Pictured above: Proud dad moment with my son Jonas.

My son recently graduated from high school and will be off to college next month (Go Bruins!). It will be a new chapter in life for both of us. I have mixed feelings about this. He’s my only child and although I will certainly miss having him around, my heart bursts with pride as he crosses over this threshold. I’ve done my best as a parent to raise him to develop the necessary self-confidence, character, and competence to lead his life independently and responsibly as an adult. I’m super excited for him as he enters this new chapter of his life!

Meanwhile, my son’s graduation offers me the opportunity to start a new chapter in my life as well. I’m planning to embark on a new adventure to travel the U.S. at the end of September! As a single Dad, I’ve sacrificed a lot over the years while raising him. There were plenty of occasions for FOMO over the years to set in related to travel, socializing, dating, and career opportunities that I passed up or turned down. Yet, my son has always been my number one priority — so I really don’t have any regrets about the choices I made with him top of mind.

Meanwhile, I love to be physically active, have a healthy sense of adventure, and currently have a coaching and consulting business that isn’t really bound by geography. Theoretically, it allows me to work anywhere. One of my aims is to engage in my love for travel, nature, and discovering new possibilities while testing the limits of remote work and connecting with people who are important to me. I’ve lived long enough to understand that life is short and I’m determined to live my best life (to be discovered along the way). Who knows what wonderful opportunities will present themselves and insights I’ll stumble upon in the process?

For this adventure, I envision becoming a vagabond of sorts — giving up my apartment, putting everything in storage, and taking several months to travel the U.S. (and a little bit of Canada) visiting friends, family, colleagues, clients and make new connections along the way. All while working remotely from wherever I am!

I’m starting this blog as a way to capture the ups and downs I experience along the way and perhaps inspire others. I’ve also begun video blogging on Instagram to share my progress as I prepare for the trip and then to share things real-time as I’m traveling about (feel free to connect with me @mikegellman).

If you decide to follow along, I invite you to share your ideas, travel tips, and support along the way. While I have a hazy vision, I haven’t nailed down the details yet. There’s lots of preparation needed to pull this off! The most important thing is I want to (re)connect and spend quality time with as many folks as I can and perhaps maybe even inspire some readers to follow their passions as well. Stay tuned for more…