I was born in a performance-oriented culture in which acquisitions frequently are the measure of a man.
For the first twenty years of my life, I listened to the gospel of money and materialism, but I never became a convert.
I confess to having a couple of close calls where for short periods of time I felt the undertow of money's siren call. But I always escaped before money took over my life, and I drowned in a sea of dollars.
I faced a choice. I could become rich in the experiences that come with a life of adventure, or I could be rich in monetary terms piling up a mountain of money and other acquisitions.
It was one of the hardest choices I ever made, and at the same time, one of the easiest.
It was hard because I saw how my medical colleagues were accumulating substantial wealth.
It was easy because I wanted adventure and freedom more than I wanted money.
I have always placed a high value on my personal freedom, and I have organized my life around the Freedom Principle. This principle says if you don't worship at the altar of acquisitions and money, you'll never lose your freedom.
People who have no possessions have a remarkable amount of freedom, because they have nothing to lose.
People who have massive infrastructure and millions of dollars have limited freedom because they have so much to lose.
Although it's true rich people have more options than poor people, rich folks have made an agreement with life that limits their freedom and options. It's extremely difficult to feel free when you are chained to endless infrastructure that you must work to support. Infrastructure is expensive, and instead of it supporting you, you must work to support it. You have the initial cost of acquiring it, and the never ending cost of maintaining it.
I'm not claiming you don't need money. I am purposing most people would do fine, perhaps even better, if they had less infrastructure to support. They would have more personal freedom and probably would enjoy their lives more. At least, that's the way it works for me.
I have a confession to make. I am addicted to expeditionary vehicles, specifically, Land Rover Defenders. Il have two Defenders parked in storage facilities around the world. One is in Whangarei, New Zealand, and the other is in Mooloolaba, Australia.
If I worship at the altar of infrastructure and acquisitions, that altar is shaped like Land Rovers, fully kitted out for expeditionary travel with roof racks, long range fuel tanks, two spare tires, roof top tents, heavy duty suspension, and customized storage compartments. These freedom machines stand ready to take me from Cairo to Capetown when the time is right.
So there you have it. I do have a certain amount of infrastructure in my life, and I spend modest amounts of money to maintain it. There is no other way to make my dreams come true. I need to have my Freedom Machines ready to travel outback and beyond.
We all have compromises we must make when we come to our agreement with life. My compromise is simple. I keep my infrastructure to a minimum whenever possible. But when it comes to Freedom Machines - Land Rover Defenders - I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep my dreams alive, and even make some of them come true.
Stay tuned, because I am getting ready to fire up those Land Rovers and make a truck convoy across the Australian outback. Then, I may ship the Defenders to South Africa and make a run from Capetown to Cairo.
I can hear the sound of my dreams.
I don't know how much time I have left, but in the time that remains, I plan to keep on trucking.
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Captain Dave and his family spent eleven years sailing around the world on their Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. During the trip, the crew shot 200 hours of video with professional cameras to show people what it's like to sail on a small boat around the world.
The Red Sea Chronicles is a one hour and twenty-two minute feature film showing their adventures as Exit Only sails through Pirate Alley in the Gulf of Aden and up the Red Sea. The professional footage documents their experiences in Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, and the Suez Canal. It chronicles the rigors of traveling in a remote section of the world rarely visited by cruisers. Exit Only dodges Yemeni pirates, fights a gale and sand storms in the Bab al Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The crew explores deserted islands on the western shores of the Red Sea, and learns to check the cruising guides for land mines before venturing ashore.
The Red Sea Chronicles also has outstanding Special Features including an Instructional Video on Storm Management that tells sailors how to deal with storms at sea.
And don't forget the two Music Videos: "The Red Sea Blues", and "Captain - Save Our Souls".
The Red Sea Chronicles is a first class adventure that stokes the sailing dreams of both experienced and wannabe sailors alike.
Join Team Maxingout as they sail through Pirate Alley and up the Red Sea
See what it's like to cruise on a catamaran before you spend a bazillion dollars purchasing one
After watching the Red Sea Chronicles you will be able to see yourself sailing on the ocean of your dreams
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
