My 20s were very good to me. I was coasting through life, saying yes to most things and figuring it out along the way. That mindset led to some pretty amazing opportunities. I ran a few businesses, helped build some truly unique cars, kept skating competitively, launched a video production studio, ran a thriving social and marketing company, organized events, and taught photography workshops on the side. It was chaotic at times - but productive chaos.

I tried a little of everything, enjoyed most of it, and picked up lessons that shaped who I am. But despite the momentum, something was missing. That deep sense of purpose—our ikigai—still felt out of reach. I was great at helping others chase their goals, but I wasn’t sure what mine looked like. Nights spent with a drink in hand and Anthony Bourdain on-screen stirred up something bigger. I wanted to see the world, to be moved by it. But I still didn’t know how.

Life got weird for all of us around 2020 and '21. For me, it hit on multiple fronts. My marketing company couldn’t survive the shutdowns, I came down with a mystery illness, and I lost some of the most important parts of my world. Eventually, I hit zero. A rational person might’ve turned to therapy and fired up Indeed to rejoin the grind. But somehow, through that storm, I stumbled into the misfortune and adventure I’d been chasing all along.

In fall of ‘21, I gutted my Hummer and built “H2Roam” — my version of the vanlife dream. I originally picked up the H2 to use on short road trips, but now it was time to go all-in. It’s an odd choice, I know, but just big enough for part-time living and stealthy enough to overnight at trailheads without drawing attention. It gave me the freedom to hit the road, live out of the truck, and chase light across the west.