Josh Thomsen has always loved cooking.
In fact, his sixth grade yearbook said, "Future Chef".
Josh pursued his passion to become a successful Chef working at high-end resorts and restaurants here in the USA.
But as he approached his 50s, he began to feel like he was missing out on normal life experiences, living to work.
Then his mother fell ill.
As they were spending time together before she passed away, he remembered they had a shared love of travel but that he hadn't been able to enjoy it as much as he wanted to because he was working so hard "being married" to his job.
He felt like he was missing out on life, and decided to make a change.
"I wasn't depressed or anything like that. But I need to add to to my life. And I just said, 'I need to go on a trip.'"
Josh took a short trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico which reignited a desire in him to travel more.
He had the thought, "Wait a second. I need to do this, but I need to go to the other side of the world."
Josh dedicated his year to seeking adventures, both to faraway places but locally as well.
"It was a year of these incredible experiences. Whether it was a long trip like seeing the Seychelles islands off the coast of Africa, riding a camel in Egypt, floating in the Dead Sea in Israel or just driving to four hours to see a concert on a Friday night in another town. Even just doing the little things like being the first dad in the car line to pick up my boys from school. I am a better person professionally, but more important, personally. I never will take life for granted and will continue to make sure to LIVE A GREAT STORY every day."
Josh's story is inspiring because it shows that it's never too late to make changes in your life to prioritize what's important.
Sometimes it takes a tragedy or a difficult time to make you realize what you really want out of life.
But once you figure it out, it's up to you to take action and make it happen. Josh took a chance and went on a trip, and it changed his life. He's proof that making hard changes can be scary, but they can also be incredibly rewarding and worth it.
Listen to Josh's full podcast episode here:
