Hi there. It’s been awhile. Nearly 8 months, to be exact.

I’m sorry for my absence. I’ve started to write this post many times since April, but I could never quite find the words to say what I needed to. To be honest, I needed time to figure out what I was feeling first, before sharing it with you guys. But I’ve processed things now, and it’s time you know the truth:

I decided to stop traveling full-time, go back to the States, and return to my career in TV. 

Why? It started in Fiji. When you last heard from me, I’d just taken a last-minute producing job on the island. I hadn’t planned on going back to my day job in TV production, but it was an amazing opportunity to work in a gorgeous country on a fun new show. It was only a two month contract, and I assumed I’d go back to traveling afterwards.

Only, when I went back to work, I realized I missed my career. 

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed working with a fun crew, being creative in a fast-paced environment, and collaborating with interesting people to produce something that millions of people (hopefully!) will see.

Turns out, I like having a workplace to go to in the morning. My job isn’t some boring desk job (though, trust me, it has it’s bad days) and it is constantly evolving. I realized that as long as I avoid burnout, I can really thrive in this environment.

Staying in the US for a bit.

Going back to work also showed me that I’m not necessarily the best at self-motivating. One of the things I kept insisting on when I left home to travel the world is I’d have so much time for “my own projects” – this blog, freelance writing, and figuring out other location-independent income streams.

But I had to face the bitter truth – I’m not that great at following through on those personal projects, especially when I’m in an exciting foreign country with endless supplies of beaches to lounge on, mountains to climb, and local beers to drink excessively.

And guess what? TV pays well. If I busted my ass as a freelance writer for the next five years, I could only hope to make a quarter of what I do in production. Even if I just take short contracts and work in TV for 6 months a year, I’ll still make more than I would hustling as a freelance writer.

When I wasn’t working in Fiji, I was doing this.

And finally, I was burnt out from traveling non-stop for 7 months. I never thought I’d say that, but you don’t know how you’ll handle constant travel until you do it. I had incredible experiences, but after about 5 months, I missed my loved ones and started taking the constant new experiences for granted. The adventures became less exciting than the thought of seeing a familiar face.

So, the choice was obvious. After I finished the Fiji gig, I headed back to the States and returned to my old, trusty day job working on my favorite show.

And I loved it. I loved it so much, I decided to sign on for another full season after that, effectively employing me until September of 2017.

Am I done with adventures? Hell no. This business is contract based and I’m a freelancer, so I’m blessed with an enormous amount of freedom. After I finished my last contract, I had six weeks until my next one started, so I went to Amsterdam and then climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.

More about that Kilimanjaro climb later…

The dream is to keep a good balance of work and travel, so that I don’t get burnt out with either one. By the end of 2016, I will have worked in TV for 6 months and traveled the other half of the year – an ideal ratio for me.

What’s gonna happen with the blog? Truthfully, I haven’t been sure how to proceed now that I’m back at work again. I strongly considered closing it down. But after logging back on after my absence, I remembered how much I loved sharing my adventures and travel tips with you. It helped give meaning to my experiences and pushed me to think about them in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise.

So I’m sticking with it. I’ll keep a steady trickle of stories flowing from my travels that I haven’t shared yet, starting with some photos from India, a bull shark dive I did in Fiji, and my recent climb of Kilimanjaro (aka the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done).

I also plan on the occasional helpful post on how to keep the adventure levels in your life high and your complacency levels low. This is my favorite subject to read and write about, and you guys seem to like it too!

I’ll NEVER stop nudging myself out of my comfort zone, and you shouldn’t either.

So I hope you’ll forgive my absence. I was afraid of telling you guys about my decision because I was worried you’d think I was a failure, or I was giving up on a dream, or I was some phony travel blogger who’d been selling you a lifestyle that wasn’t realistic. The truth is, I just realized that full-time travel wasn’t for me right now, and I made an adjustment.

I still love and live for long-term travel, and I look forward to many more extended trips abroad in the future. But for now, I’ve got a new place in Los Angeles and I’m settling into my life here for awhile.

And of course, I have been and will continue to challenge myself to an adventure a week, despite working full-time and staying put in the US.

After all, I gotta keep from becoming too comfortable somehow, right?