Welcome!
The completely made-up term “Five Figure Lifestyle” represents the perks and drawbacks of those working in the professional travel industry. We’re never going to be millionaires, and we work our asses off, but the plus sides of our jobs make us feel like one of the elite.
Take a minute to read our more detailed story of where our name came from and what to expect from this blog.
Editor’s Note
Thank you for reading! I’m thrilled to hear that people have enjoyed the content posted here. I certainly enjoyed writing these stories and learning the lessons they provided. It’s been a huge part of who I am today, and I am thankful to have had the experience!
COVID-19 hit this industry very hard, and while it is coming back, I have moved back into the Graphic Design field and am working trips less and less. For this reason, new posts will not be available on a regular schedule, but the blog will continue to live on to keep a record of these stories and what it’s like to be a professional traveler.
Dive Into the Five Figure Life$tyle
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Grand Canyon | Preparations
Rafting the Grand Canyon is the first trip into the backcountry I’ve ever taken with an outfitter. Western River Expeditions, the outfitter my trip was booked with, provides a gear list as well as information and suggestions about packing your bag for this trip. They provide tents, cots, sleeping bags, and a variety of other…
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COVID-19
Many industries were hit extremely hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restaurants, bars, hotels, and hair salons have been shut down for weeks, relying on donations and government stimulus to stay afloat. As a tour operator, my company is in the hospitality industry and has obviously been hit very hard. However, in this industry in particular,…
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First World Problems
It is somewhat common for a hotel to upgrade the host’s room. Hosts are usually assigned to the worst room category because we won’t complain about them, and our room is often complimentary due to the size of the group we’re bringing. But even though they’re booked as the worst of the worst, a lot…
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I Bribed a Policeman
This is a story from my 2013 Egypt trip. It’s one of those incredible experiences that may only happen once in a lifetime, and I love sharing it. Note: I’ve revised an earlier post on a different blog to read a bit better as a stand-alone story rather than one in a series. I have…
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5 Tips for International Travel
Read Customs Paperwork and Be Honest! Many countries will have you fill out paperwork when you enter the country to state that you are not bringing in something that could be a threat to their country. Most of this focuses on environmental factors, but it also usually includes things like explosives and large amounts of…
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Throwback to that one time I went to Egypt… again
I know I reference this trip a lot, but it was my first major introduction to international travel, and it was the benchmark for a lot of my experiences since then. I was recently re-reading my blog from that trip, which can be found here (password summit), and found my summary of the trip and…
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Why I’m Necessary
I’ve had a lot of people ask me recently why my job is necessary. Why can’t people order their own transportation and hotel? Why do I need to fly to Mexico for three days to get a trip started? Why do I need to fly to Jamaica months before a trip just to see how…
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New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp really isn’t much of a traditional BBQ. It isn’t even cooked on a grill or over coals. This thin, buttery, savory sauce, served with piles of French bread, is something I always look forward to when I travel to NOLA, and for the longest time, it was something I could only…
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Nothing I Plan Will Ever Be This Good
No matter how much planning I do or how much money I throw at a trip, there are some experiences I could never plan for or ever recreate. This story is one of those. It isn’t really relevant to my job, and I didn’t have much to do with it, but it’s a feel-good story that…
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It’s Not All Sunshine and Rainbows
Traveling is rarely perfect. Some trips have more hiccups than others, and even the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Hopefully, if the situation allows, you’re able to work past the bad experience and find enjoyment in the remainder of your trip by letting what could be an incredible vacation become your…
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Unexpected Bucket List – Tiny Airplanes
My favorite type of bucket list items are the ones that are unexpected and are added to the list after the fact. It’s these experiences that seem to leave the longest-lasting impression and help spark a sense of adventure. One of these experiences for me was when I flew from Denver to Moab, Utah, on…
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Second Rate Cities – Ouray, Colorado
Many people have heard of Telluride, Colorado. It’s a ski town similar to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and visited by a similar crowd. It’s beautiful but expensive. Fewer people have heard of Ouray, Colorado, a small town just over the mountains from Telluride but, in my opinion, a much more interesting and even more beautiful place….
