LOST BOY MEMOIRS

A Brief Backstory

In 2011, I decided to leave the USA for the first time in my life, and I’ve been kickin’ it on the road ever since. I’ve now travelled to 32 countries doing everything from teaching English in Thailand, sailing boats in the Mediterranean, driving rickshaws across India, exploring soldier-filled jungles of Myanmar, escorting a camel across New Zealand (long story) and a helluva lot more.

It’s been a wild ride so far…

Getting to this point hasn’t been sunshine and rainbows, and in no way am I able to do this because I’m rich (see the running out of money in foreign countries series). But traveling the world is by far the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. And it’s definitely something I encourage everyone to dabble in a bit if you can.

To be honest, it was pretty damn scary at first. And I’m sure it is for most people.

That’s why I started this blog way back in 2011 — to share the journey of overcoming my fears and chasing a crazy dream, even through all of the really bad moments. But it has evolved into much more than just sharing my travels.

It is also, more importantly, to showcase the beautiful cultures around the world, to encourage others to travel as much as possible for the sake of breaking down barriers, to stoke the desire to become more eco-friendly humans, and to make our world a better place for all living things.

And sometimes I recount on here the tales when I land in hilariously awkward situations.

Which happens more often than not.

To travel is to seek out true knowledge first hand. To travel is to discover cultures around the world with an open mind and naked eyes. And that’s what these stories entail. Nothing else naked, don’t worry. Okay, there was that one time but that’s a story for another blog post.

There is a darker side of stories as well.

It also took overcoming a deep depression after the deaths of my parents, conquering my fear, and leaving a job that was killing me to get to this point. There was nothing easy about this road.

If you want to read my full backstory, go HERE!

About Lost Boy Memoirs Travel Blog

So what is Lost Boy Memoirs actually about, and what will you find on here? Lost Boy Memoirs is a written and visual collection of 9+ years of travel and adventures, of agonies and ecstasies of life on the road, and learning how to be a semi-permanent nomad. A collection of memoirs from personal experiences on the road, honest insight from life as a full-time nomad, how travel helped me face my past and fight my depression, and a truthful resource for those looking to begin a life of travel.

Bottom line: I want to inspire YOU to chase your dreams, and to show you that anything trying to hold you down in life can be overcome IF you are willing to fight for it. Only you can hold you back. 

I want you to embrace the fear of the unknown, upstart an internal revolution to escape the corporate cages, stop chasing the money pie-in-the-sky, and start chasing your dreams.

From time to time I share personal memoirs or an emotional story, but my overall writing style is a bit goofy, a bit odd with the lingo (nifty and gnarly among others), and very un-influenced by social and travel blog norms. I have a passion for poetics on occasion and a penchant for the slap-in-the-face inspirational articles.

What Traveling Means to Me

Travel is the best source of knowledge I’ve ever had.

Higher education was never given much thought or nurturing when I was growing up. In high school, I was constantly told by my father that I would end up working at his place of work no matter what I did. College? Out of the question. Want to be an artist? Hell no. It was a “real job” or nothing. So, I never tried very hard. I didn’t care to learn anything, which is one of my biggest life regrets.

Now, travel has given me an insatiable thirst for knowledge and learning, and the countries I’ve traveled to have taught me more about myself and about the world outside than any traditional educational establishment ever could. Travel, to me, is the best form of education.

I don’t travel to find myself, but to create myself. 

I to live with a childlike spirit and sense of wonder at all times. Which is something I nearly lost when I was living my old way of life. I’m not wee little Ryan anymore, but I believe that our younger selves truly have the ability to see the world without the restraints or influences that age and society set upon us. Children have the innate ability to see people as people; not race or sex or religion or job title or monetary value. Just as a new friend to explore the reaches of imagination — where anyone can be an adventurer or mountain climber or archeologist or singer. And travel brings that out in us again, that anything is possible kind of feeling.

With this mentality of seeing the world with a childlike spirit, I hope to embody the pure form of humanity; the wonder and endless excitement of knowledge and new experiences, and to see people and cultures around the world through the naked eyes that don’t see borders, but see friends. And of course, hopefully change people’s perspectives along the way about the world.

How Do You Start Traveling The World?

Good question. I originally got my inspiration from reading other travel blogs, and that’ what I set out to do with Lost Boy Memoirs.  And though I’d like to say that I just decided to go traveling, it wasn’t like that at all.

Let’s be honest with each other, it ain’t that easy, is it? And anyone who tells you otherwise is a flat out fibber. But it is much more simple than you think. And I’ve even broken it down to 5 simple steps to become a world traveler to prove it’s not so complicated.

Though I said it was simple, it’s not easy. It’s not just a snap of the fingers and lickety-split you’re frolicking free through fields of flowers with unicorns pooping rainbows in the distance. For one, I know I wouldn’t like that anyway — I’m terribly allergic to pollen and I’ve read somewhere that unicorn poo is poisonous.

Secondly, for my “enlightenment” to realize that I CAN change my life, it took a trudge through the worst depression of my life and the death of my parents to convince me I needed to make an epic change.

Dark? Yes. True? Yes. Very easy? Not at all. But life is life, and it’s what you decide to do with yours that matters!

So how do we live this fantastical dream of travel and adventure that everyone says is impossible instead of endlessly browsing BuzzCrud websites and “Top 10 Places You’ll Probably Never Go To” articles?

How Lost boy Memoirs Can Help You

Lost Boy Memoirs was started to help individuals like myself who felt there was never much for them in life beyond “the norm”. Or were told that there isn’t anything else attainable in life than normal. For those of us who were raised to think what we have is all that we get in life. For those who know deep down that there is so much more to be had in life and dreams SHOULD to be chased.

Maybe you’re tired of waking up and mumbling a big ole’ F-bomb going to work.

Maybe you don’t know how to get started with this crazy idea of traveling. 

Maybe you want to join a group of people like yourself taking on the unbelievable?

Good. Because dammit, I want you to chase your dreams! I want this to become believable.

Will you share in this crazy adventure with me? Will you join this group of Lost Ones not trying to find ourselves, but to create ourselves, and live this wild dream of world travel?

Not all who are lost need to be found. Are you ready to take the leap?

Thank you for getting to know more about Lost Boy Memoirs and myself! Check out the video below to see just how travel can change your life!