About Me
I'm Adam, nice to Meet You.
In September 2024, I made a bold decision: I left behind my engineering career, sold most of my possessions, and set out on a journey to backpack around the world. I’ve always had a deep curiosity about life, and I believe that true growth comes through experiences. I’m currently traveling with no fixed end date, embracing uncertainty and learning as I go.
In recent years, I’ve experienced shifts that have challenged how I see the world and my place in it. This led me to start Shifting Gears, a place to document my journey as it unfolds. I believe that we all have untapped potential in this life that can be unlocked if we’re willing to follow our hearts, live with purpose beyond ourselves, and face life’s challenges with resilience.
Background
I grew up in the town of St. Paul in Alberta, Canada, where the expected life path was clear: get a good job, work hard, accumulate material possessions, and settle into a comfortable life. I followed that path and was rewarded for it. I started working at a young age and pursued engineering as a career. Alongside my job, I filled my time with hobbies like travel, running, and volunteering, which brought a sense of achievement. Yet, over time, a feeling of emptiness crept in, making me wonder if there was more to life than simply pursuing material success.
I felt that if I continued on my current path, I would one day look back and question what it was all for. The dissatisfaction simmered under the surface for a few years but reached a boiling point after some profound shifts prompted by travel, psychedelics, and introspection. I realized that true fulfillment comes from connecting with something greater than myself and finding ways to be of service.
Physical: My Shift with Travel
Travel continues to broaden my perspective on the world. Through my 20s, I’ve had the opportunity to visit places like Vietnam, India, and Peru. These journeys have shown me just how diverse and complex our world is, while also revealing our shared humanity. Someone in need in India is experiencing life, just as I am, with the same hopes, struggles, and emotions.
The range of experiences travel provides has been one of my greatest teachers. I’ve narrowly avoided costly scams, sat in ceremony with Shipibo shamans of the Amazon, spent days in silent meditation, had my share of food poisoning, seen widespread poverty, and met many amazing people along the way.
By pushing beyond my comfort zone, I’ve confronted truths that challenged how I see myself and the world around me. I’ve realized that the rules we live by and the ways we view the world are shaped by our culture and society. There is no single “right” way to live, and the diversity of perspectives is what makes life so rich. The social challenges we face often stem from a lack of understanding that we all have unique views on the world.
Spiritual: My Shift with Psychedelics
There is a certain quality to life that only seemed to reveal itself to me after using psychedelics. It was like I was switched out of an autopilot which had been steering my life. While difficult to articulate, psychedelics provided me a deep sense of interconnection with the world around me and brought about insights that I later read about in religious and spiritual literature.
What became clear was the undeniable existence of something beyond my sensory perception. I understood the often-used phrase that the answers lie within us, as we are the universe experiencing itself. The problems and issues I once had shrank when viewed through the lens of a broader reality. I came to realize that the path to happiness and fulfillment wasn’t through status, material possessions, or the endless pursuit of more.
I became less concerned with conforming to the lives of those around me as my values shifted toward intentionality, living in the present, and being of service to a greater whole. It became harder to ignore the world’s problems because I no longer felt separate from them. I understood that aligning my life with these values could bring greater fulfillment and meaning.
Mental: My Shift with Self-Inquiry
Through self-inquiry, I’ve begun to process the lens through which I see the world. By looking at my own struggles, emotions, and frustrations, I am developing my capacity for compassion and patience with others. We are all a constellation of accumulated experiences and tend to act accordingly, whether we realize it or not.
Meditation and journalling have given me a better understanding of the human experience. These practices have shown me how complex our minds are and the necessity to spend time reflecting if I want to break old patterns. When I dwell on the past or worry about the future, I rob myself of the present moment.
By continually reminding myself of my values and bringing myself back to the present, I find I’m able to live more intentionally and clearly. This is not a process that ends, but one that continually brings clarity to my path.
The Project: Shifting Gears
These shifts have motivated me to pursue a more intentional and purposeful life. I don’t believe that travel or radical life changes are necessary for everyone, but it’s the path I’ve chosen. It’s why I started Shifting Gears.
I’ve come to recognize the growing challenges we face as a society: existential risks, social division, mental health crises, and increasing separation from the natural world. While I don’t expect to solve these problems, I believe that by questioning the status quo and doing my best, I can empower others to do the same. I aim to live fully by embracing the present, finding joy in each moment, and using my unique strengths to contribute meaningfully.
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