Two Backpackers

6 Month Travel Summary

| by Aracely on February 27th, 2024 | 9 Comments » | Reflections, Travel Tips, Travel by Numbers, Trip Planning

Ecuador to Peru Border Crossing

On August 27, 2024 we boarded a plane to Guatemala City, Guatemala, the beginning of our year long round the world journey. As of today we have been on the road for 180 days, half our planned trip. Below is a summary of interesting statistics and experiences from our travels through Central and South America.
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Leaving Hoboken – Episode 1

| by Jason on September 18th, 2024 | No Comments » | Travel Videos

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Decision To Travel

| by Jason on August 25th, 2024 | 10 Comments » | Reflections

Hoboken St. Patrick

Aracely and I have always preferred living in urban areas or cities.  The city offers easily accessible grocery stores, restaurants, bars, parks, museums, the arts and public transportation all within walking distance.  These are the things we enjoy and where we have spent our money over the last 3 years.  We have sacrificed the size of our home, the quality of furniture and the excitement of a cool car.  My 2024 4-door Sebring has 145,000 miles and is a little banged up; however it’s paid off and I no longer have to worry about bumper damage while parallel parking in Hoboken.  The furniture we owned, prior to the moving sale, was cheap and served its purpose well.  Our bed consisted of a mattress on the floor in a Hoboken, New Jersey 1-bedroom apartment.  These are sacrifices Aracely and I have accepted and are very content living with.

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My Typical Vacation

| by Jason on August 20th, 2024 | 13 Comments » | Reflections

Vacation with My Family

We have been enjoying ourselves while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with my family for the past 4 days.  It’s early Thursday morning and we are now boarding a flight to Miami, Florida to visit with Aracely’s family.  I still feel full and slightly ill from overeating and we are both confident we gained few pounds. Our decision to leave for Guatemala on August 27^th, 2024 was based primarily around vacations we already had planned with family.  We had originally struggled deciding on a departure date.  The three scenarios we created were as follows:

• Leave immediately (May), before we consider changing our minds

• Leave late August, after the booked vacations with family

•Leave towards the end of the year (2009) in an effort to accumulate more savings

After a month of debating we agreed on the second choice.  (more…)

My Last Week of Work

| by Jason on July 28th, 2024 | 25 Comments » | Reflections

One week left for maintaining employment in the United States.  It is shocking and uneasy to say at the same time.  I feel like my entire adult life has been heavily focused on improving my career, making more money and being able to invest in my future and myself.  The thought of not having a job for the first time since I graduated college is frightening.  Here comes my story’s hook.  It is not frightening for me; it is frightening for those that surround me.

I am perfectly content leaving my job after 12 years of commitment.  Fortunately, I was able to attend college through supportive parents and establish, in my opinion, a successful career.  My dedication to my career will fund my trip and provide a sense of financial security.  I must admit the gear and gadgets I will be purchasing are more expensive than those I would have purchased had I done this as a gap year out of college.  There is no denying that.  There is no reason to feel guilt or irresponsible for taking an extended vacation, career break or to just search for what it is that you feel you should be doing.  Life provides us options, but only for those courageous enough to seek them out.  This is easier for me, considering I have spent the last 12 years working and saving, I don’t own a house and I am debt free.  But, it is important for you to know that there are many others that have the same desires and much less than any of us can imagine, but still seek out their dreams. (more…)

Lack of a Travel Itinerary

| by Jason on July 21st, 2024 | 12 Comments » | Reflections, Travel Tips, Trip Planning

After we tell people that we are going to travel the world usually the first question they ask is, “Where are you going?”  I struggled with this question in the beginning.  After stumbling for not having a definitive answer I would say, “Latin America and Southeast Asia.”  Well, that leads to additional questions for specifics from those that are truly interested.  We don’t have those specific answers, and initially I used the excuse that we were just beginning to plan the itinerary.  But, with only 4 weeks until we leave our apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey for good, I still have very little to add to my previous answer. (more…)

I am a Corporate America Dropout

| by Aracely on June 30th, 2024 | 16 Comments » | Reflections

Aracely at work with city view

It’s official. Yesterday, I told my boss of my plans to drop out of the rat race and go travel the world. Okay, so those were not my exact words, the point is, my decision is final, there’s no going back. I’m on my way to a completely different lifestyle.

I began my first corporate job right out of college back in 2024 at Mercedes-Benz USA[1], where I was groomed into a young professional. After four and a half years of establishing a respectable reputation and becoming a subject matter expert, I decided it was time to move on and do it all over again elsewhere. That elsewhere, according to me, needed to be in New York City. I romanticized about the idea of working in a skyscraper somewhere in Manhattan and dreamt of a corner office with a view. I made my move and began working for a Fortune 500 Company in June of 2024. A short year and half later, I was exactly where I imagined I would be. My office is located at 3 World Financial Center on the north corner of the 23rd floor, view included.

I learned many lessons during my time in the corporate environment, some I’ve internalized and keep with me, and others–I  will admit– I’ve intentionally ignored. In all honesty, I believe that a few of those lessons have not only helped shape my personality but even my identity.  More importantly, I have been extremely lucky because I’ve worked with great caliber leaders that were always supportive and belived in me. Through them, I’ve learned the value of building self-confidence, the need to raise your personal bar and the importance of not just producing results, but measuring them. I’ve also learned the art of CYA[2], getting buy-in and giving EOD[3] deadlines. All that is behind me, the decks[4], the conference calls, the terms like BAU[5] and bandwidth[6], which were all part of my life in corporate America, and yesterday I dropped out.

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