2025

Here are highlights from this year of my digital nomad journey. Enjoy!

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Hiking
& Yoga
In Guatemala

This year marked the completion of an entire continental chapter, closing out every country in North and South America. Travel moved deliberately through familiar regions—Brazil, Mexico, and the United States—before culminating in Suriname and Guyana, with Guyana becoming the final country in the Americas.

The year’s defining journey was a 14-night kayaking and camping expedition in the Surinamese interior, combining solitude, endurance, and deep immersion in the rainforest. Another milestone was visiting Chichén Itzá, adding a new World Wonder to a growing lifetime list.

Kayaking
Camping
& Waterfalls, Amazon

Title

Itinerary

Bucket List Update

  • ✅ 14-Night Kayaking & Camping Expedition (Suriname)

  • ✅ Tallest Single Drop Waterfall – Kaieteur Falls (Guyana)

  • ✅ Visited 5 of 7 World Wonders (Mexico)

  • ✅ Visited All Countries in 2 of 7 Continents (Mexico).
  • … See more on the bucket list

Recap

I started the year in Mexico, beginning in Monterrey with concerts and time with friends. I then spent three months in Playa del Carmen, where I also got to spend time with my brother.

In Brazil, I explored new places in the Northeast, including Fortaleza, as well as Belém in the North.

To close out the continent of South America, I spent five months in Suriname and Guyana, including trips into the Amazon.

In the United States, I visited family in Philadelphia.

I ended this stretch in Guatemala, based in Antigua, where I enjoyed hiking and yoga. It was fantastic.

Title

This year leaned heavily into play as learning—using hobbies, music, and shared experiences to explore curiosity, build skills, and stay connected.

Learning: Godot Game Engine

Learning: Artificial Intelligence 🤖

  • In 2025, I transitioned from coding every line myself to coding zero lines per day by the year’s end. AI did the rest. I adopted Cursor IDE with Claude’s assistance for development. I also embraced web technologies like Svelte, changing my workflow dramatically.

Learning: Fishing & Cooking More

  • I spent a lot of time in wilderness and caught a dozen different fish including piranha & wolf fish
  • I learned to fry, sautee, and bake

Social: Family

  • Thanksgiving family visit to Philadelphia (USA)
  • Time with brother Rob in Playa del Carmen (Mexico)

Social: Friends

  • 4-day Phish Music Festival with Dani, Kyle, and friends

Title

Learning: Wing Foil (Brazil)

  • While based in Fortaleza I wanted to challenge myself with a new sport. I considered returning to kitesurfing for a third attempt, but instead decided to start something completely new: wingfoiling.
  • Wingfoiling combines elements of surfing, wind sports, and flying above the water. Riders stand on a hydrofoil board while holding an inflatable handheld wing that catches the wind. Once moving fast enough, the foil lifts the board above the water, creating an incredibly smooth and almost silent feeling of flight.

Title

Some of my favorite things from the year;

Title

Primary
  • Completed an 18-month contract with Foresight Sports focused on premium golf simulator software experiences
  • Released next-gen golf simulation installations (USD $30,000 per unit)
  • Continued working remotely while traveling internationally and maintaining a location-independent lifestyle
Additional

Title

Build Runway
  • Shifted focus from short-term career optimization toward building a sustainable path toward financial independence by 2040
  • Increased emphasis on low time preference, diversified investing, health, and designing a lifestyle that can remain fulfilling for decades
  • Began viewing retirement not as “stopping work,” but as gaining the freedom to choose projects, travel, relationships, and creative pursuits intentionally
Philosophy
  • Studied traditional (non-crypto) portfolio balance strategies inspired by Ray Dalio and diversified macro investing
  • Compare to pro-crypto macro investors like Lyn Alden — Lyn Alden Investment Strategy
  • Conviction that Bitcoin may become an important global reserve and retirement asset over the next several decades
  • Explored “How much Bitcoin to retire?” calculators and retirement projections from sites like BitcoinCompounding.com
  • Current allocation philosophy (1:4:5)
    • 10% Bonds
    • 40% Stocks
    • 50% Crypto
      • 10% Altcoin
      • 90% Bitcoin
1:4:5
Future
  • Increasingly viewed money as a tool to create flexibility, calm, and meaningful experiences rather than status
  • Intends to pursue active income and investment opportunities that align with personal interests, curiosity, and values rather than simply “paying the bills”
  • Aims to become a more conscious, balanced, and purpose-driven leader in the areas of finance, investing, and long-term decision making

Title

Giving continues to be an important part of how I move through the world. When I spend meaningful time in a country, I try to find at least one organization doing real work locally and contribute to it. The goal is making a connection and spending time with new people. These donations are small signals of gratitude for the places that host me during the year.

This year, I focused my giving on organizations connected to the countries I visited across the Americas. Most support education, community programs, food security, or environmental protection. I look for groups that are active locally and that allow straightforward online donations.

Sam’s Kiva Loans (Lifetime)

What's Next, Sam?

Stay tuned for more!