, like, what is this? So that was another thing for me. That was so weird, and fun and interesting. And even though my whole body was not I just didn't want to go inside the house, because it was just amazing. I was like, oh my god, this is like in movies. What is this stuff. So those are the two things that really stood out in my mind.

Jason Moore 26:26
So who had the biggest influence on you as a child, Ben,

Debbie Arcangeles 26:31
um, definitely my dad, and only because we were like, the two of us were like, thick as thieves, you know, and we had each other, we only had each other. I'm an only child. And my dad had a huge influence in that. That's why I see him and I see strange the way you know, my dad is not the type of person where it's like very macho, like, he takes care of my mom. Like he's the one that just not necessarily taking care like monetary wise, but more like caring at home, he'll cook help clean it. So that's why it's so interesting to me, where it's like in the United States, we're like, no, like macho stuff. Like, I'm like, Yeah, that's great. And I've seen that too, with with my dad, like, can be macho, but he can also be sensitive. So that's why I'm like, it's so weird when it's just one or the other where we like, do this because I'm like men who take care of their, their children. Like that is amazing. I'm like, That's what I saw my dad doing. And my mom is also can be very masculine, but also very feminine. So I'm like, It's so strange to me. That's why this whole thing I'm like, This is not what I grew up in. I'm like, like, they were both they were both so but definitely my dad because we were together for a very long time. Just me and him. So interesting. Dynamic.

Jason Moore 27:50
Sensitive, is the new macho guys get the program here.

Debbie Arcangeles 27:55
But no, but that's the thing. My dad like, he was my dad is very, like, you know, manly man. But then he could also be super sensitive, especially because I think it's because he has a daughter, you know, I'm sure if he had a son, it would be different, but like the way we were just together, like, he could be like really macho, and then the next thing you know, like, I hurt myself. He's like, Oh, you know, in like cooking and cleaning. So it's, it's, it's funny, it's interesting.

Jason Moore 28:25
If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?

Debbie Arcangeles 28:29
Um, honestly, I would say nothing. Now, the only reason why I say that is because I've learned so much from it. And I think that if it was like a perfect thing where I had both of my parents, I wouldn't be the person that I am, right. I'm sure. I would be super stable, but but I think that's when you really learn all of these things, right? I really learned to appreciate what my parents had gone through. And kind of take that in and be I didn't understand it at the time when I was younger, but as an adult, you see it like you see the sacrifice that parents make for their children to give them you know, a better life, especially, you know, as immigrants, you know, because every parent wants to do what's best for their kids. But as a child, you don't see that and then as an adult, you're like, holy moly, like what they had gone through. And the thing that I can say about my parents is that they never complained. Like they never were like, Oh my God, you know, I can't believe we did this like that that like no, they never complained. I mean, of course, like any. Any in any marriage is not perfect, you'll argue but I've never heard them complain about like, how, you know, the sacrifices they made all of this stuff. So it was just, you know, like, that's the thing that I really learned from them is, you know, you work hard. You just do what you need to do and you that's, that's life and you learn from it. So I'm pretty grateful for that.

Jason Moore 30:01
That's beautiful. Yeah, man, I think that's a testament also to your, your mindset way of thinking, right? I mean, in any scenario, right? I mean, not specifically referring to your child or whatever. But we have a choice to kind of look at ourselves as a victim or look at ourselves as this way or that way. Or we can find the gratitude as well, which isn't always easy in in situations. But I think gratitude is such a powerful thing.

Debbie Arcangeles 30:28
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And obviously, I'm not grateful all the time. But I think who is right, yeah, who is, but I think I honestly, I think I become more grateful once I'm given obstacles, I think, obviously, it's easy to be grateful when things are happening, that's really great. But I honestly recently, especially as I become older, and you know, things happen, like, when you really grow as a person, when I've, I've kind of, I've learned how to appreciate more what my parents have gone through, and also to be become more grateful, because it's like, you just never know, you don't know what's gonna happen. And then that's why it's like, every moment that you have, like, you just have to embrace it, because you don't know what's going to happen. So that's why when it's good, you have to really embrace that because you don't know what's going to happen the next time. So I think it's hard to do that all the time, especially when things are not going the right way. But that's when really it's important to take that perspective. Like, okay, this is not happening really well. But what is happening, that's, that's really good in my life. And it's, it's hard when you're in that position to but and I tried to practice that, but obviously, it doesn't work all the time. My husband can tell you.

Jason Moore 31:54
Where did you guys meet? We met

Debbie Arcangeles 31:56
Oh, my God. So my husband and I met one day when when I was out with my girlfriends. And yeah, like I think we met at a club, not think I did. We didn't meet at a club here in New York City. And then that was it. We've, we've, we got married last year, but we've been together for this year, it's going to be 19 years.

Jason Moore 32:17
Oh, wow. Okay, congratulations. Amazing. Well, you mentioned when you were sharing your story about this idea that immigrants are, you know, in many cases going to a place for a better life was was the word that you use, right? We've all heard that before, right? Like somebody's going abroad or moving to another country for a better life. And here you are, your mom did that for a better life. And you guys, and now you have this thing called offbeat life, which is, you know, the opposite of sort of the stability, the picture, you paint, and we're like, Hey, we're gonna get a better life. And then, you know, then oftentimes you said, the stereotype, I suppose in some of these, some immigrant communities, I guess, would be what you mentioned, become a doctor, become a nurse or be, you know, some kind of stable job in society that that is perceived as, you know, prestigious, I suppose. And then there's money with that, too. And it's understandable, if you think about the struggle, and what people are trying to do. At the same time, it's a lot of pressure to put on a child. There's a lot of work around that. But I kind of wanted to go into the offbeat life thing, because you've created your whole brand around that. And it is in a way, I wouldn't say it's like the polar opposite of this better life idea. But it's your own version of a life. Right. So like, what does the offbeat life mean to you?

Debbie Arcangeles 33:42
Yeah, I think for me, it's really creating your own sense of freedom. And I think that's the main thing. That's the word that I always wanted to have freedom in a way that it's really how you want to live your life and not because it's what other expects you to have. And I think a lot of us live life through other people's expectations, and not necessarily ours. And then honestly, I think that's why a lot of people are really unhappy with where they are. Because when you go outside of that, right, when you go outside of that expectation, outside of the norm, quote, unquote, Norm, it's really one, you're not in your comfort zone anymore. And it's at the scariest, right, you're this You're the scariest you've ever been in every time I do something new. I take risks. That's always a scariest, right. And for me, one of the things that I really started to understand is my parents wanted me to come here to have a better life. Now, what does that mean? To me, it means being happy with what I'm doing. It's not necessarily being a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, whatever that is, right? Because every person has their own sons have their own life. They want to live that old life They're all freedom, they are their own happiness. And for me, I would just be wasting all of the work and the sacrifices that my parents actually did. If I was back to being unhappy every day, in a cubicle, or wherever that is, and not really doing what was best for me. So even though there was a lot of miss a, you know, like, I don't understand why you're doing this, at the end of the day, my parents understood after a while, when they're like, Okay, you can actually do this, you can make it, we trust you. So yeah, for me, it's living a life that's offbeat, that's on my own, be that's on my own terms. Because especially as an immigrant, you know, daughter, and also an as an immigrant, myself, I didn't come here. So I could go back in the grind and be unhappy, you know, we left that I want to do something that's going to make me happy, even though it's not the norm. And honestly, now it kind of is, it is the new norm, right. So, yeah, I think I don't want to waste all of the time energy sacrifice they did to, for me to just be unhappy. And that's really what's making me keep going forward with what it is that I want to do. And with the dreams that I have, and when I have children one day, that's the same thing, I'm gonna be like, Do you Do you because that's what's gonna make you happy.

Jason Moore 36:26
I love that. Thanks for sharing. I think that that's a great bit of practical advice as well, for anybody listening, that is this idea of your local network, or your surrounding family, friends, whatever, if there's a certain part of that network you have that is maybe imposing their version of what a better life is. And you're saying, Well, hey, you got to define what a better life means to yourself. And I think, turning that around, and just using that as a way to explain it sounds like you might have done that we didn't like, explaining it, like, Hey, you did this so I can have a better life? Well, this is my version of a better life. And this is what it means to me. And you're actually doing that if you Let me fulfill this, right? I mean, is that kind of how you explained it to them to kind of win them over because I imagine there was some tense moments there.

Debbie Arcangeles 37:19
There was really no explaining JS it I don't think they understood and I, you know, actually left the house for a while because they didn't understand it. I think with with my parents, I don't know if it's the same with with other families, I think the best way you can explain is by doing it and showing them through action. And that's really, because my parents are also very stubborn. They think they you know, most parents are when it comes to their children, you know, what's best for them, etc, etc. But at some point when they become an adult, even though it's a painful thing to watch them fail, and go through life, and you don't want them to suffer. Suffering is something that we can't really avoid, right? It's something that happens to us and to a lot of people daily, you know, our world right now is really crazy. And you can't really take that away from someone. And if you do, they don't learn anything. And I think that's why failure, pain and sorrow is something that you cannot take from a human being. And it's hard to do that when you're a parent because you just want to protect your kids, right? You want to just hold them in your arms, protect them from everything in the world. But a lot of times when you do that you don't allow them to live. And I think once my parents saw that, that I was okay, even though I was suffering at times, and I still suffer now, the only thing they can do is be there when they need them. And I think that's really what we learned our relationship is obviously not like, oh my god, we're so happy and perfect all the time. But it's it's an understanding that you have, right it's an understanding that whatever it is that you do, you may yell at each other sometimes. But you're still family and whenever you need them, they have your back. And I think that's what my parents and I finally understood, it's like, we're never gonna see eye to eye on everything. But at the end of the day, like, as long as you're letting me live live the life that I really want, whatever it is that I'm doing, whether I'm happy or sad or in pain, like it's just part of life and and that's that's how it is and they finally got it after a long time. So that was painful to

Jason Moore 39:31
Yeah, I could imagine so yeah, the offbeat life may be perceived as others but on beat for you. Yeah.

Debbie Arcangeles 39:41
Exactly.

Jason Moore 39:44
Well, what did it look like the the journey you mentioned, I mean, we all have, you know, the sort of the struggles and the challenges and things when it comes to kind of building something for yourself like you have. And I'm curious what that journey to location independence looks like for you getting out of the cubicle and doing your own thing. And what I'm really looking for here is some of those key lessons you learned along the way that maybe somebody listening that's in the middle of their own journey or about to embark on their own, can kind of take away and keep in mind after listening to this.

Debbie Arcangeles 40:19
Yeah, I think especially and I've had a lot of questions when people especially, you know, when they see something about you, you know, it's not just about me, when we see another person maybe has something that you would like for yourself, right? Maybe they succeeded in something, or maybe they're doing better than you. And one of the things that I always say, is that it's a lot of freaking hard work. A lot of work, you know, this JSON, there is no shortcut to anything. And I've had people come to me and be like, Well, what's your secret? Just give me your secret? Because I know, there has to be something right. Like, you know, why? Why have you done this? Like, why did you Why were you able to do X, Y, and Z? And I said to them, well, there's really no secret. I've been doing this for over four and a half years. And I didn't get that because you know, there's a secret formula to anything. Yes, you may be there are certain things that you can do, there's a shortcut to certain things. But at the end of the day, you just have to do the work. There's really no, like, genie in the bottle, all of a sudden, I'm gonna give you this huge like thing, and you're gonna be like Eureka, like, all of a sudden, you're gonna be successful the next day. It's just plain old, hard work, patience, understanding that you're going to fail and fail a lot. And the one thing that I have learned that has helped me is to actually really understand failure and making it to a learning lesson. So every time I fail something, I always say, How can I make myself better? I asked questions, right? If, for example, you know, I'm doing this new series, I'm creating a new series called trying remote and one of the things I'm doing is I'm trying new remote jobs, right. And one of the oh my god, Jason, one of the things that I actually did in the experiment is going on job interviews. I haven't been on job interviews for like, 10 years, okay. And I got rejected, right. So it makes you feel bad when you get rejected for something. So one of the things that I did was I asked like, how can I make myself better? And I asked this from the people who rejected me from the job interviews, and they gave me such great answers, right? So I think when you think about it, when you switch your mind, and you say, Okay, how can I take rejection failure, and make that into a learning lesson that is really your, your secret that is your, I guess, your genie in a box, because you're being told what you can do to make yourself better? And then turn it and and do it in a way where you can make yourself better in that sense. So yeah, honestly, now I'm like, every failure that I have, I'm just like, how, how can I be creative? How can they do this so that I can learn from this and make myself better? And actually, the more I failed, the better I've become. So I know, it sounds really cliche, but you just have to start thinking outside of the box, and, you know, not not be super depressed. And I know it's it's hard on the ego hard on everything when you do that. But oh my gosh, it totally changed everything. Everything. Jason when when I started thinking about it in that sense. So maybe that is the shortcut the things you know, and when you do that,

Jason Moore 43:49
yeah, because the failure is guaranteed, that's for sure. You know, I hate making resumes. I think that's one of the reasons I started working for myself, just like, I don't ever want to make a resume again. Yeah, yeah. Well, that was the experiment. You mentioned that I alluded to earlier, this idea of trying different remote jobs. Have you been doing different remote jobs? How many have you done what have you done? What have you learned?

Debbie Arcangeles 44:13
Yeah, so I mean, as I was, as I left my cubicle job, my cubicle job, I was doing a lot of freelancing. So I've done that, but it wasn't like I didn't send in my resume to anyone. I just, you know, people knew about me, they would come and I would freelance. i So a few things that I've done since starting this experiment I sold. I flipped furniture online. One of the things I've also sold like things on Poshmark. I've I actually. Okay, so this is another story, Jason. So I've been so focused on the podcast for a really long time that now I'm focusing on my website, right and I don't really understand SEO, and I've been doing it for for a few months. So while I was doing this This experiment, I ended up getting an actual job as an SEO writer where they're gonna train me to actually how to do SEO. So I took it so I can learn from that and implement it on my own website. So that's just,

Jason Moore 45:14
you're probably listening to this right now. Like, wait a minute, she's just gonna.

Debbie Arcangeles 45:20
Yeah, so I'm like, why not get paid and learn at the same time? So I'm like, this is a win win for me. So, um, so yeah, I've been, you know, now I'm doing that and freelance writing. I'm doing all these things. And it's just so funny, because it's like, I get to experiment and see what's good, what's bad. And I could just share it. And I'm like, This is so fun and interesting. And I get to learn and get paid. I'm like, This is awesome.

Jason Moore 45:44
Of course, one of the big benefits of working to learn on somebody else's dime, right old adage, do you think working for yourself? Entrepreneurs? Sometimes that's a scary word for some people? Do you think they're born or made it? Who is it not right for? Is it somebody that any, any something anybody can do? I mean, we we mentioned, all the work involved, of course, but assuming you know, somebody's willing to put in the work and all but there are a lot, there's a lot of round entrepreneurship, not having sort of the steady, routine, paycheck, all that kind of stuff. I would love to hear your thoughts on that.

Debbie Arcangeles 46:23
I think that if you have the will. And you're not afraid, obviously, we talked about hard work, you're not afraid to fail. You're not afraid to fall on your face. Pretty much that happens to me almost every day. And sometimes you really clamor to to pay your bills, especially when you're just starting out. If you're not afraid to take a risk, then it's definitely for you. If you are somebody who wants something more like you're you need to be stable, you can't, you know, you have a family to support, I would say you can still be an entrepreneur, but maybe do that on the side, you know, and once it starts making income, maybe it starts making as much as your full time income, then you can leave it so that it's not something that you just do, like, oh my gosh, you're just gonna leave all of this stuff, right? So I definitely understand when people are like, I can't really just leave and take off and do that. But I think it could be for almost everybody, you know, there are certain people that can do it, especially people who want instant gratification, who thinks it's just gonna happen overnight, and they want the magic cure for it. That's it's definitely not for those types of people. And I would say that you don't have to be talented, but you have to be persistent. And you have to be somebody who is willing to learn. Because if even if I'm the most talented person on earth, but I'm not willing to learn from anybody else, and I'm never, you know, it's not going to be the same. So, yeah, you don't have to be the best in everything. But you have to be the best yourself, for yourself and to constantly want to learn, you know, that's what entrepreneurship is, there's always going to be something that you're going to have to learn and it's always going to be new, which is honestly, for me the exciting part.

Jason Moore 48:15
Yeah, based on the work that you've done over the last years, I'm looking for some advice on basically funding your long term travel lifestyle, right. So I know you can only speak from your experience, but based based on your experience, what was I guess the best one or two things that you've done, that you could share with others? I know, this is a huge topic of how to make money while you're traveling. But, you know, I'm just looking for you to share the best from your experience.

Debbie Arcangeles 48:49
Yeah, I think the key to this, at least for me, is having multiple streams of income and I know you know, that's one thing that people say is, um, but really you can right now there's a lot of full time remote jobs that you can have, right and you just need to make sure that it's like a flexible company because when I was doing the experiment and now I have a job um, the one thing that you really have to look not one thing but there's certain things that you have to look for right like especially if you want to travel you need to make sure that they're flexible the hours are flexible so you can work in whatever hours that you want. And then another thing is just you know, you can you can have different sources of income like right now I'm, I have income from the podcast, I have income from my blog, I have an income from digital products that we're selling, I have an income from affiliate marketing and I have an income from writing from this new job now. So I have around like five or six in income streams. Now the reason why I say that is because if something falls off, then I have something else to go to. Right. And we know that especially during In the pandemic, and all of the stuff that's been happening, you could lose something. And it's so interesting that now that what we do being remote having freelance work, having multiple streams of income is now seen as more stable than just having like a regular nine to find because a lot of people lost those types of jobs. And now they're doing freelance work, remote work, and yeah, you just have to, again, think outside of the box, see where you can get all of these different streams of income, you can experiment with them first, and then see what you really love and then continue with that.

Jason Moore 50:38
Do you think it is recognized now as a, quote unquote, safer path to kind of have your own streams of incomes diversification, instead of working for somebody else? I'm always wondering if this is the new way of the world, or if I'm still in this sort of bubble of unconventional lifestyles and things like that?

Debbie Arcangeles 50:59
I think, honestly, we were probably in some sort of a bubble. Because, you know, we talked to similar people like us, right. But in a lot of ways, because of the pandemic happening. Now, it's kind of more normal. And you're not seeing as crazy anymore and unstable. So in a way, you know, even though the pandemic is a horrible thing, it kind of normalized what we do remote work. So both, I guess, so it's like, you know, it's still kind of quirky, but it's now understood.

Jason Moore 51:38
Yeah, okay. Yeah. No, that makes sense. Yeah, like that. quirky. But understood. Yeah, that could be a I'll make that T shirt printed off.

Well, maybe not maybe misunderstood. Depends. All right. What is your most treasured travel memory?

Debbie Arcangeles 51:59
My treasured travel memory. Oh, my gosh, it's so interesting. Is it weird that I'm like, there's so many, but also I don't like I don't remember, like, but I guess for me was one the first time when I did travel, when I was 16, with my best friends, and just experiencing a new country, eating different foods. And just seeing that as a 16 year old, you know, because I'm seeing that now I'm in my 30s. And I'm like, Oh, my gosh, I was so young and innocent. And, you know, you were thinking about completely different things when you're 16. And I guess for me, my most treasured travel moments are really with the people I experience it with. And, you know, I remember that 16 My best cuz I was there with my two best friend, and one of them was just like, so heartsick in love with her boyfriend, and she left him in New York City. And, you know, we were just like, it's okay, you're in Paris. And then, you know, like, experiencing all of these places, romantic spots in Paris. And then as I get older, you know, when my I met my husband, and we hiked Patagonia, and like, seeing that with somebody that you're in love with. And it's so like, it's so crazy when you now when I go to certain places, I'm like, I wish he was here to see this with me, you know, and like, and then going to different spots when I was a photo journalist, and I would meet indigenous families that I didn't even know the language and you just kind of like, communicate with your hands. And you just laugh and you don't even know what the other person is saying. So it's just those little moments that you're experiencing, not necessarily in the country, but with the people that you're surrounding yourself with. So for me, travel is not just about the place itself, but it's really about the relationships that you're making along the way, because that's what's standing out to me now. I mean, Patagonia, Iceland, the Philippines, all of that was beautiful, but I couldn't, you know, I couldn't remember bits and pieces, but I can always remember the feeling that I had with the people that I experienced that would so those are really my treasured moments, I think is like the relationships that I got, even with people that I don't even talk to anymore. I'm just like, Oh, that was nice.

Jason Moore 54:26
It's always a magical moment, when you make a connection that is not language based, right, then you're really connecting on this interesting level of I don't know, you know, if you're, if you're sharing a moment with somebody and you can't speak the language, but you're all there and you're present and you're still sort of communicating without communicating. It just says a lot about us, I think as humans and the connections we're able to make with anybody anywhere, right?

Debbie Arcangeles 54:59
Yeah. See, yeah, and I also think that I also think it kind of takes away a lot of barriers too. Because a lot of times, like, there's certain things that you read in the news and books about, like, what you should expect, right? When you go to a different country, and you always have to remember that, and somebody else's perspective and not yours, you can have a completely different experience than that person, it could be worse, or it could be the best thing that's ever happened to you. So traveling, another thing that really made me realize is to see it with my own eyes, and not necessarily believe everything another person is writing about, you know, talking about, because I've gone to so many different places that it was absolutely unexpectable. Like, the people the country, like it was just amazing. And everybody told me it was dangerous, or etc, etc. And then you meet the people and you see the place and you're like, Yeah, okay, like, you know, obviously, my experience is different than theirs. But you have to experience it yourself.

Jason Moore 56:05
Yeah. Yeah, thanks for that. I think that can be maybe one of the pitfalls of over researching a destination, right, you're starting to file that destination into several different categories in your brain. And none of them are based on your own personal experience. I'm not saying that research is bad, but it can be much could be Yeah, it can create a certain level of expectation, whether that's wanted or unwanted inside your head, and maybe even turn you off from going to a place that you would enjoy. Or at least potentially, yeah, I guess infiltrate maybe the experience you have on the ground? I don't know. That's, that's another tough question. Right? How can you answer that? What's what's too much research? Well, what you know, it's, it's, it's not an easy question to answer. Um, again, I'm not saying don't research a place, you got to be smart and be safe and all that. But I guess going in with an open mind is the key there, right. offbeat life, offbeat destinations. I have to ask you about? What What would you consider offbeat destinations that you've been that you would recommend to some of the listeners. Um,

Debbie Arcangeles 57:22
one of the places that people told me and it's still considered a dangerous place now is El Salvador. So my, my husband, he was my boyfriend at that time. So it's, it's so funny. So when I was still a photo journalist, I worked with NGOs. And one of the NGOs that I was working with was in Guatemala. And then I was photographing there. And then I met somebody I was, I met a volunteer, and she ended up going to El Salvador, where she lived there for like two years. And they ended up working in the NGO that she was working with, too. So she ended up inviting us to stay with her in El Salvador. And I didn't realize how incredible the surfing is in El Salvador. Right? Yeah. So um, my husband and I never surfed before, and one day, she had made close friends there, her boyfriend is El Salvadorian. They're not together anymore. But at that time, they were. And he knew everybody, he's all Salvadorian, he took us to this incredible beach town. My boyfriend ended up learning how to surf in El Salvador, with these incredible surfers who are just like, amazing. And everybody told us not to go because it's one of the red zones in you know, in, in South America and Central America. And we were like, if we didn't, oh, and by the way, we ended up spending the last Mayan Calendar in El Salvador. And there was like this huge, incredible ceremony with all of these people. We were like, in the middle of this temple somewhere. So I'm like, that's, that's another one of those experiences that I'll never forget. But then I tend to because I'm just like, there's so much El Salvador, and then also, the Middle East when I was when I went there, another photo assignment. And another thing you know, where people tell you something about the country, the place and you go there, and it's completely unexpected. We've, I probably met the most amazing people in Sinai in Egypt, the battle winds. And it was crazy. They invited us into their homes and ate like, dinner with the doctor of the village. There was no tourists there, except for us. And yeah, I guess those are the places that people think are pretty dangerous. And we went there and we met like, incredible friends in those places.

Jason Moore 59:54
Yeah. Beautiful. I haven't been to El Salvador would love

Debbie Arcangeles 59:59
it. go surfing there, Jason.

Jason Moore 1:00:01
I want to do that right now. What are some of your favorite? No, you could highlight like resource books, a quote, whatever you want. Here are some things that have impacted you in your life.

Debbie Arcangeles 1:00:17
Um, favorite books, obviously, I feel like every digital nomad talks about the four hour workweek workweek with Tim Ferriss. So that's, you know, that's, that's everybody's thing. It's a staple. Um, one of the books that I recently just read was David Goggins. I forgot the name of his book. Yeah, I read that. Yeah. And it's such an incredible book. And it's not about travel. It's not working remotely, but it's just resilience, and it hurt me. Yes. It's probably one of the best books I've read recently. And like, David's story is amazing, because it just shows you like, You're not born with with things right, he created himself. And that is something I think every person should read. Because it really shows the person's what what your resilience can can really take you, it doesn't matter what your background is, where you come from, you can come from nothing, and then, you know, turn into something. And I think it really resonated with me because of my own upbringing. And my families as well. So yeah, that's one of the books and how to win friends and influence people. I love that too. And I think, yeah, those are some of the good books I've I've read.

Jason Moore 1:01:41
Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to come on the show. If you want to hear the the table's turned. Yes. I'm going to be interviewed on your show Debbie. Yeah, the offbeat life. And we'll leave a link to your show, of course. And if you want to, yeah, if you want to listen to that. We're gonna we're gonna be doing having some fun.

Debbie Arcangeles 1:02:02
Yeah, I don't know how I'm gonna top your interview style, though, Jason, because you're amazing. So like, right now, like, just talk the entire time. You could you could do this. Now I have to

Jason Moore 1:02:13
pay pal, Debbie for, for saying that. The agreed upon amount that we know like, wow, that's very fun. Thank you. Well, you've done some incredible interviews yourself. And just congrats on all the success and being able to create this offbeat life for yourself. And then of course, what I love is that you're utilizing your own experiences, sharing it and helping others do the same thing. And that's what this is all about really is helping everybody. Live their travel dreams do the things they want to do. It's about more than travel. Right? I mean, there's so much to this. But of course, if you're here, you love travel, it's probably a big part of it for you. So is there anything we missed that you care to share? Feel free to do? So?

Debbie Arcangeles 1:02:57
Yeah, no, I think it's I'm just really honored to be here. I've been a longtime listener, and I'm just like, Oh, my God, I'm stalking debate. So I'm just super, I feel really, I have a really big gratitude for for you and for what you do as well, Jason, and I think what you do is really incredible. And yeah, I can't thank you enough for allowing me to share, share my journey and your show.

Jason Moore 1:03:25
Thank you so much. And we'll we'll be in touch. Yes. Take care.

There you have it, thank you so very, very much to Debbie for stopping by sharing her story. What a way to come to a country. I just can't imagine what it's like to be completely uprooted from everything, you know, and placed in a totally foreign country as, as a young person, and then having to adapt to everything in school and all that stuff. You know, I live in another country now. But I'm an adult, I made the decision to do that. And even then, there were so many challenges and so many different parts of that, that that are still kind of evolving for me. And I'm still trying to figure out and that's life, right? We're always trying to kind of figure things out as we go, which is why I mentioned at the top of this this idea of living an offbeat life what does that mean to you in this moment and I do think some intentionality around your goals are the things you want or a certain lifestyle you want to live is a good thing to think about on a regular basis to reflect on. And one of the ways you can do that is by defining what that means to you. Right now in this moment knowing that could change in a month in three months and six months in a year. Whatever. That's okay. I am content that I am a settled down person right now. I live in one place where I have a base and I'm not nomadic right now, but I love that I was before, and that I potentially could be, again. And that, to me, is what it means to kind of live an unconventional life or live an offbeat life right? Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that I'm doing something crazy. In this moment out in the world, riding a bike around the world, or on hiking across the country, or whatever the case it is. For me, it's just this general feeling that life is exciting, and that exciting new things can happen. And that I don't really know what the next year or the next months bring. I don't know where I'll end up. I don't really know what I'll be doing necessarily even professionally. And I like that. I like it like that. I like to kind of chunk life down into smaller segments and really not look at the the idea that I have to figure out everything for the rest of my life. It's more like, hey, how do I want to spend the next year, the next six months, and the fact that I can always revisit this and things can change and things can surprise me. To me, that's my version of an offbeat life. It just feels exciting and an exciting new things can happen. Case in point, I never would have imagined that the band that I've been playing in here would have opened up a concert for this incredible band, the wombats at a major venue in Oslo in the city. And that we would play in front of 100 people, which is what happened last week in my life, never could have even thought that that would be a possibility in my life, even just a month ago, yet, kind of just putting myself out of the comfort zone with the music stuff, as one example, led to that and a bunch of other fortuitous things that led us to this major stage show down in in the heart of the city. What a thrill, I still I'm still pinching myself, I'm still like, I can't believe this happened, I will leave a link to laundry house, if you want to check out our music if you like rock music, and that's your thing, you can feel free to check it out. But that is a great example of wow, like pinch me, I had no idea that something like this could ever happen in my life, or that it would. And I love that I love that those possibilities exist, what are going to be the next version. So that doesn't have to be such a big accomplishment. And in my case, this was this, this whole playing on a real stage at a real venue thing was just mind blowing. But you know, let's take it back to travel. I just had a great interview that's going to come out later. So if you want to hear it, you can subscribe to the feed. And he has created a company where he takes people to islands deserted islands teaches them survival skills. And then he leaves you there for three days to survive. So cool. Such a cool concept. And I thought that's really neat. Anyway, got the talking. And he's like, Hey, I'm gonna have an extra bedroom here and in Portugal. And so after that interview yesterday, I have thought, Well, hey, maybe I'll take a trip with my son down to Portugal this winter, do some scouting along the coast, maybe find some of the towns there see what they're like, perhaps find a place to spend some winters in the future? Who knows? He also shared with me a website where I could rent a camper van. Now I'm starting to think well, maybe we'll take a camper van trip. So I just love that. There is that possibility of who knows, maybe I'll be sleeping in a camper van on the coast of Portugal, some months from now. Who knows? I just like that. So anyway, that's what it means to me. What is the living an offbeat life mean to you? How would you define it in a sentence or two? And are you living that life right now? And if you're not, and you define it, well, what can you do to figure out a way so you can live more in line with your definition of it. So just wanted to share some thoughts there. And by the way, if you have any comments on this, you want to answer that question actually leave me a voicemail, I leave a link in all of the show notes. encourage everybody to reach out and say hi make it a two way conversation. No email required. You just click on the link, leave a voicemail. And I'll send you a personal voicemail back and you can always of course reach me at Jason at zero to travel.com if you want to do the good old fashioned email, which is what I got from another listener who inspired me with their story and how they were able to create an immediate life of travel with just a simple three word sentence after a pivotal turning points and here it is. This one was from Kate whose subject header was travel plans inspired by the zero to travel podcast she said Hi Jason. My name is Kate. I just quit my job to travel the country. Hopefully the world one day but baby steps for now. I just wanted to shoot you an email to let you know how much your podcast influenced this decision. began listening on my daily walks and found myself lost in the store. Stories. You and your guests have told about so many destinations, I would genuinely picture myself in the places you spoke of living the life of the story you were telling. So the wheels began to turn would this be possible? How do people get to live this way? That's not real life, right? Surely people don't actually live like this. I love this series of questions. She goes on to say, I began to do more research, follow the guests you have on the show on social media, and found others who live this type of lifestyle to follow and began brainstorming how to make this all possible still in the back of my mind that I'm dreaming and will never actually do it. The turning point from, quote, your dreaming attitude to, quote, let's make this a reality actually occurred from a New Year's resolution joke. My husband and I were discussing how to make traveling more often a sustainable resolution for the coming year, I jokingly said to him, let's just pack up and leave. Almost immediately. My next thought was, wait, why not? We're grown adults in charge of our own lives. So long story short, since January, we've been putting things into place to be able to leave on a year long, maybe more trip around the US. Thank you for your knowledge and resources. All you do, it's been a large part of our drastic change in life. Kate, thank you so much. I'd love to just publicly here on the podcast acknowledge these listener stories, because I find them so inspiring that people are able to, you know, process these these stories and see kind of what is possible. And then take the action. That's the key, right? Taking the action to make it a reality for yourself. And those three words, right? Wait, why not? Just say, hey, let's just pack up and leave. Wait, why not? Maybe that's something to leave the show with. leave you with those three words. Wait, why not? Oh, I

used to say all the time on the show? If not now. Then when was a question I'd like to leave at the end of the show. If you're an old school year to travel listener. You've heard that before. Maybe it's time to bring it back if not now than when? Or Kate's version would be Wait, why not? So thanks, Kate, for taking the time to write for inspiring me and I'm sure some of the listeners out there through your story and your choice to live out your travel dreams. All right, let's wrap this up with a couple quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson. First one. He said our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. And lastly, you cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. Thanks for listening and I will see you next time. Cheers peace and love.

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