The Beginning
As I sat staring at the Maya King waterfalls deep in the Belizean forest, I felt at peace for the first time. I came to realize that it was not my past that dictated who I am, but the journey that brought me to this special place.
Maya King, December 2022
It was not the past that ultimately dictated who I was; it was the journey that brought me to where I am today.
While I have traveled extensively, this was a trip of many firsts. The first time in Central America, the first-time road-tripping a country alone, the first time staying in a hostel, and the first time I went somewhere without having planned my entire trip. I have no real reason for having chosen Belize. I suppose that at some point I looked at a map, threw a virtual dart, and landed on that location. For whatever reason, the name 'Belize' would remain on my mind for many years, and now was the time to finally take that trip I had never taken.
Pool bar, Decmeber 2022
I ordered a Margarita and started asking the bartender where the best spots were to explore.
It was December 2022, and I had begun the holiday of a lifetime in Placencia, Belize. As soon as I got to the resort, I plopped down at the pool bar with my journal and laptop and began outlining the adventure ahead of me. The beaming sun warmed my face as I ordered a margarita and began interrogating the bartender. He told me that just 30 minutes down the road was a spot known as Maya King, and that the journey was worth the experience. I declined his offer to take me along, packed a swimsuit and headed out to see what this place was all about.
My heart was filled with a mixture of joy and mild hesitation as I turned the key and started the engine of my giant Ford Explorer with its blacked-out windows and menacing gait. A look over my shoulder and a light press on the gas and it was time to go!
December 2022
Go get it, bubba, just hold steady, and you'll be fine.
As I drove down the precipitous incline to the waterfall, I imagined my father sitting in the passenger seat. He would have laughed at the absurdity of his little girl driving such a clunker: ‘Go get it, bubba, just hold steady, and you'll be fine.’ I could just barely hear his words echoing in my mind and see the tears welling up in his eyes as I closed the door and latched my seatbelt. The energy and inspiration to keep going were palpable, almost as if he were sitting next to me.
Two-track to the King, December 2022
‘Go get it, bubba, just hold steady, and you'll be fine.’
As I continued onward, I felt a sense of calm and ease, as if I had come into my own being. There was pride in not letting anything hold me back from accomplishing my dreams. After about 45 minutes driving down a two-track dirt road and crossing over semi-flooded bridges, I reached the parking space. Only one other vehicle was there, perhaps due to all the rainfall, but no person was in sight.
A short distance in front of me was a small path leading to the falls. I knew I was close to seeing the beauty when small drops of water gently splashed my face. Stepping closer to see the full strength of the Maya King, I stumbled upon a couple taking a skinny dip. I was taken aback by the raw beauty of this scene. A mother and father bathing naked under the waterfalls while their small daughter, maybe four or five years old, played joyfully in the pool. The pure human experience of connecting with nature and then carrying it forward through the next generation stood there right before my eyes.
Smiling, I found a large rock to perch on and began journaling, capturing the smell, the feeling, and the sounds surrounding me. Sitting there, I knew I had ‘made it’ further than I ever could have imagined, but despite the hardships (or maybe in spite of), I have lived in four countries, made it to NYC, and at that moment, I was on my dream solo trip to Belize. I had done it.
The days spent traversing the Belizean landscape changed me somehow. I recognized that I could explore the unknown with ease, with freedom, and a healthy fear; and I knew I could do more. As I continued onward, I sat next to and conversed with travelers from all around the world, and I realized there was something different about us—those of us who take the risk to pack everything up and head out into the world with little expectation other than a great time, lots of memories, and an immense appreciation for the beauty of our world, nature, and humans alike. Whatever that difference is, it also bonds us at a purely human level. We are first fellow travelers, humans seeking connection, and everything else connects us.
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. — John Muir
That trip was the spark that ignited my desire to backpack through South America, but it wasn’t what ultimately got me there. The next months were littered with failed dating experiences, the daily grind of waking up to work, medical issues after medical issues, along with many conversations with loving friends asking me difficult questions about what was stopping me from taking the leap. Then it happened. One morning I woke up, on a normal dreary day where the sun may or may not have been shining, and I asked myself: What do I have to lose? Why would I not take this trip?
It’s time to go, time to live, and stop letting fear hold me back.
So, I began my preparations.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to go through with the whole thing. Taking this journey meant leaving at a prime time in my career. Despite the economic downturn, I had an excellent year, and I am confident I set myself up for an even better 2024, but that is the thing about sales—there is always another commission check, always another deal to chase. For others, it might be another promotion, the next project, or a new house, or a new car; you get the idea. There is always a reason to wait for a better time. But, there is no right time.