From Tourist to Explorer

How Did I End Up Here?

Look at this picture, my heart was pounding at 160 beats per minute. I was thousands of feet in the air, falling towards the earth, and I had just one thought... 'How did I end up here?' I was a dad, I had a career, and just a few years earlier, my idea of travel was a package tour. To answer that question, we have to go back a bit.

"Before" - The Tourist Trap

My first international trips were with my family to Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong, Thailand... and they were fun! It was a childish way of seeing things. Then we did a group tour to Switzerland. We were treated like a bunch of horses, just rushed from one photo spot to the next. I remember standing there, looking at a beautiful mountain, and being told we only had 5 minutes before the bus left. That was the moment. I decided I should not see the world this way.

The Turning Point - New Zealand

So, I decided to do it differently. I spent six months planning my own trip to New Zealand. And it was incredible. In places like Milford Sound, I could finally breathe and just experience the landscape. But the real change happened on a day I left the family at the hotel to just roam around alone...

The Epiphany

...I saw a sign board of Sky diving. With a wave of curiosity and lot of fear, I walked in. When I saw this poster – “THERE IS NO SUCH WORD AS TRY, THERE IS ONLY DO OR DID NOT DO”. then I decided that I'm doing it now

The Transformation

When I first jumped, my heart was pounding... I was terrified. But then... then I was just floating. Like a bird. It was a shock to my system, an out-of-this-world experience. And in that silence, floating above the world, I felt this incredible inner joy. My adventures didn't start when the plane landed in New Zealand. My real journey started right here.

A New Quest: The World From Above

That jump started a new obsession! I started exploring where I could skydive on every continent. I did it over the deserts of Dubai, the coast of California, the jungles of Costa Rica, and right over the incredible Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina.

From Sky to Sea

This new mindset wasn't just about the sky. In Australia, I tried scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. It was a whole other universe... so calm, peaceful, weightless. It was mind-blowing. Then in South Africa, I decided to face another fear... I tried crocodile and shark cage diving. Feeling a croc brush past you... seeing a Great White hit the cage... it makes you feel incredibly alive.

The Ends of the Earth

That South Africa trip triggered another quest. Standing at the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, I wanted to see them all. I went to Ushuaia in South America, the city they call 'The End of the World.' But I realized I wanted to go further. After a year of planning, I made it to Antarctica. It's an entirely different planet... just endless whiteness. And yes, I did the polar plunge... jumped into that ice water in a bare body! That trip was extra special because it completed my dream—I had now visited all seven continents.

The Spark

It all started not with a grand plan, but in a rattling four-wheel-drive on the border of Nepal. I took a 6-hour jeep ride to a peak called Sandakphu, feeling proud of the journey. But when I got there, I met people who hadn't taken a jeep. They had walked.

One of them shared his story of reaching Everest Base Camp. And in that moment, standing next to him, a simple but powerful question hit me: 'Could I ever do that?’

That single question became an obsession. It led to four months of relentless preparation, transforming me from a tourist into a trekker. In October 2021, I stood at Everest Base Camp myself. But that mind-blowing experience wasn't an endpoint. It was the first domino to fall.

It ignited a fire that has since led me from the Himalayas to the roof of Africa on Mt. Kilimanjaro... to the highest, icy peak of Europe, Mt. Elbrus... and to the top of Australia, Mt. Kosciuszko. This slide isn't just a list of mountains; it's a testament to how one moment of inspiration can completely reshape the map of your life.

Changing Gears

And the adventure wasn't just about nature! I hadn't ridden a bike in 15 years, but I biked 1200km through Benelux, five countries in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Denmark) on a massive BMW. In Germany, I even got a 20-minute slot to race on a real F1 track. I came in 7th place! Recently, I even went bungee jumping over the Nile River in Uganda. It's about saying 'yes' to the opportunity.

The Hard Lessons from the Road

Through all these adventures, I've learned a few fundamental truths.

1. The Triage of Travel
The first is what I call the Triage of Travel. In life, you have three key resources: Health, Money, and Time. The hard truth is, these three things will almost never perfectly align.

• When you're young, you have Health and Time, but no Money.

• In your mid-career, you have Money and Health, but no Time.

• Later in life, you may have Time and Money, but not your Health.
  The lesson? You cannot wait for the "perfect moment" to travel or to live. It doesn't exist. You have to seize the opportunity when you can.

2. The Traveller's Mindset: Prepare, Then Adapt
The secret to great travel isn't just about meticulous planning; it's about how you react when those plans fall apart.

• First, do your homework. Know why you are going. Find your passion, whether it’s adventure, rest, or a challenge. Research your destination, build your confidence with shorter trips, and always have a safety net.

• But once you're on the road, embrace chaos. Things will go wrong. Trains will be late, attractions will be closed, weather will turn. In those moments, you can either get frustrated or you can adapt. Don't panic. Enjoy where you are, and always have a Plan B. Sometimes, Plan B is the adventure you were meant to have all along.

My Final Lesson and a Call to You

If there is one thing I hope you take away from my story, it is this: Push your boundaries. Leave your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be skydiving or climbing a mountain. It can be anything that scares you just a little. Do what makes you truly, deeply happy, because time is our most precious, non-renewable resource. There should be no regrets.

I started this journey late. I was comfortable, I was cautious. I was, in many ways, a turtle, safe inside my shell. But I learned something profound along the way.

If a turtle like me can learn to fly... what about you?