Hi, my name is Chris. I’m an explorer, a veteran, and a lifelong learner.
Growing up, my life was defined by constant movement. My dad was a military veteran and my mom was a foreign national. After getting married, they returned to the United States where my dad became a mechanic, attended Bible school, went into missionary work, returned to Bible school, and eventually became a pastor. Through all of this, I quickly learned firsthand how organized religion could often be hypocritical and full of contradictions. These early lessons planted the seeds of my skepticism toward authority and traditional institutions.
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, our family moved frequently. This nomadic lifestyle showed me that being static, whether mentally, spiritually, or physically, was dangerous. I learned that remaining stagnant made people vulnerable, both emotionally and intellectually. This early experience shaped my worldview and made me crave change, movement, and personal growth. It built in me a resilience and adaptability that would define the next chapters of my life.
By the time I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I knew I wanted to join the military. I was motivated by a desire for challenge, a sense of purpose, and the opportunity to explore the world. I made the decision to enlist long before graduation, and the day I finished high school, I left immediately to pursue that path. I was determined to keep moving forward, refusing to stay still in a world that demanded constant evolution.
My journey has taken me through years of military service, where I learned that staying still meant vulnerability. In the military, being static was dangerous, every time we stopped, we became a target. Mortars, ambushes, and uncertainty followed any moment of stillness. That lesson stayed with me, not just in combat but in life. Movement is survival, and movement is healing. Healing doesn’t happen in stagnation; it happens in motion, through change, through exploration. That’s why I’ve chosen a digital nomad life, because it gives me the freedom to keep moving, to seek new experiences, and to grow without limitations. Travel isn’t just about seeing new places; it’s about constantly evolving, finding clarity in unfamiliar spaces, and discovering who I am beyond what I’ve left behind.
My time in the military shaped me in ways I could never have fully anticipated. I served in combat zones and experienced both the brutality and the deep camaraderie that only those environments can create. The military reinforced my belief that blind obedience to authority could be dangerous, even deadly. It also showed me that individual critical thinking, adaptation, and resilience were crucial for survival, not just in war but in life.
There was a time when I felt stuck, trapped between the past and an uncertain future. After 12 years in the U.S. military, I was medically retired due to service-related injuries, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t have a clear mission. The structure, the discipline, the sense of purpose—it was all gone, leaving behind a void that I didn’t know how to fill.
But transitioning into the unknown isn’t just a military experience. We all face major transitions—whether it’s a career change, a divorce, finishing school with no clear direction, losing a job, or simply feeling like life isn’t what you thought it would be. Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t the situation itself, it’s figuring out what comes next. No matter what stage of life we’re in, we all experience moments where we must redefine ourselves, step into the unknown, and take risks we never expected to take.
After my military service, I faced a challenging transition back into civilian life. Like many veterans, I had to wrestle with personal issues, both mental and physical. I found healing through study and exploration, diving deeply into fields that fascinated me. I began studying history, international science and security, hospitality, tourism, and philosophy. Through education, I found a new mission: to continue learning, growing, and questioning, even outside the battlefield.
Today, I work as a digital nomad. My lifestyle allows me the freedom to travel, to experience different cultures firsthand, and to continually challenge myself. I believe strongly in grassroots efforts for real change and reform. Large institutions, whether government, corporate, or religious, often grow detached from the individuals they claim to serve. I advocate for less centralized authority and more empowered individuals who take responsibility for their own lives and communities.
For me, my answer came in the form of movement. Travel has became more than just a way to see the world, it became a way to heal, to rediscover who I was, and to build a life that actually felt like my own. What started as a way to survive became something much more: a way to grow, a way to connect, and a way to live with real freedom. There’s a reason why people say movement is medicine. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, forward motion keeps us from getting stuck. It reminds us that life keeps going, and so must we.
Looking ahead, I remain committed to a life of exploration, learning, and self-reliance. I have no interest in participating in formal politics; instead, I focus on personal action and local, meaningful change. I believe that the most powerful transformations come from individuals and small groups who refuse to wait for permission to make the world better.
In the future, I plan to deepen my studies and continue traveling. I want to master multiple disciplines, connect with more cultures, and challenge myself in new ways. My goal is not to accumulate wealth or status but to live a life rich with experience, knowledge, and purpose. I see my journey as one of continual reinvention, constantly pushing the boundaries of what I thought possible for myself.
Ultimately, my mission is simple: to live freely, think critically, and act deliberately. I want to encourage others to embrace movement, learning, and grassroots efforts for positive change. True progress does not come from the top down; it comes from individuals who refuse to remain static. I will continue moving forward, not just geographically but mentally and spiritually, because standing still has never been, and never will be, an option for me.
