Sky High 2017 — Brad Good
“I’ll See You in the Stars”
As I wandered further from the traditional bivouac camp in the Moroccan Sahara Desert, the sound of silence struck me full force. THEN, I look up — it is almost midnight and I am completely alone on the dunes. The stars, the Moon, the Milky Way opened up engulfing my senses and reminding me of why I took this journey. The vastness of space had me in awe of my place in the world, personally and most importantly of a promise I made to my mother.
Having now been working as a digital nomad for 11 months, my 2017 was spent living on 5 continents in 13 countries (in addition to visiting 4 others), but most of all I have been able to find life. I found that the more months I traveled while working, the more I considered it a way of life rather than just a “trip” or even an experience. Being a digital nomad has now become part of who I am and who I plan on being for a while.
Making the decision to travel in a group setting like WYCO was a no-brainer because of the benefits personally (I didn’t have to do any logistics, almost everything is built-in, like-minded people to travel with) and professionally (it would stretch my abilities, allow me to learn about different career paths and gain additional skills).
However, the biggest motivation was my mother.
She passed away after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer in March, 2016 — she was more than a mom, she was my best friend and roommate of several years, so the loss of her in my life was devastating. I decided by October it was time to quit my full-time job and move on professionally and relocate. Once the concept of becoming a digital nomad was presented to me, I jumped at it and became a freelance admissions support to the company I had just quit but was still passionate about — Up with People. I sold almost all my belongings and set off into the unknown.
This year has been about moving on and moving forward. I made wonderful friends from all different walks of life. I was pushed to hike the Andes Mountains in Chile and Guatape in Colombia. I learned the subway system of Tokyo by myself. I wandered the fairy tale towns of Prague and Lisbon. And then, I was able to spend my Christmas holiday in the Sahara Desert and New Year’s Eve on a rooftop in Cambodia.
Through it all, I brought my mother with me — in my heart and mind. Her favorite song of all time included the lyrics “It’s my life. It’s now or never.” I decided to live…for her and for me. She told me the week before she passed to look for her in the stars. That is where I found her at midnight on Christmas in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
