Since I was young, I had an affinity for the outdoors. I didn’t care if I was outside doing yard work, or on hikes amongst some of the most renown trails, as long as I was outside I was happy. When I went to school I gravitated towards engineering in hopes that I could better understand how the world and everything within it worked. I pursued a minor in renewable energy in hopes that I could find ways to incorporate green design into future projects. As my bachelor’s degree came to a close, I had already started a promising career at a lithium battery company. Though this wasn’t what I initially had in mind, I ended up working on projects that helped our customers get outside and do what they love while harnessing the power of the sun to extend their travels. Working on these projects gave me a new sense of purpose, I was helping people get outside and appreciate all that the outdoors had to offer. In addition to this, I got to travel to some amazing places to capture their stories.
In 2019, I found out I was immunocompromised and soon after the COVID 19 pandemic was full swing. Like many others, I was juggling trying to maintain my professional career and my personal relationships while social distancing. In addition to this, I was trying to understand just what immunocompromised meant for myself and how to manage it. Luckily, work was booming as everyone had turned to camping and outdoor activities to pass the time throughout the COVID lockdown. I threw myself into work and learned all that I could from those out on the road testing the new systems I had designed. Even though I had helped countless others get outside and go on amazing adventures, I had let my passion slip and found that I was prioritizing work over my hobbies that fueled me.
In late 2021, I reset myself and my priorities. I focused on my health and began to find sustainable ways to manage my immune deficiency while still doing what I loved most. I changed professions so I could have the freedom of working remote and began making travel plans that would not interfere with my job but would get me back in touch with the outdoors. I’ve travelled across the world and have had the privilege to have gone to some of the most extraordinary destinations within the US. After speaking with friends and family, I realized that COVID has wreaked havoc on many peoples’ lives and subsequently had impacted their abilities to travel and explore in the ways they once had. Many of them seeked information on my trips and how I planned, packed, and travelled in a way that didn’t take me away from my day to day life. This inspired me to begin this blog in which I hope to share my experiences and provide guidance so that more people can reconnect with the outdoors or begin a new relationship with nature.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. In upcoming posts, I will share with you the basics of what to pack, how to plan, and hopefully will provide some inspiration for you to start your next getaway. We will start with the basics, but hopefully you’re ready because this journey is about to get in tents! If you have any suggestions for content and questions, please feel free to contact me at isirbegovic@gmail.com.
