Fair warning: this isn't a massive success story... yet. Please, read on!
Hello Steemians!
My name is Jordan Pike. I'm from South Dakota in the United States, and it's my dream to become a full-time travel vlogger/content creator/filmmaker.
I'd just like to give a special shout out right off the bat to my friend and fellow travel vlogger/steemian @thelifeofjord for introducing me to Steemit and dTube recently. I'm so excited to be here!!
Finding My Passion
Long story short, I spent the first part of my 20's struggling in university and building up more debt then I'd care to admit. After four years of struggle, I was finally ready to accept that school wasn't for me and I had no passion for it. What I did have passion for, and what I truly felt I needed to do, was to travel the world. There's this pull in my chest that is still very much alive to get out there and experience as much of the world as I can. And I've learned to listen to that pull from within wherever it takes me, and I advise you to do the same. Along with travel, I've always had a love for documenting, specifically, with cameras. After being inspired by some amazing travel vloggers (FunForLouis, Mr Ben Brown, Casey Neistat, and many more) I finally took my first big step at making my dreams come true.
Next Stop: Thailand
I finally did it. I booked a round trip ticket to Thailand with three months to explore and make as many travel vlogs as I could manage within that time for my YouTube Channel. I started in Bangkok and followed that pull from within. I was led all over Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and even managed to make it down to Malaysia for a bit. I met amazing people, experienced the incredible cultures and sights, and fell totally in love with this part of the world. When my three months were up, I couldn't bring myself to get on my flight home. So I skipped it.
Australia
Instead, I applied for a working holiday visa in Australia. I was broke at this point, but I wanted to keep the adventure alive and keep exploring. I landed in Melbourne and spent the next 6 months working there as a housekeeper at a party hostel. I know this doesn't sound too glorious, and the job was actually very demanding, but it allowed me to continue meeting new people and exploring new places. My vlogging slowed down here while I worked, and I struggled more than I thought I would, but I also managed to save up enough money to fly to my next new continent...
Chile
Wait, why didn't I just head home? Australia was a good experience, but the struggles were very real for me there. Well... I had an opportunity arise to explore Chile, and I took it. Through all my personal struggles (I've had a lot of them) I've never given up on my passions. I know my dreams can be reality, I just need to keep my head up and make them come true! I lived in Chile's capital, Santiago, for the next four months, learning some Spanish, exploring the city, and I even got to take an epic road trip into the north and explore beautiful coastal cities and the amazing San Pedro de Atacama. My vlogging picked up BIG TIME while in Chile and I put out a lot of content I'm proud of. So what next?
Home
Well, home. I had been 14 months out of the US at this point and the holidays were coming, so I figured now was a good time to head home and spend some time with the family and save up some more cash for future travels. I got a job at a hydraulic hose manufacturing company two days after arriving, and worked overtime for the next three months to save up and keep my options open for future opportunities and travel adventures.
The Struggle.
Wait, struggle? I thought I had made it to my ideal life? What could possibly be holding me down now? Like most people, my life isn't perfect. My parents got divorced when I was 3, my stepdad hasn't always been pleasant, and some traumatic family experiences have left me picking up the pieces even now, at 28 years old. These aren't excuses, they're just... the main source of my struggles. Some days my dreams are SO CLEAR, so available for the taking. And other days a heavy weight sits on my chest and hopelessness sets in, and I struggle. But you know what? I've never let my issues keep me down, for long. If I compare where I am now to where I am was five years ago, my emotional growth is outstanding, and my self-esteem and confidence are much, much higher. But how can I become the person I really want to be? How can I start truly believing in myself and making an income doing what I love?
Daily Routine and Where I'm At Now
After the holidays ended in South Dakota, I jumped in the car with my brother Dan, who lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and road tripped down to live with him and start pursuing a film company together. I'm focusing a lot on my daily routine (which I'll make a future post about) and keeping a healthy physical and mental state. I'm reading books to help me grow and open my mind to higher frequencies and allow greater opportunities to enter my life. And guess what? As soon as I started retraining my thinking and the way I view my reality, new opportunities started coming! I've had a Facebook travel page with over 4 million likes ask to use some of my content for a post; Jord introduced me to Steemit and dTube; I've been invited to go backpacking in Guatemala next month and on a ski trip to Colorado the following month. And I'm saying yes to all of them. The world is an abundant place and I'm going to take full advantage of it. I'm going to have fun, every day, and I'm going to keep improving myself and working towards my goals, bit by bit, every. single. day.
"You spend your 20's figuring it out, and your 30's doing it."
A couple vlog examples
Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading my story. I believe I opened with 'long story short,' but I've apparently failed! Regardless, I hope my story has potentially inspired you or captivated you enough to follow my Steemit page @jordanpike, upvote this post, and join me on my future adventures and my journey to making #TravelContinuously a real lifestyle option. I feel so grateful for everything I've gotten to experience so far, and I have so much faith in the future and all the opportunities it will bring.
If you have any questions for me, please let me know in a comment down below!
-Jordan