Lord, I was born a Ramblin' Man.....nino!

Hola!!

And welcome to my very first blog post ever! Here I will chronicle my travels through Central and South America sharing with you my thoughts, insights, and experiences. 

ram·ble:
(noun) A walk without a definite route, taken merely for pleasure
(verb)  1. To wander around in a leisurely, aimless manner

           2. To grow in a random, unsystematic fashion

           3. To talk or write in an aimless, discursive way

For those not privy to my current situation, I have eschewed the comfort and familiarity of my former life and vast majority of my worldly possessions in favor of a minimalist nomadic existence for the foreseeable future. Might sound a bit crazy, but quite frankly this was inevitable. Over the course of the last several months, passion for my job and the lifestyle it entailed steadily diminished, giving rise to my adventurous spirit which it long had stifled. As these feelings intensified, I began to realize that my current course, the one I had fought so hard and sacrificed so much to forge down was no longer serving me. Instead it was slowly killing my spirit, and therefore something had to give. The process of not only coming to this realization, but mustering the courage to take right action was a gut-wrenching ordeal which I will save for a separate post. After months of discontent, I informed my immediate coworkers that my days at the firm were numbered. After several honest and forthright discussions, the support I received from my coworkers was tremendous and I agreed to stick around for a few extra months to see my responsibilities through. On April 5, I powered down the ole Lenovo laptop, a symbol of my working life, for the very last time. It was a bittersweet day.

Fast forward to yesterday, May 19, 2013 -  As my flight lifted off from Ft Lauderdale and soared high above the ground, so to did my spirit. Freedom is defined differently by different people at different points in their life, and I could feel myself coming into alignment with my definition. 

Today, I write to you from the small town of Antigua, Guatemala, where I have chosen to start my adventures. My plan is to slowly ramble through Central and South America all the way to Buenos Aires, Argentina, covering thousands of miles. I have with me nothing more than a backpack, a small duffel bag, and a massive thirst for growth and adventure. My agenda for this trip is simple:
      -Live in the present moment
      -Allow my plans/itinerary to unfold organically
      -Push well beyond my comfort zones
      -Seek out as many new friends and amazing experiences as possible
      -Stay safe
      -Capture all of it through this blog

Oh and I should probably learn some Spanish as well - haven't spoken a lick since high school.

Let the ramblin' begin!!

-Ross 

PS - I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this!