your book has been very difficult for me to read. I’m only into the second chapter and almost crying. What gets me is not the realization that all of this is possible, it’s knowing that I already knew it was possible and was simply not willing to figure out how. The quote from JFK really hit home “Once you say you’re going to settle for second, that’s what happens in your life.” I’ve always felt I didn’t need much and I’m a pretty smart guy so everything was always easy for me but instead of choosing to make more with my life, i simply chose to be mediocre which was still better then my peers, but it did not satisfy me; correction, it DOES not satisfy me.

I took a job as a consultant because I could take a lot of time off and travel around the country while on the job. Every year, I backpack around the world for 6 weeks straight, so I’m on the right path, but when I’m working, my job is soul sucking and lifeless. Six years in, I have kept in contact with a third of the friends I used to have and don’t feel socially connected anywhere cause I’m gone most of the time. When I complete your book, I’ll put myself to work at building that social foundation again and just staying put for a while. it’s on my list -> http://www.zachstravels.com/101things

I’ll let you know how it turns out.

- K

Listen I just finished reading your book and I thought it was brilliant. I honestly think holding a competition here for the folks for a night on the town with you and hell I dunno Bono or something like that somewhere remote and completely unorthodox (Eastern Bulgaria? XD) would be a pretty swav event after reading what you did at the university during your “seminar” on selling drugs. I’m a first time poster on here and I figured I would start by firing ideas up. Hopefully one of them hits home? Being 18 my “creativity” tends to come out a bit wack sometimes :P

Anyways, thanks for your time,

Kelson

I personally decided to skip hating my life until that elusive day of retirement and instead traded a cubicle and the hum of florescent lights for the rainforest and an unlimited supply of sugar bananas. At 22, I went straight from business school to Costa Rica (subsequently ping ponging around Central America to land in Nicaragua for the time being). 3 years later and still living it up, I couldn’t shake the nagging doubt and uncertainty about when this trip was supposed to end. Was it all too good to be true? Were the US immigration authorities going to drag me back to the land of traffic light cameras and tabloids?

The 356,928th “when are you going back home?” question prompted me to start questioning my style of life: no TV, selective media exposure, taking Mondays or Fridays (or Monday through Friday) off, getting just as much enjoyment out of perfecting my raw coconut ice cream recipe one day as I would jet setting to a bachelorette party in NYC another. Is this allowed in real life??? All family, friends, acquaintances and clients had either written me off completely or would use guilt to try to bring me back permanently to good ‘ol America: Land of the Free, Land of Reality TV.

Had it not been for my little sister idly coming across 4HWW at her college bookstore and subsequently gifting it to me, I might never have realized this existed. Never again will I doubt my very non-boring life, my intuition or the truth that if you chase only money, you will never be satisfied or fulfilled, or grossly misinterpret money for success until it’s too late. I encourage all of you to do something you’re passionate about, and quit what you’re doing if you’re unhappy immediately if at all possible. I’ve found that when you’re out of your comfort zone, your built-in, subconscious human safety net will kick in and somehow, it always works out…

Right now I’m at chapter 7 and completely amazed (and a little weirded out) regarding how much the book parallels my life. Tferris, if you happen to be in Prague in September, LA in October, Cartagena in December, Central America through June or Bali next summer, look me up.