Philosophy

A lack of inspiration can hold us hostage at any given time.

Whether it be caused from overworking, stress, debt, or any other number of life’s guerrilla tactics. When the creative gears grind to a halt it’s a frustrating ordeal for any of us. 

Especially when you factor in the looming demand of content creation.

For myself, I would actually say that the three previously listed culprits had their equal part in my creative hold up.

As my friends, regulars, and readers continually ask me where I am going next. For the first time in a while, I haven’t been able to give a clear answer.

Maybe a tour through Italy and Greece? Cappadocia,Turkey? Día De Los Muertos in Mexico?

Who the hell knows?

I started exploring of the realm of reward credit cards and travel points during my trip through France, as well as The Dominican Republic.

They should provide me with some new information, travel hacks, and further travel opportunities soon, but they also came with a hefty price tag and the necessary evil of debt which must be re-paid.

To tackle this issue, I picked up a morning job during the week, as well as more shifts at the bar as a means of funding future travels as well as paying my newly accrued encumbrance.

While my time is heavily occupied with work, this has helped me complete many exciting steps towards the future of growing The Traveling Barkeep.

As a writer, I never like to be inactive for too long, and understand that content creation is the lifeblood of any creative endeavor.

However, I’m still a quality over quantity kind a guy and would rather create something heartfelt then producing the same regurgitated bullshit.

So, for those of you who invest the time to keep up with me, as well as new readers, I love and appreciate you all.

I am continually grateful for your support, tips, advice, suggestions, patience and feedback in any and all areas of this grand adventure called life.

Thanks again, and here’s to the future!

The United States is one of the most diverse nations in the world and the great majority of it’s citizens have all immigrated from somewhere else. As for these newly immigrated Americans, they obtain their citizenship, become full fledged members of society, and integrate themselves into their new life. Meanwhile, like the rest of us, they pursue careers, buy homes, and often build families.

My father, as well as many of my friends are the first born generation of Americans.

Yet, one different point echoes. My friends of every ethnicity are always asked “where are you from?”, or “what are you?” my father was not.

To give an example, a friend of my was sitting at the bar when she was approached by a man in his early 30s. After a brief exchange, the man casually asked her “So, where are you from?”. She responded, “I’m from Florida”, to which the man shakes his head, then follows up with “No, no, like, where are you from?.”

Now, for those of you who do not follow where this conversation is about to go, this is not how you ask a persons heritage, or ethnicity.

Neither is,
-what are you?
-where are your people from?
-or anything along the lines of “what kind of Asian are you?”

Hopefully you get the gist.

After explaining to the man that she grew up near Cocoa Beach, he again responds with, “yeah, but, where are you from?”….

What can I say?

Sometimes you have to Fisher Price things for stupid people.

‏Travel has a way of pulling us out of our routine and making us appreciate life and all the comforts we have at home that we miss while we’re away. Yet, sometimes we forget how great home really is and what our local areas truly have to offer.

A short trip to a new or even familiar local spot can have the same effect of excitement and discovery as an overseas journey if done the right way. Take a hike, go to the beach, go see the worlds largest ball of string for all I care. Just enjoy this life you are given and try to see the world around you with a new set of eyes with each new experience.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did” -Mark Twain

When choosing a new adventure, try to keep it fresh and stay open minded. If you don’t like the days activity, don’t go back or don’t do it again, but at least you are a fuller more interesting version of yourself than you were before.

For instance, living in Central Florida offers many opportunities to explore the beaches of the Atlantic and Gulf coast. There are also airboat rides through the swamp, a few casinos, and many theme parks, all within an hour and a half drive. You can be a part time tourist in St. Augustine, the keys, Miami, and on International drive. There is also kayaking just about anywhere, or you can even stroll around Lake Eola and get a drink at Relax when you get too hot.

These are local examples, but even the most “boring” places have held something fun or beautiful to offer. You just have to be willing to find it.

I heard a great quote by country music star Kevin Welch. I can’t say I know a damn thing about his music, but I still feel it’s a great point about life in general.

“There’ll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read ’em but all that’s gonna matter is that little dash between ’em.”

The United States of America has prided itself on being the melting pot of the world.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

When I was a kid growing up in this country,
The United States of America was portrayed as the refuge to the people of the world, no matter their place of origin or their beliefs. We were supposed to accept people from all walks of life and work together in harmony to build a better future, as long as they shared the same “American Dream”.

Yet, as a nation, we don’t.

Now I’ve grown older, traveled to many countries, and noticed that on a world scale, a lot of the American citizens act like sheltered, self centered, asshole children. Loudly and boisterously, claiming the title of #1, demanding service, and insulting other countries, cultures, languages, or accents wherever they go all because they are different from their own.

Which is exactly my point…

If we are going to claim to be the melting pot of the world, perhaps we should set a better example, or at least become more neighborly.

On a global scale, Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, and Hindi are the most spoken languages.

So, when I heard my fellow countrymen damn people for the use of a second language, I argue that we consider here in the United States it is estimated that there are at least 350 different languages spoken daily and our multilingual brothers and sisters are enriching us as a nation.

To push the point further, we the monolingual Americans should work to be multilingual ourselves.

This would not only help global communication in business and personal travel. It would also help to unify us as a nation as well as set a positive example towards the movement of acceptance at home and around the world.

To conclude my point I leave a quote from one of our founding fathers. A strongly opinionated abolitionist, and author of the pamphlet Common Sense, which is said to inspire the revolutionary war and our supposed fight for freedom.

“The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion” -Thomas Paine.

Maintaining a relationship takes work. Long hours of our time and energy are put forth in the pursuit of happiness with our significant other. In this pursuit, we can find and experience many amazing things that make it all worth while, and having somebody you love to experience the world with is a beautifully irreplaceable thing.

Now, let’s cut the cutesy shit and rip the band aid off.

If you have the spirit of a traveler, you may need to leave your girlfriend/boyfriend.

Too many relationships are burdened by fearful, cheap, selfish, and lazy partners that don’t want to budget or dream towards building future experiences together.

Does this sound like someone you know?

Sure, maybe your girl wants to see Rome. If she expects you to foot the bill, that’s not love, it’s dependency.

I have a friend from the bar whose ex girlfriend told him he looked like he lost a lot of weight just after their breakup. His response was beautiful.

“I did, around 130 pounds”.

Travel comes with it’s inconveniences and can teach you a lot about the person you are with. Sometimes they are dead weight and need to be cut loose.

It’s compromise, not sacrifice. Yes, a relationship is 50/50, but both sides need to give 100%, especially if you want to travel and live life together to the fullest.

Find someone who makes and saves their own money to keep their dreams alive. A person who has hobbies and passions. Someone who burns to live life to the fullest with the time they have. They are out there, but only for those who are true to themselves.

Don’t entertain a relationship that holds you back. Find a partner who appreciates your dreams and has dreams their own. Otherwise, leave them, it’s just easier to go it alone.

In our culture, we should make it a point that we must take two weeks off of work to travel.

In American society, we tend to drain ourselves for 51 weeks out of the year, buffered by a few sick days, and even less personal days. All in hopes of getting approved for a week away to rest and recooperate physically and/or mentally from the demands of a job that stresses the hell out of us.

I’m going to explain why this is bullshit and why taking two weeks off of work is a necessity.

Travel time

A traveler loses two days of vacation solely in transit time to and from their destination. Basic mathematics tell us this leaves 5 days to attempt to unwind, reconnect with ourselves, and forget our worries.

You can’t forget about work if your trip operates like it’s just another business week. Two weeks off can fix this.

Time to Unwind

People need time to decompress. Our mental, spiritual, and emotional baggage doesn’t just dissolve when we step off the plane. In fact one week is about the time it takes to START to relax.

I realized this when I told my boss I was planning a trip to Japan.

She looked at my request for a week off, laughed and said “If you fly that far I better not see you for two weeks.” I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then asked for 2 and a 1/2 weeks off instead.

Why not?

Fortunately she agreed.

The point here is that I had just come from a typical corporate job where I lived the typical American life aforementioned and the idea of two and a half weeks away from home baffled me.

This is when I realized the need for time to unwind.

In the first week of travel, we worry. About anything and everything. On week two of vacation, we have forgotten about our coworkers who care too much about drama, the stress of the major deals and projects, the buzz of the damn refrigerator, the ticking fan in your bedroom, your neighbors yappy ass dog who hasn’t allowed you to get 6 straight hours of sleep in months, and anything else that could potentially turn somebody into Michael Douglass in Falling Down.

Some people aren’t the asshole they appear. They are stressed the hell out and need to get away.

Cost effective

Now I’m sure at this point, there is a fair share of doubt about how to afford a two week off of work when a week vacation is already so expensive. Read on.

The average vacation seems expensive and it shouldn’t be. Flights are usually the most costly thing in a week long vacation and sometimes you can find better deals to go for 10 days, two weeks, and even for a month.

Now our concern becomes lodging and accommodations. If this is not affordable, it’s probably that your tastes that are too expensive. It’s a room that hopefully will just hold your stuff while you leave to see and experience the world. Until you need sleep or shag that is.

As an example, I went to Luang Prabang, Laos in 2016. In this city there are cheap hostels and hotels that charge from $20-$180 and up. I stayed in a hotel for $20 to get out of hostels for a night of quiet rest, then spent the rest of the week back in a hostel for $5 a night. Choosing differently could have had a huge impact on my budget.

So let’s sum up the costs of my choice as well those of an inexpensive hotel and an expensive hotel.

My choice:
$20+($5×6)=$50/week (could have been $35)

Inexpensive hotel:
$20 x 7=$140/week

Expensive hotel:
$180 x 7= $1,260/week

Where you choose to rest your head can effect a lot. The budget for an expensive hotel for one week was $448 more expensive than my round trip flight for a month into Thailand and also covered the cost of my flight into Laos, my visa, lodging, and more while I was there.

Stretch your money for more experience. If you like fancy hotels, budget a night or 2 when needed. Would you rather travel longer and see more, or have a nice room for a few days?

Between American excess and allowing the company to run us, we are cheating ourselves out of some of the best parts of our lives. Travel longer, live more.

The average person thinks they know the world from text books, their friends, and what they see on television. They unknowingly carry these stereotypes with them and believe that they are truly informed as to what the world and its many cultures are like, where in reality it is just the impression of education.

First hand experience provides a much different perspective. When you immerse yourself in an atmosphere that is completely foreign, it teaches you a priceless life lesson.

If you haven’t seen it, done it, or been there first hand. You know nothing.

Riding a motor bike in Laos can be terrifying, but not as much as riding a bicycle in Cambodia. Too bad the latter happened first.

In these times we begin our growth.

It’s called experience and from here I take a tangent.

In a time where Islamophobia is running rampant, I chose to go to Morocco. People at home who “know the world” warned me and told me to be careful.

Fortunately for me, I know better than to define and judge people based on the actions of another.

As for these people, they will never know the kindness and hospitality of the Morrocan people. It’s a shame people let the T.V. tell them how to live their lives. Funny it doesn’t mention a Muslim country was the first to recognize us a free nation.

Too many people stay in their comfort zone. Clinging to their beliefs, while leaving their mind, body, and spirit unchallenged and stagnant. How are we to evolve as people if always hide at home where it’s safe?

Screw your comfort zone. Be uncomfortable. It’s beautiful.

If you were to close you eyes and see the most exotic, intriguing, and awe inspiring place imaginable, where would it be?

Listen to your soul and go.

“We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in this present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh

I’ve been that guy.

At 19, I graduated culinary school and was ready to change the world. I worked many long nights and early mornings, I held down 2 jobs at a time, and by 23 I landed my first job as a Sous Chef for a local resort making more than I knew what to do with at that age.

I had a great career and a beautiful girlfriend, but what I didn’t have was happiness.

One day it all clicked. I walked into my bosses office and turned in my 3 week notice, explaining my last day would be on my birthday. Slightly puzzled, he asked why I wouldn’t work 2 weeks and just enjoy the week of my birthday.

I told him my respect for him, my hatred for the place, and that my leaving was the best gift I could give myself.

He laughed his ass off and told me if I ever needed a recommendation, I had it. That extra weeks pay came in handy in the long run too.

In my first week off, I went to Puerto Rico with my friends Jodrick and Jessica, owners of Chefs on the Run. This man is a culinary juggernaut, check him out at #theruggedchef.

They showed me Aguadilla, Rincon, and Mayaguez, where I met more family members than I could keep up with, was fed like a king, and got obnoxiously drunk one night and pissed off a tripleta cart owner almost causing a brawl.

I don’t remember it, but the story that remains is still hard to live down today.

From there, I returned home for a day, then headed to Costa Rica for my first trip by myself.

I planed the trip with a cook who worked with me, but he bailed somewhere along the lines. Many people would have backed out and cut their losses, but I didn’t.

Some of the most beautiful moments in your life can happen when you don’t know what’s around the corner or where you next meal will come from.

I went insanely over budget and had to talk the airline into flying me home a little over half way into a 3 week trip.

What did I take from this?

Ferris Bueller was right.

“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.”-Ferris Bueller

This life was meant to be experienced to its fullest. When you are young, you have time and energy, but you lack money. When you are middle aged, you have money and energy, but lack time. When you get old, you have time and money, but lack the energy to enjoy things to the fullest.

If you are young enough where you can throw caution to the wind and/or potentially fuck up your career a bit, do it now.

If you are middle aged, don’t count on retirement to experience the things you want to see in life. Instead, budget frequent experiences throughout your life.

You know, work to live, not live to work.

Hell, maybe we can build a life doing what we love.

If you are retired, you have contributed your piece to society. If your kids truly love you they will want you to live life to the fullest, not leave a large inheritance.

Don’t guilt yourself out of the life you deserve.

If I’ve learned anything in my time behind the bar, it’s that nothing’s guaranteed and you might not make it as long as you plan.

Enjoy life now, no regrets.