Finding Your Passion

For my first blog post I really wanted to focus on a topic that is near and dear to me: how I found my passion for travel. It will most likely be different than my future posts, but I hope it will inspire at least one person who reads it.

Having visited over 10 countries and 4 continents by the time I graduated college, I always get the question of how I can afford to travel so much. There are those who even question me for constantly traveling, thinking that I am wasting all of my money and not being responsible. I have one specific friend that has even expressed his dissent with me for traveling now rather then saving my money. He claims that he plans to travel after he retires later on in life. But WHY wait?!

The best decision that I have made in my short lifetime was choosing to study abroad for a semester in Rome after my sophomore year of college. Living abroad at a young age, with little to no responsibilities, was a once in a lifetime opportunity that may never arise again.

So why do I choose to travel now rather than later? The answer is simple. I found my PASSION. Growing up as a kid you are always asked what you want to be when you grow up. I never had a true answer for that question. And if I did, it changed on a daily basis. That was until I began to travel. Traveling is my passion. Visiting other countries and experiencing different cultures is my passion. Trying diverse food, whether it is fried scorpions in China or guinea pig in Peru is my passion. Being adventurous and zip lining through the Costa Rican rainforest or canyoning in Switzerland is my passion.

So until I can find a way to incorporate traveling into my profession, I will be doing it on the side. I still have my 9-5 job with a 401K and IRA (see I am not as irresponsible as some may think). But the key word there is job. Working behind a computer screen is not something that I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to be able to travel and experience everything that the world has to offer; to be able to visit the three other continents that I have yet to make it to. I want to be a true GLOBAL NOMAD.

So… For anyone that is reading this post, I challenge you to find your passion and incorporate it into your daily life. There is no reason to put off something you love doing. Who knows what tomorrow may bring. Live your life NOW and do what makes you happy everyday!

Shaine was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. After completing his MBA, he spent over a year in Washington D.C. working in corporate finance. He now calls NYC his home, where you’ll find him eating his way through the city, or running through Central Park (to burn off all those calories!).