2019 Has Been a Year of Change

Mexican Boat Sunset
I apologize for not keeping in this blog up-to-date. It’s not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s just that I have been super-busy, but that’s no excuse. 2019 has been an incredible change for both Melissa and I.

Melissa and Michael Hiking

Let’s just call 2019, the Year of the Hustle.

Changing careers is not easy challenge.  When we voyaged off to the South Pacific, we left a LOT of things behind.  One of the biggest challenge, besides leaving our adult children and aging parents, was leaving our well-paying careers behind us.  I left a great high paying career in Sales and Marketing Management with expense accounts, company car payments, the works.  Melissa was just as successful being a Manager at a large hospital in North County San Diego.  We both had great salaries, amazing benefits but the call of the open ocean and vast landscapes called to us and we had to go.  We have never looked back.

Jobs that Allow us to Travel When We Want

Thomas the mini golden SUPNow, both Melissa and I have chosen jobs that allow us to travel when and where we want.  We make a great income, while still having a bunch of flexibility in what we do.  We actually enjoy working on the weekends and having the weekdays off, since there are less crowds, less traffic and a variety of other perks.  We can even take off mid-week and take our sons dog out for a fun SUP ride around Oceanside Harbor.

Voiceover

Melissa has been doing incredible and her new voiceover career. Check out her website (of course, she created it herself) at MelissaHarlowVO.com.
 
She is a voice actress on an audiobook, she has also done several mobile device app voiceovers, done commercials, video narration, explainer videos, radio, television, political ads and so much more. She’s doing so well, that clients keep coming back to her and she is always busy. Luckily for me, I get to take her out hiking as much as we possibly can.
 

Sailing Mexico with InReachCaptain

I, on the other hand, have numerous jobs that keep me busy.
I guess the number one job that keeps me the busiest, is being a sailboat delivery captain. In the last 6 months I have delivered yachts from Seattle to Santa Barbara, San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, Barra Navidad to Puerto Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta to La Paz, not to mention a few local Southern California deliveries.  I have seen giant Blue Whale, that I’ve never seen before, been surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of dolphin and have seen some of the most amazing sunsets.  It’s a pretty good gig, because I get to travel internationally and sail quite a bit.
 

Renting our RV

The second job that makes the most income, is renting our RV. Last year we made a killing renting it out and this year we are doing well but we are being more choosy on who we are renting it out to. We also have added a 4 x 4 to our rental fleet. It’s mostly a good summer income, but we do get a few rentals during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays as well.Our newest 4X4 SUV
 
Melissa and I plan to do the southwest United States in October visiting Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and some parts of Utah. Last year, we were gone for half  a month and spent less than $1,200 complete for a half-month long vacation.
 

Team Building

Another income stream that I have, is I am a mentor/team leader for a great company called Out of the Ordinary Group Adventures. We do all sorts of stuff, like huge scavenger hunts, team building exercises, team oriented Olympics, and a lot more. It’s one of my most fun jobs, as I get to interact with hundreds of people and help them problem solve while having a blast doing it.
 

Writing Adventure Articles

 
I also make a little extra money selling articles to magazines, such as, Latitudes and Attitudes, International Living, and other magazines that fit within my realm of expertise.  I find inspiration to my articles by first looking through my treasure trove of pictures and finding a few that speak to me and therefore may speak to an audience as well.
 

Always Adventure Traveling

This summer we’ve been to Big Bear and explored the wildlife there with some great family members.  We got to get out on the lake in a speedboat, kayak with some amazing White Pelicans, enjoy the Big Bear Chili Cookoff, go hiking and so much more.  It was total bliss.

Big Bear Pelicans with Melissa

Melissa and I have been hiking almost every night in our local mountains to prepare us for our big fall trip. We will most likely hike hundreds of miles during our trip and we want to be prepared physically. I do get to the beach and surf as much as I can, however, it’s not as much as I’d like to.
 
August and September are the best months to see the leopard sharks in San Diego and we hope to have our friends down from Los Angeles for a fun filled day of swimming with them.
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Early next year we will venture off for a two week exploration of the British Virgin Islands.  One week we will be landside and the next we will be pampered as guests on a luxury catamaran cruising around the islands.  If you have any great tips about BVI, let us know!
 
Kick me in the butt and I will keep blogging.
 
Send us a text, hook up with us on Facebook, check out our Instagram page, and let’s see if we can do some fun things together.

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