Insight Adventures

“Dad… I’m going to raise fifteen thousand dollars to travel around the world!” That’s how it all started… with a phone call. 5 months after September 11th 2001, my 25-year-old sense of invulnerability had been shaken to its core. Someday became today and putting off my dream was no longer an option. I would be stepping onto a plane on Sept 11th 2002! (Step 1, Commit)

I told everyone about my grand scheme! “I’m quitting my job and taking off to travel the world!” The key part of this plan was that there was NO PLAN, only a commitment to raise the needed funds. I really had no way of knowing how I would do it. I had zero money in the bank and had not been able to save a penny up to that time. (Step 2, Share your dream)

Luckily, I got some great advice, “Take that $15,000 and break it down into tiny pieces.” Divided over 9 months, it came to be $56 a day! Now THAT sounds doable! My story changed to, “I am saving $56 a day to travel the world!” Ways to cut costs and extra opportunities to make money started popping up everywhere! People at work gave me their shifts and no more 4 dollar coffees at Starbucks. Raising the money became a fun game. (Step 3, break it down)

8 weeks after my decision, I was flying high, riding the wave of momentum, until I hit a roadblock. I looked at my finances and I was $1000 behind schedule! Fear creeped in and I started to wonder if I was dreaming too big. In that moment, I realized I had to change my approach. I gathered my courage, walked into work and asked my boss for a 20% raise to help fund my trip. “Oh and by the way, I will be quitting in 7 months.” My hands shaking, I held my breath and She agreed!! Now… I was really committed, with no way to back out. (Step 4, cut off exit strategies)

A month went by and again I checked my savings; I was still behind, even with the raise! For the second time, I felt my dream starting to slip away. It was time to reach out. I drafted an email, shared my story with friends and asked for ideas and assistance. This was a difficult move for me, since I was raised with the mantra “God helps those who help themselves.” Three days later, I was offered a job to work for my hero, Motivational Speaker Tony Robbins. Wow! (Step 5, Reach out)

I was working a dream job during the week, my old job on the weekends and steaming ahead towards my goal. Things were looking up. May 15th, savings account, $8500. I had three months to save $6500. Damn! I had cut all of my expenses as low I could and still I wasn’t saving enough. Again, I reached out with an email. The next day, an old boss of mine called with an offer to pay me $5000 dollars to teach wakeboarding and cover all my living expenses for the summer. Even though he was offering 3 times the normal pay, it still was not enough. I asked for the entire amount, and he agreed! “Just this one time,” he said. “Because I want to support your dream.” Yesssss!!!

After one of the best summers of my life, I finished my contract, went to Wells Fargo and deposited my last paycheck. Account Balance $15,023. The first call was to my father… “Dad I did it!” Two weeks later, I boarded a plane for China and began a 9- month journey around the world. (Step 6, Get on the Plane)

A note to the naysayers: Along the way I had plenty of people tell me that I would never get my job back, that travel was dangerous, etc… When I returned from my trip, without incident, ALL of my previous employers offered me a job.

So tell me…. what’s your dream?

Do you want to go to Nepal with us this fall?

CALL ME, make the commitment, and I will walk you through the process. I’ll share with you how I used this same formula to later raise $100,000 in 15 months!

In Loving Service… Jesse

“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life… I think that what we’re really seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our innermost being and reality, so that we can actually feel the rapture of being alive.” — Joseph Campbell

Standing on a thin metal suspension bridge less than 10 miles from Tibet, I can feel the warm wind on my face. 525 feet below is the rushing Bhote Kosi River, fed by melted snow from the holy Mountain Kailash, the home of the Hindu God Shiva.

This is my last full day in Nepal. My mind is wandering. A 10 mile jog and I could be in Tibet. I feel the pull. I went to Tibet 7 years ago as a solo traveler, but now visitation is highly regulated by the Chinese Government. When I was there, local Tibetans pulled me aside on several occasions, closing their doors and windows to show me their scars and pictures of their beloved leader, the Dali Lama. They wanted to make sure the world knew what was going on. It must have been wonderful to speak so openly to a stranger. I know that comfort. I can share deeply, intimately with a new travel friend because I know my thoughts and feelings are safe. Anonymity is a wonderful benefit of world travel.

On the bridge, I am waiting. However, I’m not waiting to cross like the locals behind me. There are no mule trains in my way. I’m waiting to jump. Silently, I converse with my God. Not a specific God, but more of a universal, all-knowing, something-greater-than-me-ness. “The intention of my jump is to release fear, to let go of the addiction of control and to surrender.” I repeat my intention in my head over and over. A camera man swings his lens into my face to record my pre-jump moments on video. “This is the beginning,” I tell him. He speaks only a little English, and despite the intense look on my face, I can tell he does not understand.

I feel the fear in my legs. My commitment to self has me terrified, not the jump. I was told there has never been a death here. However, today a part of me will die, gone forever. Old ways of being released through a modern sky burial of the soul. “94, 94.” I hear my name. “You jump now,” he tells me. 94, that’s my weight in Kilos. “Are you really 94 Kilos?” The jump master asks me three times in three different ways. I nod with a smile, trying to look confident as I wonder if maybe the scale is broken. “Very strong. big muscles,” he says in an attempt to quiet his own disbelief. “He’s just being thorough,” I tell myself. “Surrender to the moment, trust the scale, trust the jump master, trust the cord, trust myself and trust in the universal plan.” I have done all I can do, now it’s time to let go of control.

Slowly, methodically, I walk my 94 Kilos out to the edge of the steel platform. A tiny surge of adrenaline pumps through my veins and fills my heart with warmth. (Just a test, the system is working.) Smiling, I stand erect with my arms spread out in what Chris Cornell from Sound Garden calls the “Jesus Christ Pose.” “One…Two…Three.” My feet leave the platform… lightening, electrical synaptic ecstasy surges through my body, wind roaring past my ears like a jet engine, narrow green canyon walls blurred in my periphery; I’m falling through space, screaming out to the world a spontaneous proclamation, “I love you!   I LOVE YOU!   I  L O V E  Y O U!!!”

Suddenly, softly something grabs my ankles and catches me before I hit the water. “No!! I’m not done!” I protest. My wish has been granted, I rebound and fall again. “Just one more moment, one last second”… again I’m falling free. If this is what death feels like, I can’t wait.

Hanging limp, slowly spinning over the river, I am alive. I have made the connection. The river has become the ceiling and the floor is the endless sky below me. Tibet looks beautiful upside down. Softly, I am lowered down to lie on a padded table while my gear is removed. I could lie here all day reveling in my joy; seconds of real time converted into a life experience.

With wobbly legs, I walk up the canyon trail, alone. The sun is warm on my skin and the air is silent. I wonder if I’m dreaming. Passing a tiny little mountain stream, I splash cold water on my face. No, I’m not dreaming. I feel radiant and intensely alive, floating six inches off the ground. I pass through a local village and smile at a farmer silently watching me. I feel like he knows how I’m feeling, like he’s been there.

This is what I came for. This is why I came to Nepal. All days on my trip have led to this moment. I am no longer afraid. Fear- to surrender- to love… the formula… the experience, branded on my psyche, permanently. Any time I have doubt, I know I can return to this moment for guidance… Trust, Courage, and Faith. Just take the leap, literally.

PS. Below is a video of canyoning in the same region. One hand for the camera, one hand for the break!

In loving Service,    Jesse

After a week in and around the Kathmandu Valley, it was time to get lost in nature. A 10-day rafting trip in the “wild west” of Nepal seemed like just the thing. This region had been previously closed off because it was under Maoist control. Now it’s open again. To this day, most areas are difficult to reach and have no tourist amenities.

Our journey began with a two day bus ride across the country, through steep valleys, fertile plains, villages and finally onto a narrow muddy trail that took us deep into the mountains. The highlight of the road trip was riding on the roof of the bus during the cool mornings and balmy evenings, sun on my face, wind whipping through my hair… Ahhh, pure joy.

On the first day, I was feeling pretty intrepid until we were passed by a bus with people heaped on top, clinging to the roof rack, all smiling and yelling “Hello!” They were very entertained and looked a bit perplexed that we “chose” to sit on top when there were many empty seats down below. Nevertheless, I felt welcome.

On the evening of the second day we arrived at our put in point and set up camp. The next morning, as we organized our gear, hundreds of local villagers came down to watch the beginning of our expedition. For the first time, I got a real sense of what it must be like to be a villager surrounded by a western tour group, all taking pictures while they wash their clothes in the river.

It was a great role reversal. However, I think we were feeling a bit claustrophobic. I decided to experiment with a little “child crowd control.” Yelling “photos,” I pulled my camera out and started running down the beach away from our camp.

It worked! And soon I had a long string of almost a hundred children chasing me down the river. It was quite a scene. One by one they ran out of steam and made their way back to our camp, lured by the sight of our breakfast spread. Thinking that most kids just need to know what their limits are, (thanks Mom) I pulled out a stick and drew a big circle around the group and motioned for them to stay inside the line. I turned it into a game, and to my total surprise, it worked! We were able to eat our meal in relative peace! Child Psychology 101.

Once out on the river, minutes turned into hours and hours into days as we lost ourselves in the rich beauty of the jungle. At the risk of sounding cliche, this was my experience… beautiful timelessness.

Each morning we woke up to cool fog rolling down over the mountains, which soon cleared to reveal perfect blue skies. 10 days of perfect weather and No Bugs! I couldn’t believe it! No bugs… not even a mosquito, in the middle of the wilderness! Amazing. A dream come true. I still can’t figure it out.

After gorging ourselves on breakfast each day, we would head out to brave a new section of rapids and soak up another full day of amazing scenery; lush green mountains, steep cliffs, tiny villages perched on the river’s edge, water buffaloes, smiling villagers and not a single sign of modern life or other tourists.

On the river, we scouted out huge class four and five rapids with the help of our very skilled Welch safety kayak team. We ran most of them, went around others and all three boats managed to flip on one day or another. I was launched out of my boat twice to swim the rapids, a pretty exhilarating experience to say the least. Fortunately, the river crocodiles, don’t like fast water and we didn’t see them until the last day after our take out point.

Each night we made camp on pristine sand beaches, sat around the campfire, shared stories, sometimes just sat silently for hours watching the shooting stars, listening to the river and entertaining curious villagers that showed up to hang by the fire. Jesus, our resident wild man entertainer from Spain made sure that we never passed a dull moment. On one of my favorite nights, our guide Mahindra bought two chickens for dinner from local villagers. He and I hiked up into the village together, he picked out the roosters he wanted and then he looked at me and said, “Jesse we must catch.” Within seconds, a group of villagers surrounded our chickens in a tight circle. The first one made a break for it and he went straight for the weak point in our circle, me. He knew a rookie when he saw one. After sprinting wildly all over the village, around houses, over rice patties and finally into a thick bush, we caught our dinner. I couldn’t help but think that there would likely either be a lot of vegetarians or at least a lot less obesity in the world if we all had to chase down our dinner.

In between the excitement of the rapids there was also plenty of downtime on the beach and on long flat sections of the river. I had a consistent reocurring feeling that there was almost too much natural beauty for me soak up during our relatively short visit. I wanted to visit every tiny village we passed, I wanted to explore every empty beach and swim in the hundreds of water falls we floated past along the way. I found myself constantly amazed by how completely untouched this little corner of the world was by modern influences.

Often we were stopped by inquisitive local farmers and fisherman, who wanted to know all about where we were from and about our experience in their country. They brought us fish, offered up some of their local brew and were always ready to share a laugh. (Or championship staring contest.)

In the very near future, this river may be dammed for hydroelectric power. Roads will be put in and power brought to the villages. Things will change, the people will change and landscape forever altered. I feel very privileged to have been able to experience the raw beauty and simplicity of life along the Karnali River as it still exists today.

For the last ten days, I have been very present; Not living in the future or the past, but totally engulfed by the natural power of the experience. I also feel immensely privileged to live in a country with so much opportunity. Being here, right now, I am again overwhelmed by the huge disparity of personal opportunity in the world. I feel very privileged and I am forever grateful for this journey.

In Love and Service,

Jesse Gros

After my first real night’s sleep in 48 hours, I woke up this morning feeling remarkably refreshed. However, my friend Jill who is living here assures me that jet lag will catch up to me today. I think I can escape it… “Just remember, there is no spoon.”

Taking time to smell the roses..

Watching the sunrise this morning over the Kathmandu valley from the rooftop garden deck of my hotel was awe inspiring. The air was still and crisp. All I could hear was bells and the occasional dog barking in the distance. (A rare moment for this busy city.)

I am so happy to be here.

On another note:

Talking with a friend this morning, she told me about her recent hospital visit in Kathmandu. 5 hours in the hospital and treatment cost her 5 dollars! That’s less than the cost of our massive breakfast. Actually, a night’s stay in the hospital here is cheaper than a medium priced hotel. Just like in the U.S. right? =)

Rooftop morning view of Kathmandu

I’m off to go visit Papa’s House Orphanage with Jill.

Namaste…

-Jesse

5 Years Around the World.

When I met Fuji, he was peddling his bike down the narrow HWY 1 through Baja, Mexico, alone, on his way south. It was a hot sunny day in June and we flew past him in our SUV, pulling completely into the other lane to avoid him. Looking into my rear view mirror, I could see his sun parched face focused on the narrow white line in front of him. He never looked up. “Pull over.” I heard in my head. “Done” I replied. I have learned to follow my intuition at this stage in my life.

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