Fear is what prevented The Dangerz from quitting their jobs and running away sooner. Bryan specifically was afraid of losing the things young professionals are supposed to be working toward. Things like financial security and retirement.
Whenever Jen brought up the idea of living in a van and traveling around the Americas, Bryan brought up the 401K.
Unlike their name suggests, they do not lead very dangerous lives. Adventurous? Yes. Dangerous? Not by their barometer. In fact, they led very typical lives before the big change and that included long work hours and few vacations.
“We wanted to do good work; we put in long [days] and thought about [work] at all hours.”
Like many people, they struggled to find time to disconnect and refill their souls. And when they did get away for a trip to the coast, Jen would stand at the edge of the water and cry. At the time, she didn’t really know why but it was one of the clues that something was off.
Overcoming Fear
It took a routine doctor visit to push Bryan past his fear of financial insecurity, possibly because something more terrifying came up. He was prescribed a full regimen of medication for dangerously high blood pressure.
Instead of filling the prescription, he went home and told Jen, “It’s time.”
Ironically, it wasn’t until they made that decision to try something new that they started paying off debt, which ultimately allowed them to start growing their savings.
Small Changes Over Time
They emphasize that change doesn’t happen overnight. They made small decisions over the course of the next year that eventually led to a total life shift.
Looking back now, Jen believes those tears on the coast of Oregon were recognition that she was craving more nature. They wanted “more beaches, more sunsets, more ocean.”
Now they wake up every day overlooking water from the deck of their sailboat Karma. And instead of making decisions based on the society standard, they ask themselves one question:
Are we happy?
Listen to the episode to learn more about how they overcame fear to find their greatest fulfillment in life. At the end of the episode is a challenge that’s meant to help you take one small step forward in the direction of the thing that scares (and excites) you most.
Follow The Dangerz
You can find the Dangerz on Instagram @thedangerz and on YouTube under the same name. And you can read more about their experiences and side hustles (they are incredibly talented designers) at thedangerz.com.
Thank You
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast and know someone else who might like it too, please share it with your family and friends. Or if you have feedback, we’d love to hear it. Head over to the Wandering Workers Podcast on Apple and leave a review.
About the Show
The Wandering Workers podcast features stories of people who are living life on their own terms. Many of the guests on the show incorporate some form of travel into their lifestyle. More importantly, they have all devised a work scenario that makes their dream life possible. These stories are proof that it is entirely possible to create and live the life you’ve always imagined.
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