What’s the letter one drafts to their employer and colleagues announcing this big change in your life? Mine was drafted back in January of 2017 and stayed in my drafts for 5 months until now. It goes a little something like this and it’s the best way to kick off my first post…
It’s been 3 years and some change since I joined the Red Bull family. While I was already a fan of the product and brand before joining the company in 2014, seeing the mission of “Giving Wings to people and ideas” first hand and being blessed to contribute to this with the power house that is this Red Bull family is indescribable.
It is inspiring to see the “Wings” we have given athletes for example at Crashed Ice or soccer teams with Neymar Jrs Five, artists under Red Bull Sound Select and Red Bull House of Art programs to supporting dope people doing dope shit such as Phaze II, Alex Jorge and the Cold Chillen squad just in the Midwest alone. This is truly a company that practices what they preach and this is all thanks to you, the people who believe in driving the Red Bull mission in our community.
That being said, while it is a difficult and some would say crazy or a scary decision to make, I realize that during this time while I’ve been practicing this motto for others under the Red Bull umbrella the one person who I neglected to do this for is myself. One can say Red Bull amped me to where I am today and why I have decided to finally give Wings to MYself and MY idea.
On May 22nd I will embark on my most epic travel adventure to date, destination: The World! The plan is to spend 6 months exploring this beautiful planet, get lost in its neighborhoods, find the restaurants and shops that you don’t read about but most importantly meet and connect with as many people as possible while I hear their stories, their ideas and create memories together.
I know what you may be thinking and its what many people have been asking me,
- Chris you already travel a lot. What gives? – “This is true, with 29 countries to date, one could say I’ve managed to travel a fair amount in my life but I’ve never felt like I’ve done it correctly. It’s always felt rushed, limited days and no room for the whitespace that others who I have met during my travels have been privileged to have.”
- Why leave such a great and established life, why risk losing that? – “This was one of the hardest decisions to make and it’s probably why it’s taken so long to actually pull the trigger. I’ve had this idea years before coming to Red Bull. I’ve always been a planner, in college I felt that if I wasn’t working straight out of college, I wasn’t doing it “right” so I entered the workforce. When I found myself at Red Bull I put this idea even farther in the back burner since I loved working at Red Bull. The way I see it now, sometimes to grow, sometimes to follow your dreams you sometimes have to take these risks and if I’ve learned anything from working at Red Bull its that these risks are what produce the most amazing results.”
- Why? – “Why not?!?! During my travels I have met a lot of people, some older. They all say the same thing to me, “Travel while you can. We regret waiting.” I don’t want to regret waiting. I’m not getting any younger, I’m single, no kids and my parents are still relatively young and in good health. This is the perfect time. ”
- What is your plan when you return? – “Honestly, this isn’t on my mind. I want to enjoy this adventure without thinking of the future. The future will come and when it does it will be the present and I will tackle it then.”
Thank you to each and every one of you for the effort and commitment you bring to Red Bull, which has motivated me to take on this new chapter in my life. I’m sure our paths will cross again, you may see me make a guest appearance in Chicago in September. 😉
Lastly, I welcome you all to follow my adventures by checking out my website/blog as well as on IG: @daville_c. If you’re feeling adventurous, I also welcome anyone to join me at any point of my travels. I’m sure seeing familiar faces along my travels will be much appreciated.
As A.A. Milne once said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
#GirltakesMundo,
Chris