At the beginning of 2013 I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I had just lost my job, things came to an abrupt halt with my girlfriend, and I was 27 years old and living at my parents house in Phoenix, AZ. At the time I was lost, confused, and attending one of the greatest pitty parties to date … I was the only one invited.

And so, in my wallow-some hours late at night, I asked the usual questions that befall those who suddenly have unexpected time to think about such things. ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ ‘Where do I want to live?’ ‘What do I want to do?’

I was never a lazy person and to this day I get extreme satisfaction out of hard work and education. But something was missing from the path I was on and I had no motivation to jump back into the “career path.” All I could think of was to change something; or perhaps to change everything…

I knew I loved traveling but I couldn’t think of how that could ever be a sustainable lifestyle. Traveling didn’t seem like a very good life-plan and of course, everyone wants to travel! “That’s why they call it a vacation,” I told myself. “What makes me so special that I could make that some sort of goal?” After all, traveling is merely an aspiration for successful people or people with jobs, right? … neither of which I was on the fast track towards…

So I kept looking for answers, thinking, getting frustrated, coming back to the idea of travel, until finally I just threw my hands in the air and said, “Screw it! I’m going to Europe.” Whether that was a smart decision or not, will be up to the reader as this blog progresses. The answer is not entirely clear yet and this blog will continue as long as the journey continues… As long as it takes to feel happiness.

One thing is for sure; traveling became my mark on the wall. It became something I could attain to, something to aim for. I found that with the goal of traveling fixed in my mind, I was spending less waking hours thinking about what I wanted to do and more about how to do it. I didn’t know any of the details of where I would go or what I would do, but I bought a flight and planned on dealing with the mere details at a later date. My flight would be leaving for Paris on February 17th and return from Madrid 89 days later… if everything worked out I would be on that flight.

The emotions of such a drastic decision are tumultuous to say the least. Doubt, excitement, eagerness, and restlessness became a revolving door that led right up to the plane lifting off the ground. I never knew what door I was going to wake up to, but I knew one thing … I knew what direction I was headed. As for all that other stuff (jobs, saving money, responsibility, retirement?) … Well, that could wait until later. In the meantime, I had a bit of spending money from getting laid off at my “9-5” job in Houston, TX and the only thing I had left to do, was to take that first step out of my comfort zone.

February 17th came and the Delta Airlines flight to Paris gracefully lifted off the runway at SkyHarbor International Airport and settled into the sky for a transatlantic flight. I was on that flight and the decision changed my life.

My 3 months in Europe are what inspired this blog. On the road, I found that there are many people who are just as confused and curious about life as I am. I found that people just want to feel free and inspired from time to time. They want to feel like they have control of their own life and that their aspirations and dreams are not an illusion. Today, I feel that society has drained some of that that from us. The focus has centered around careers, earning money, retirement and success; rather than happiness, fulfillment, and purpose. Going to school, studying hard, getting a career, and starting a family is a great plan in life… but it is not the only one and it is not for everyone. There are options, adventures, and experiences all over the world, just waiting to be taken!

At some point back in Phoenix I lost control of the steering wheel of my own life and the thing that concerns me the most, is that I had lost control a long time ago. I don’t believe I am alone in this though. It took a low point in my life to realize that it was time to take control again. Personally, I regained control when that plane took off and pointed towards Europe. I believe everyone has a unique and individual solution to attain happiness in their life and I hope to spark the reader’s interest in discovering how to live purposefully.

People everywhere are trying to find happiness, trying to find themselves, looking for inspiration and ultimately, just want to be happy. I believe happiness comes from being in control of your life and following your dreams. All this sounds a little cliche and mushy … but before traveling to Europe I would have dismissed it as just that, “cliche;” whereas now, I believe there may be something to it all.

In this blog I will share my experiences, lessons I’ve learned and talk about the people I’ve met. Europe proved to be only the beginning. I certainly don’t know what I want to do with my life yet, but I at least feel like I am doing something now. I am writing this from a small city in China in the hopes that it may inspire those of you who may be in a similar spot that I was in. Just refocus, set some goals, and take that first step out of your comfort zone … the rest will sort itself out.

Sincerely & Respectfully,

Dan