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About the Author

I realized that there was still adventure to be had on this planet and I knew I had to have some of it.

So I tried to save up some money and travel. I almost made it, but I met my ex-wife and well, decided to settle down. But the marriage didn't last long. After the separation I thought about making the trek, but I was broke. Instead I started a business that kept me occupied for the next five years.

But then something happened. At age 69 my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he died six months later. He had always talked about buying a camper and traveling the US after he retired. He was always waiting for a better time--but he waited to long. It made me realize that my life was not going to last forever. If I wanted to live without regrets, I had to do something.  I had to do something now.

So for a few months I pondered the idea. After a while I even spoke openly of it to friends and family. Reactions varied from "Cool, do it!" to one friend who insisted I go immediately to see her psychotherapist. I wavered. I waffled. I gave myself the weekend to come up with a firm "yes" or "no".

Somewhere about Sunday I was still wallowing in indecisiveness when I picked up a book about 'round-the-world travel (it was a good book, I wish I remembered the name...) and started reading. Chapter one, the introduction, was "Making the Decision to Go." As I drew to the close of the chapter, the author introduced a quote as follows: "Here's a great passage about getting up and going" He continued with the following quote:

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth (the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans). That is the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would have never otherwise occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one' favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meeting and material assistance which no person could have dreamed would have come his way.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius power and magic to it. Begin it now.

-- Jonathan Goethe (1749-1832)

I knew then that I had my answer. I called family and friends and told them I was going. The next day, at 35 years of age, I quit a my job and bought a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia. Manila, Philippines to be exact.

I spent the next few weeks figuring out how I was going to pull it off. I read my Lonely Planet guidebooks. I tried to get what information I could off the 'net. I found out that there was a lot of information about places and not much about how to travel. So I winged it. I put all my belongings in storage, bought a the biggest backpack I could find and packed it with far to much stuff. And off I went.

Since I had been working in interactive media for the last, oh seven or eight years, it just seemed natural that I would set up a couple servers back in the states and take a laptop and miscellaneous geekware with me.

(to be continued....)

Resume of- John F.X. Berns