Go for it!

George Lee Mallory, may or may not have been the first person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1924, more than 30 years before Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was officially credited with this astounding achievement. Mallory and his hiking partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine were last seen disappearing into the clouds somewhere high on the North-East ridge of Mt. Everest.

Mallory is most famously credited with coining the phrase "Because it's there", which was a retort to the question, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?"

Besides this catchy one liner, which in all honesty was probably paraphrased by some 1920's New York Times reporter, Mallory was transcribed to say something of even greater significance, he said, "If you cannot understand that there is something in man that responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life, upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just shear joy, and joy after all is the end of life. We don't live to eat and make money, we eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and that is what life is for."

Ultimately, his ambition and willingness to sacrifice all, in order to attempt the unthinkable by most, speaks deeply to a certain part of me. Mallory was not a man who spent most of his time thinking, or talking about his ideas. He spent his time doing. Doing the things he loved. Living the way he wanted. Encouraging all of us to carefully consider the tiny amount of time we each have on this planet.

This simple truth inspires me, as I hope it does you, to challenge yourself, to take those leaps of faith necessary to shake life up and make it interesting. To step away from what's comfortable and familiar, and step out into the unknown. Take those risks and make those moves that may be unconventional today, but by tomorrow will seem like part of the routine. Growth only comes from adversity and from challenge, and it is here that the bonds of life are forged. 

I encourage everyone to strive for something more with the time they have, even if a personal goal is undefined, or crude, go for it. Know that you will not be alone on your quest. You will meet so many great people along the way that just seem to "show up" at the right time; either to help, teach, or just have fun with, because once you set sail from your safe and familiar harbor, and head out on the open ocean of endless possibilities, you will blissfully find yourself amongst family. A family that is strengthened by all its members, and whose lineage is timeless.


“To experience, to engage, to endeavor, rather than to watch and to wonder — that's where the real meat of life is to be found.” -Ben Saunders: Artic explorer

Dag'gum Truckers!

While lounging at the beach, on a couple hammocks, in El Salvador last summer an idea was born. "Let's be truck drivers!" This idea was sparked when we realized that we would eventually need to get to work soon, as our accounts, after more than a year of traveling, were now starting to get low. We knew that after going feral for so long, i.e. spending more time without shoes on than with, we would not be able to settle back into a typical job stateside. Although, the thought of A/C at that time was quite enticing.

What appealed to us most about becoming truck drivers was that we would be able to work together, which we really enjoy doing, we would not have to be inside an office, and ultimately, we could make good money while having the freedom to take off and travel when we want.

We could also confidently answer the most trying question all team truckers have to face, which is, can you handle living together in such a small space. We always get a kick out of this one, mainly because we've spent close to 100% of the last year either living in our 27' Catalina sailboat or our 1986 Ford F350 pickup, both of which have substantially less living space than a semi-truck. Basically, the semi-truck is like a two story condo for us.

Fast forward a few months, and after a bit of research we decided to start with a company called FFE, based out of Dallas, Texas. They offered us free CDL (commercial driver license) Training, and the shortest OTR (over the road) training period we found in the industry. All they ask in return is that you drive for them for one year, which sounded like a pretty good deal to us!

After excelling through the two-weeks at their Driver Training Academy, and passing our DOT CDL Class A driver exam, we both parted ways for the first time in over a year for our 6 weeks of paid OTR training. Once done with the OTR training, and successfully passing our upgrade exams, FFE assigned us a 2012 International Prostar. We have been rolling all over the country since and are enjoying the heck out of it!!!