In late 2007 John Carter was living in New York, working for an investment bank, hating his job, his routine, and asking himself “Is this what I have to look forward to for the next 50 years?”  He had just decided he was going to quit and start adventuring, when his boss offered him a position in their Hong Kong office.  This is when his life got interesting.

John’s story really resonates.  He could have been the typical “NYC banker type”..the Soho-lofter, corner officer, the bottler popper…but he chose the route less taken by most 27-year-old urban dwellers, he chose to hit the road.  Now three years later, he’s travelled the world and is about to start a new chapter studying with a 2-year MBA  program in Barcelona.

John at the Perito Moreno glacier on the Argentine side of Patagonia

Nationality: American

Job(s): MBA Student

Currently In: somewhere in South America but heads to Barcelona in three weeks

Blogs At: therunaround-jmc.blogspot.com

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After 3 days of pretending to “deliberate” and “consider my options” I accepted the  job transfer and was in Asia three months later. While the job wasn’t drastically different or inherently more interesting it provided me the opportunity to explore a new part of the world, which is all I really cared about. Second best decision of my life. Quitting that job a year and a half later to go travel was the first.

As my last adventure in Asia I ran the Gobi March – a 250 kilometer foot race across the Gobi Desert in northwest China. Over five days we ran the equivalent of six marathons while carrying 20 pound backpacks.  We slept in tents and cooked for ourselves under the stars. The extraordinary challenge, scenery and camaraderie of the Gobi March changed me.  Since I had already quit my job to go travel through South America I signed up to be a volunteer when the race series went to the Atacama Desert in Chile in 2010.

My Atacama days were arduous — 15 hour shifts in the hot Chilean sun. But I felt lucky to have the chance to get to know the competitors of the race, particularly one – Paolo Giannerini.  He is a 42-year-old Italian racer who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2009.  When I witnessed  him crossing the finish line, eyes filled with tears to a crowd filled with cheers, it was one of the most inspiring moments of my life.  It was validation that you really can do anything if you are determined enough.

John Finishing the Gobi March in China

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Get ready to be inspired, folks.  Our third Jet Set Hero is Steve Bramucci, a travel writer, professional misadventurer and wordsmith whose got a hell of a lot of perspective on life at the ripe age of 30.  He’s managed to do what we at Jet Set Zero would all secretly love to do…turn that zero into a figure that actually pays the rent without sacrificing life on the road.  His job is his passion, the world is his “research” and going back to his position at Merrill Lynch…well, that’s his nightmare and we don’t blame him.

Steve in Kenya

Nationality: American
Job: Travel Writer
Currently In: Laguna Beach, CA
Check out his Travel Series: www.bootsnall.com/howitravel
Twitter: @stevebram

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I worked at Merrill Lynch and my boss told me: “every day I come to work and I feel like I’m shooting hoops.” I loved that philosophy.  I quit Merrill the very same day.
I didn’t feel like I was shooting hoops in the finance world.  But I do feel like that with writing, teaching, storytelling and all of the other assorted work that I do in order to make sure rent is on time. Most of all, I feel that way about travel.  It might technically be work but it feels 100% like recreation.

Everything I do on the road I attribute to the “grand adventure” and chalk up as “research.” Those are my go to phrases—especially when the car gets stuck in eight inches of muck, the ferry is a day late or the hike that was supposed to take a day ends up taking three.  If I was looking for a job title I think I’d call myself a Professional Misadventurer. The hardest days on the road inevitably become my favorite days of “work.”

Besides day labor, short stints in hostels and volunteering, my only experience working abroad has been as a travel writer.  People always tell me how lucky I am to have that chance.  Those people are right.  Don’t worry, I work hard for it and appreciate the hell out of every trip.  I get to indulge my curiosity, talk to people, tell stories and trust my instincts.

Over the past ten years, I’ve left a lot to go traveling. I’ve left jobs with the casualness of a person who has no clear conceptualization of the economic crisis.  I’ve left cities that felt safe and comfortable.  I even left college.  Every one of those times it was the right choice.
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Check out this week’s interview with Lauren Stitle, a blogger, expat, and firm believer in pushing the limits.   She quit her job in sales to move to Europe and now has an idillic life in the heart of Amsterdam where she lives with her blogger boyfriend, Marc of Amsterdamize. 

Nationality: American, Europhile

Job: The Magic 8-Ball says,  ”Ask again later”

Currently In: Amsterdam

Blogs At: www.mybeautifuladventure.wordpress.com/

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The job that I hated the most was my pharmaceutical sales job in Chicago.  I drove around alone and chatted about cholesterol a lot. It was mundane, repetitive and quitting that job was one of the best decisions I ever made.

I haven’t found a job in Amsterdam but I’m not panicking yet.
I am in the middle of getting my residents and work Visa in Amsterdam and hope to be employed in the not so distant future. Wish me luck!

I met my man on the road.
In 2008 I traveled to Amsterdam while I was on holiday from working in Italy. I fell in love with everything. Beautiful tall blond people biking along extraordinary picture perfect city streets, what’s not to like? Also after being in Italy for 3 months I finally found a place where I fit in physically and didn’t look so much like a blond American tourist.  Amsterdam felt like home and as a vagabond traveler, that is not something that you take lightly.

We flirted through blog comments.
After staying in AMS for a week I was enamored with all things Dutch, so I started reading blogs about Amsterdam and I found one that really caught my attention because of the smart writing and beautiful photos of Dutch people on bikes. I started commenting on the blog and eventually the author commented back.   A couple of months later I took a train to Amsterdam from Paris and Marc and I have been together ever since, which is a little bit over a year.
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Throughout our Jet Set travels we’ve met people from diverse cultures and backgrounds who all share a certain bond: they “get it.”  They get that a college degree and a six-figure job isn’t as good for the soul as it is for the wallet.  They seek out inspiration through incredible careers across the world.  They are the people whose lives you want to have (but might never think it’s possible), whose stories you love to listen to, and whose voices should be heard.  To salute these life-seekers we’re launching a new profile series called Jet Set Heroes and to kick things off, meet Laura Jane Williams.

Laura in bici

Nationality: English

Job(s): Writer, performer and free-spirit

Currently In:  Italy, teaching English and getting fat off of too much bruschetta, If there is such a thing.

Blogs At: www.mynameislaurajanewilliams.blogspot.com

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My Nanna went backpacking at 71. That’s sort of a lot to live up to.

I’ve travelled all over the world- from India to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, European capitals, a couple of summers in France- as well as living in Detroit for a while and a stint working in a Sri Lankan orphanage. I was 18, and I didn’t even know where Ceylon was until I got out the atlas AFTER I booked my ticket.

I don’t actually consider myself to be “from” anywhere.

I moved all over the U.K. growing up and now going back to where my parents live it isn’t so much home as literally where my parents live. It just so happens that Derbyshire is beautiful, but that’s beside the point. It isn’t where my spirit can rest up easy with a glass of Prosecco and a big outward sigh.

I’ve felt many spiritual homes on my travels.

Rome stuck with me after I visited when I was 16- something about the rows and rows of trees and the way the boys all looked like beautiful girls- and India often felt like a fit. I remember begging my boyfriend at the time to look for a job in finance over there, and after we broke up I realized that actually, I could find my own job in situ if I wanted it so badly. I don’t think I’d get many visitors though- Mum wouldn’t even come and visit me in the States because the water might upset her tummy and there are too many guns. I’m not sure a diet of dahl and chapti would suit her, although she did once don a salwaar kameez for a curry night she hosted. She’s wild, my mum. (Hi, Mama!)

“For me the karma bank holds more value than the cash bank does.”

My life now is 100% removed from previous lives, with their fifteen hour work days and canceling plans at the last minute and never having the time to stop and talk about the weather; when I was always late or missing something or pent up with anger/frustration/confusion, and it started with taking a chance.  I have stories and memories and adventures to my name instead now.  That’s like gold to me.

I’m the only person I know who has been to Delhi and suffered constipation. Similarly, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I got “backed up” and took laxative after laxative because they didn’t seem to be working. Five hours later I was I hovered stark-bollock-naked precariously over the squat-and-drop as I projectiled out of my bum, threw up onions all over myself and my boyfriend tried to help me stop sweating bullets. For anybody interested, I’m now single.

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