The $3,962 Risk That Taught Me the Meaning of Courage (Full Version)

Dear Andre, (9 min read)

Three quick things before we dive into this story. (How to create your own at the end.)

The Big Lie: My story isn’t interesting.
The Truth: My story matters.

• Do things and meet people.

• Learn to tell stories.

This is Part 4 of a series on signature stories. I already wrote to you about how I started Detailing, Drumming, and how to Focus.

I’m so excited for you to read this week’s and next week’s letters. Why? Because it’s exactly what I did at 24. And I can see how, without these actions and experiences at 24, I’d have a completely different life at 28.

Grab some popcorn; this is a good one.

I Wanted This One Thing More Than Anything Else

When I was 16, I started working at a grocery store.

Now I know what you’re thinking: "Booo BORING."

But little did I know that that (boring) environment would birth a dream and be the first time I learned a skill that would serve me for the rest of my life.

See, I got the job because I wanted to go on a trip to Disneyland and pay for my younger sister to go too. (I know, big brother brownie points… please, hold the applause.)

But I got so much more than a trip to Disneyland.

I got a gift. A skill that has served me for the rest of my life.

What was that skill? I think you’ll figure it out.

I was taking Spanish 3 and auditing a Spanish 2 class. This grocery store served clientele who 90% spoke Spanish. 10% ONLY spoke Spanish.

I’d spend hours learning Spanish, then go to work and INSTANTLY apply what I was learning.

I could help people find food faster. Help them feel special. I cared enough to learn something that was SO important to them.

That was when a dream was born.

What if, instead of just going to work and using my Spanish, I could be surrounded by it for 2-3 months?

And it was in that moment I knew: I wanted to LIVE in a Central or South American country for 2-3 months.

Years later, I got an email to join a trip to Ecuador. It was only 10 days, but it was something I wanted to do. I thought, Wow, this is what I’ve dreamed about!

But I simply didn’t have the money to do it. I HATED that feeling.

I’d just finished a 2-year internship and had $693 to my name. (I was 20.)

I remember promising myself that the next time this opportunity came up, I’d be prepared.

The Turning Point

I remember looking at that email, just feeling so helpless. Here was this dream I’d wanted for 3-4 years, and I had no way to fulfill this longing. It sucked.

But at the end of 2019, I got another email.

The trip was happening. Again. April of 2020.

I’m looking at the number: $3,962.

I remember thinking to myself, That’s more than any car I’ve ever purchased (for 10 days).

I’m looking at my computer. I can feel the carpet underneath my feet and stare at that number for 10 minutes.

Am I really going to spend the MOST money in my entire life on this?

A trip. To Ecuador? Using HALF of my "emergency fund"? (What would Dave Ramsey say?)

My palms are sweating. I look at my debit card and then back at the number.

And exhale. I push the buy button.

Sidenote: Have you ever had a moment where you’re quite certain you made the right call, but it still felt SUPER risky? That was this moment for me.

"Okay, if I’m going to do this, then let’s DO this." (My fist and jaw both clench.)

Not only do I spend this money, but I also enroll in Spanish 4 and a conversational class to complete my AA in Spanish.

Now, remember, I hadn’t taken any Spanish classes in 4 years. So this WILL be a challenge. (Going from no Spanish to Spanish 4 is real hard.)

So now I’m fully committed. Learning, energy, money—it’s all being invested. Why?

Because I had a dream.

COVID Strikes

But then something no one could have foreseen happens.

COVID.

March 2020.

I get a preliminary email saying the trip may be canceled.

I remember still having some hope in March. Maybe… maybe it’ll still happen?

Man, I sure hope so. I’ve invested so much into this:

• Time learning Spanish again.

• Money in the trip.

• Energy and excitement to finally do this.

But then I get the email.

Trip canceled.

Money refunded.

But I didn’t want the money.

I wanted the experience.

F.

Sidenote: Have you ever planned, worked, and done everything within your power, but it still failed?

But I remembered the dream: Live for 2-3 months in a South or Central American country.

I’d decided on Ecuador.

Testing the Waters

Before I commit to 2-3 months, doesn’t it make sense to test it for 2-3 weeks to make sure I don’t hate it?

That makes sense.

So I decide to do something scary.

I decided to live out a prayer I’d been telling everyone and praying over myself. And it was so simple:

I had to have the courage to go.

It was time to live, not talk.

I booked flights to Ecuador.

When?

At the worst time. (December 30, 2020.)

I still had to get time off, make sure people could drive me, and ensure I had all the correct paperwork.

I had to ask for 3 weeks off at the church, and a month off from Goodwill (I was working 2 jobs at the time).

And I was prepared to lose both jobs to do this trip. (I booked without asking permission first.)

Extreme? Probably. But that’s what dreams will do for you. They pull you towards action.

Excitement and Support

It was terrifying to ask for that time off. I thought I’d get a no.

I kept putting that conversation off, afraid of the result.

But when I finally asked, something amazing happened.

Excitement.

What?! I thought they’d be so bothered that I was leaving.

The people I worked with were SO excited for me to do this.

My church was incredibly supportive.

My store manager at Goodwill gave me a full month off (leave of absence).

Despite all the setbacks, I continued refining my Spanish.

I watched movies on Disney+ in Spanish. I found podcasts and would fall asleep listening to Spanish. In the 6 months between when I was supposed to go (April 2020) and when I actually went (January 2021), I significantly improved my Spanish.

Now, let me get one thing clear:

I’d taken Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4, and a conversational class. But using it every day—writing, reading, and being submerged in it—there’s nothing like preparation meeting immersion.

I learned how much could be communicated through tone and body language.

I had an amazing 2-3 weeks, and I also made friends who I could visit when I went back over the summer.

The Scouting Mission

See, this was a scouting mission.

I’d hoped to meet some friends I’d made through Instagram.

But Christmas Day came around, and I still hadn’t met anyone. (6 days before leaving)

Frick. This might not work.

But then, something happened on December 28th.

I got a DM. It said:

"Here are these two guys who you might be able to meet. Here are their IGs and WhatsApps."

Exhale. I couldn’t believe this came THREE days before I flew there.

Talk about just in time. But sometimes, that’s how this works—full commitment with no certainty of the outcome.

I met them the day after I landed.

I met some amazing people on the plane who lived locally. They drove me to my hostel. Truly incredible people.

I stayed in one hostel. I only had one roommate (for three days) in a 4-bunk place for 17 days.

(For context, nurses were just barely getting vaccines during this time.)

But when I went and was surrounded by Spanish 24/7, something clicked in me.

My ability to speak, write, and communicate in Spanish leveled up in a way I didn’t think possible.

What Happened Next

When I got back, I had a harder conversation.

This was just the beginning—the scouting mission. Now the real mission began.

I knew I wanted to go back. I’d met friends who could help me find a place to rent.

But there was a risk.

See, I’d have to quit both my jobs.

With no real plan, except that what I was currently doing wasn’t the long-term plan.

I was leaving something good for… an unknown.

But I had someone I’ll forever be grateful for: Michael Dacy.

He said:

It was so simple:

There won’t be a better time than now.

It’s not easy now, but it’ll never be easier.

There was also one very important person who didn’t think I was making the right decision.

But I remember thinking: If I don’t do this, I’m pretty sure I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.

And I did something most people don’t do (in their 20s):

I listened.

So I quit both my jobs.

The Big Move

Now, what they don’t want you to know in stories like this:

I’d been wise with my money for years.

So yes, I was taking a “risk,” but I had time to figure out my next steps once I got back.

I knew I wanted to go on this trip.

I knew I wanted to start a business of some type—not work in a church.

And I still had one year left in college. So I could take this trip and not lose anything major.

I quit my jobs.

And I flew to Ecuador.

I helped out with Mosaic Ecuador. I had two months in Ecuador.

I ate more meals with people in those two months than in the last five years combined.

I realized what I was missing by not sharing meals and stories.

An Unexpected Gift

But I also had something I didn’t expect: time.

Time without the ability to achieve.

What could I achieve while sitting in a hostel with a beautiful view?

See, I thought this was what I wanted.

But now, for the first time, I wasn’t working.

I had nothing to do except write, read, and think. I didn’t have to work.

From 16-24, I’d been working 30+ hours a week in college or a full-time internship—and had another business too.

I was used to doing so many things that most people thought I was crazy.

That’s just how I’d always lived.

Suddenly, I went from 100 to 0, and I felt the whiplash.

Big Questions

It gave me time to question who I was without the expectations of friends or family who knew me.

That space allowed me to think through and make big decisions about who I wanted to be moving forward.

My identity shifted in a major way.

I quit a business.

I stopped being vegan.

The Fallout

I also had another problem I didn’t expect.

I’d achieved my first big dream.

Yes! And… oh no.

What’s next?

At 24, there aren’t many things you’ve wanted for seven years.

It’s amazing.

And it’s also a bit jarring not to have that goal to work towards anymore.

A Warning

Now, I do want to warn you: When you achieve your dreams, there is always fallout.

What you thought would happen and the reality are often different.

I had this fear:

What if this is the best my life ever gets?

How do you top traveling for two months?

Stay Tuned

But then I did something that surprised me.

How’d that end up?

Well, you’ll have to subscribe for next week’s newsletter.

Bonus Content

If you want to hear exactly what I was thinking at 24, I made a playlist:

1. My goals before the trip.

2. Updates about a month into the trip.

3. The story of how I got there.

4. The fallout, about two months after returning home.

Here’s the link to the playlist:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV0_Ta69F84i4WxHl344l270AvYIWGcVi&si=lOj032koNd-oMABx

If you want to see what it was like in real time, watch or listen to those.

Well, that’s all for now! Adios.

P.S. If you watch the playlist, I say: Whether you’re watching now or in 3-5 years from now, I’m SO glad I made these videos.

Which is why I’m encouraging you to write your stories now. You never know what the future holds.

-Daniel