Why I’m In Peru

A few people have asked why I’m in Peru, most of them my friends, and I realized I haven’t told anyone why I’m really down here. I’ll do my best to explain, if I loose you, I’m sorry.. Here it goes.

Background

Back in May of this year (2012) I realized I was’t fulfilling my passions in life and what I was doing day in and day out was not going to get me there. From the time I could remember- what I wanted to do in life, wether it be a boat captain, or have a parasailing company, I was always the owner, always the boss. I knew my passion was to own my own business; work for myself, not take orders from some higher ups, and not have to answer to anyone else. Thankfully while at work one day I read a Twitter post by Ben Hebert with a link to a PDF document titled “A Brief Guide to World Domination” by Chris Guillebeau. The rest of the day at work I hid in my cubical and read it from start to finish, even cutting my lunch short to get back to my desk. This was the tip of the iceberg. This is when I found out there were thousands of people out there looking to break away from the status-quo of working a 9-5, not being fulfilled in life, and feel they need to do what society has fed them from the get-go.

Ben and I discussed different things that week, he opened a few more doors and told me about other like-minded people who were out there sharing similar information(they will be mentioned shortly). This is when I found out that it is possible for me to work remotely, from anywhere in the world, making money, and traveling, but have the time for the things I wanted to do. If I wanted to go surf, I could. If I want to go and tour Machu Picchu, I can. No one was to tell me otherwise, and I do not have to be in a rush to get back to the office to do work that was driving me insane.

Leaving The Country

My lease on my apartment was up at the end of October, rather then renewing my lease or finding a new place, I decided to hit the bricks and leave America. “Why would you want to leave America Allen?” Some may ask. I decided to leave America because people a lot smarter then I have already found out the secret. America is very expensive to live and survive. PERIOD. Why not go to a country where it is 10-99% cheaper to live. Especially if all the work you are doing can be done remotely with just a wifi connection.

People Who Are Doing It Currently

Tim Ferriss, author of “The Four Hour Work Week”, and Dan Andrews, co-owner of Lifestyle Business Podcast, are already doing this, and they have proof and data to back it. (I HIGHLY suggest you read and follow both of them if you aren’t doing so already). They both are out of the country. Dan is in Asia working on multiple products and projects, and Tim is God only knows, probably training for some Brazilian Jujitsu match, in Brazil.

Why Peru?

I followed in their footsteps and headed to Peru. Most of you already know I have family here, so thats one reason why I chose this place. Second, it is just coming into Spring, as in the US it is coming into Winter(no thanks). Third, cost of a flight was cheap ($288), as opposed to Indonesia(~$1600) where I originally wanted to go. Fourth, Cost of living is cheap ($200 per month, meals included). Are you catching my drift? I went to a city called Miraflores, which has the feel of NYC, and had two Irish Coffees and a bottle of water for $8USD, plus- full wifi access, and American/English speaking people around me. They’re are definite perks to living outside of America.

Full Time Entrepreneur, Overnight

Because I am just starting out on my entrepreneurial quest- my revenue is minor(as of writing this I NET $270 per week), but one way to keep me a full time entrepreneur(without having to get a second job) is to reduce my expenses. Best way to do that is to live in a place that is cheap to live. Boom, instant full-time entrepreneur, overnight. Now I can focus on my businesses without worrying about going to the office, picking up a bartending shift, or trying to decide what night I can and can’t go out. Now if I want to catch a bus to the beach and hang out for the day, I can. Tomorrow I am booking my trip to the South of Peru and Machu Picchu, it will be a 10-12 day adventure, and I don’t have to worry about requesting off of work, or wondering if my job will still be there when I get back. It feels good to be able to do what I want, when I want, and I couldn’t be happier.

What’s Next

After Peru I might head to other parts of South America, where? I’m not sure. A few of my friends are living in Puerto Rico, so I might stop in and see them. I know this much, I will keep you posted on my whereabouts, and what is going on with my future quests. I hope this helps inspire some of you to follow me, and the others like me, to follow your passion and live life to the fullest. If you want some help talking about your next step, I have already counseled a few people and helped them make a transition to a more fulfilling life. Feel free to email me, or connect with me on my social sites, and I will be happy to help.

Cheers from Peru.