ADL INTRO

    

    I was crawling over fallen tree limbs and pushing thick palm branches away from my face. The taste of the humid air pushed me further into the jungle to find a moment of rest under a tree. As I sat under the tree drinking from my canteen, thoughts of what I would find during this adventure ran through my mind. I might see an animal never seen before, a fossil of prehistoric life, or even stumble across an ancient lost city. As I filled with excitement for what could be beyond the next branch I continued my hike. While walking forward through the thick shrubs and trees I could hear faint screaming. I stopped in my tracks, maybe someone is hurt, maybe by chance someone needs saving. I picked up a sturdy stick from the ground and headed in the direction of the sound. The yelling not only seemed louder it seemed familiar. When I came up to who was making this noise I hid behind a tree, peeking around the side of it. Realizing who it was I walked out and...was greeted with "Go inside and get cleaned up, its time for dinner." 6 years old I was brought back to reality by grandma. I put the adventure on pause and would resume it at a later time. 
  
   Ever since I was a young boy I looked for adventure where ever I could. From hikes in my grand parent's palmetto shrubs to the woods in John Prince park when I was a bit older, then to spending days as a teen hiking in massive forests and mountains in New Hampshire. Adventure drove me. Though like most as I got older adventure became less and less. Working full time and competing in the rat race took up the majority of my time and energy. Adventure for me as an adult became getting in my car at 7 am, driving in bumper to bumper traffic hoping not to be late, and then arriving at a concrete jungle, a big box retail store where I managed and helped others move up in the rat race. There were moments where I found a recharge during vacations, where I would just get into my car and drive, taking roads I've never tried before just to see where they led. I love driving, It became my new way of seeking adventure. I found myself chasing back roads and curvy mountain roads were the best. I took a road trip to places like Blue Ridge just to drive the parkway in its entirety. The Blue Ridge led me in the direction to drive a road many feared...US 129 also known as the tail of the dragon. This road is known for many accidents including those that have caused death along its 318 hairpin turns within 11 miles. In my Volkswagen GTI, I drove this road twice once going east into NC and then back into Tenn. At first, it begins like any other road until you see the road sign warning you of the 318 curves coming up. It was an incredible adventure and one I highly recommend to other driving enthusiasts. In 2012 the realization of never stepping foot out of the US started to get me. With money saved and a bonus I got, I chose to use it to visit a new place. Not sure where to go I took a map of Europe and Eurasia, I closed my eyes and where ever my finger landed that is where I was going to venture. My finger landed on a small country called Armenia. After planning and booking the trip I landed in Armenia July of 2012 the hottest month there. It was the biggest adventure I have ever had, the country was in rough shape in certain parts, but the countryside was incredible. I saw landscapes I've never seen before, met incredible people and visited hidden monasteries built into the sides of mountains, It was like something out of a Tolkien novel. 
  
  Today I am in southeast FL, Where I still drive to a concrete jungle in bumper to bumper traffic. Though in a few months this will change. I have become us, and we are planing the biggest adventure of our life. Stepping away from our positions in the rat race to pursue a life we want. We took a trip together last year to Colorado and Wyoming from Florida. We visited many national parks, took many great back roads that took us to incredible sites, we tried local food and even met a few people. On our way back from the trip we looked at each other and asked how can we just do this full time. We watched and read about others doing it. So many other bloggers and Vloggers out there that are doing this. A common theme and one we were both interested in for a while was the minimalist mindset. For us, we lived in a large 4 bedroom house with a pool, 2 car garage, and located in a very quiet neighborhood. We purchased furniture to fill the rooms up and decorated the house with even more stuff. We were paying landscapers and other groundskeepers to help take care of the house and property. Needless to say, the only thing keeping us in the rat race was our own doing. The only thing keeping us away from an adventure-filled life was thinking we needed to have this stuff. We were filling rooms that we never used with the furniture we didn't need. We came up with a plan and within a few months, we sold the house, sold or donated all the stuff we did not need, purchased a 24 foot Gulfstream Cabin cruiser travel trailer, and have been living in it here in a campground since this past October. Our plan this year is to hit the road traveling throughout the US. We are looking forward to sharing our adventures, financial advice, products we use, and many other things regarding our new Adventure Driven Life.