Expertise

I am currently on a mission to travel to every country in the world. Over 30+ years in the travel industry I visited places in all corners of the globe but still had only been to 30 countries. I didn't feel that was enough. So in July, 2014 I quit my job and embarked on an open-ended journey to achieve my goal. I started in Olympia, Washington and traveled by motorcycle through all of Central & South America, Europe, and stepped foot on Antarctica.

This is maybe the hardest decision one makes. Can I afford to stop working, even temporarily? What about my business contacts. Will I be forgotten? Will I miss working? What if…? There is so much to consider. I have worked through all of this and fairly recently so the thought process is still fresh in my mind. I first thought of taking a "career break" in November, 2013. The idea germinated for several months and I left my job in July, 2014. Now I am traveling the world indefinitely.

I have had a 30+ year career in the travel industry and a good deal of it related to travel technology. For 10 years I was the Founder & CEO of a third-party software provider of front, mid, and back-office applications for travel agencies. For 5 years I was Director of Cruise Product at Expedia and oversaw the creation of Expedia's initial cruise booking engine in 2002. I continued to work in the online travel field up until becoming a traveling nomad in 2014.

I have traveled to many destinations in the world on my own. In particular, from July, 2014 through March, 2016 I traveled throughout North, Central, and South America and all of Europe on a motorcycle going solo. It is a different experience traveling by oneself. You have to reply on your own abilities constantly. The challenge is incredible and that is what makes it so rewarding. The experience is not always good but many time great. I love traveling solo.

I sold everything in July, 2014 to embark on an open-ended journey to travel the world. I am in the middle of that journey now. I have covered 80+ countries with another 100 to go. My best guess is that I will be traveling for 3 or 4 years but love it so much I hope it just becomes a way of life. If you need help understanding the process of preparing for long-term travel or need support along the way I can help.

In 2015 I spent 4 months traveling through Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina on motorcycle. Traveling by motorcycle lets one experience a lot more of a country than if traveling by other means of transportation. If you need help with any of these countries I can help with current information and great ideas. In addition I lived for 2 months in Buenos Aires in 2016.

I lived, studied, and worked in Japan for over 12 years. In addition to graduating from University and working there I am fluent in the Japanese language. I also have an excellent understanding of Japanese culture. If you need help of any kind with Japan I can help.

I traveled throughout Central Europe between July, 2015 and December, 2015. I traveled by motorcycle so no part was left unturned. That trip being completed I can provide a lot of insight into the area.

I traveled throughout Eastern Europe between July, 2015 and November, 2015. I traveled by motorcycle so no part was left unturned. That trip being completed I can provide a lot of insight into the area.

In 2014 I spent 4 months traveling through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama on motorcycle. Traveling by motorcycle lets one experience a lot more of a country than if traveling by other means of transportation. If you need help with any of these countries I can help with current information and great ideas.