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When I came across the adventures of
, two major things stood out to me.First, Darren became a world traveler in midlife. Even up until his 40s, he would’ve laughed at the idea of being an adventurer. As he settled into adulthood, he didn’t have the time, money, or belief in himself that he could do it — though he was still looking for purpose. In 2008, Darren had a life-changing trip where he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and this showed him he had more inner strength than he thought. He learned he could do anything he set his mind to. Then, at 49, he quit his good career in Canada and embarked on an indefinite travel odyssey with limited cash.
Second, Darren will admit that he’s never been fearless. He had a lifelong fear of water that kept him from going in the ocean. He was afraid of heights. But this didn’t stop him. He traveled all over the world, including some challenging destinations, like in India and sub-Saharan Africa. Darren scuba dived in the Red Sea and faced his fear of water head on. He hot air ballooned over Cappadocia, Turkey and conquered his fear of heights. He also cycled across Vietnam, walked over 300 km from Portugal to Spain, spent 3 months traveling through India, and more. Then, after living his dream life, Darren went home to Canada broke.
Did he regret any of it?
Absolutely not.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of chatting with Darren for an hour about his incredible global odyssey and more. We talk about what inspired his decision to take the leap at 49. We discuss stepping away from our careers, what our coworkers & bosses thought, and whether it was a risky decision. We chat about what made him want to push through his fears and the importance of thinking through “worst case scenarios.” Darren shares where he believes courage & confidence comes from. He also discusses what it was like returning back to Canada in his 50s and starting over with no cash or possessions.
This convo will be fascinating to anyone who enjoys seeing people live remarkable lives, anyone who feels that real barriers are standing in their way, and folks looking to take their own radical path.
You can subscribe to Darren’s work on Substack here, which includes incredible storytelling & breathtaking photography:
You can also follow Darren’s amazing stories on Medium.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Stay tuned for new conversations like these from Radical Paths!
I hope you get a chance to listen to Darren’s remarkable story.
When I launched this newsletter earlier this year, I didn’t want to make it only a memoir/sailing blog — I wanted to learn about what others who were tired of the default path had done with their lives instead. I walked away from yesterday’s convo with a huge amount of inspiration. I can’t wait to chat with others who took their own radical path — specifically those with real obstacles in their way — and share more great tales with all of you.
Thank you
, , and many others for tuning into my live video with !Until next time,
—Cory
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