• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Live Limitless

Adventure, Imagination, Travel

  • About Matt
  • Start Here
  • Travel Hacking
  • Blog
  • The List
  • Contact

lifestyle design

Operation Cheerio | Rescuing a Cuban Street Dog

by Matt 3 Comments

Cienfuegos Cuba
The first park we found Cheerio in.

Back in November of 2017, my wife and I went to Cuba, a place I had long wanted to visit. Its uniqueness, history with revolution and communism, and relatively closed-relationship with much of the world had always piqued my interest. I love visiting places that are so different than my home country. We went for just over two weeks, which proved to be a little too long in the end. Maybe its because my wife is from Mexico, or because we’ve travelled a lot through Latin America, or maybe just due to the overall cost of traveling around Cuba, but we were somewhat disappointed.

We still had a good time. We loved exploring Havana. We loved dancing in Trinidad. We loved meeting locals and hearing their stories, albeit through my wife as I don’t know enough Spanish. But it just wasn’t a place we fell in love with. Foreigners are charged excessively compared to locals. We felt like $-signs sometimes. The food is very bland and for anything more than bland, the prices are on par with Canada, the USA, and Europe. We enjoyed our time there but had no intentions of returning.

But then we did return, thanks to a street dog we named Cheerio. Cuba is full of street dogs – friendly little animals that have been given up by their so-called owners. Forced to fend for themselves, they tend to cherish foreigners who aren’t used to seeing street dogs and therefore show more love and affection than locals do.

Seeing street dogs breaks my heart. After all, it’s doubtful that they’ll live very long. With dangers such as cars, starvation, disease, and “government control”, life on the streets is often short-lived for a canine. I wish I could help them all but just like global hunger and pollution, there’s not too much I can do on a large scale. So, in terms of street dogs and cats, we usually try to give them a treat or some water, give them a little love, and then bid them farewell.

That is until we met Cheerio in Cienfuegos, Cuba. As we walked through Parque Jose Marti, this little dog ran up to us, so excited, wagging her whole bum in the process. It was the first time a street dog approached us so cheerfully, looking for some affection.
[Read more…] about Operation Cheerio | Rescuing a Cuban Street Dog

Exotic Arizona & Turning Any Trip Into a Lifelong Memory

by Matt Leave a Comment

things to do in arizona
Enjoying the views of Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Updated: November 30th, 2020

A few weeks ago, we got invited to Phoenix to meet up with a public relations company that manages various brands. We were excited to learn more about the company we had been working with and discuss various ideas for marketing in the age of video and social media. We had also never been to Phoenix and we’re excited to see the city that so many people visit each and every year.

However, Phoenix itself wasn’t a dream trip for us. Sure, we were excited to meet the people we had previously only knew through email and yes, Phoenix is a pretty cool city, but it wasn’t a trip we would have made if not for the meeting we had been invited to.

But, whenever we do anything, I always try to maximize the experience and turn it into something amazing. In this case, we didn’t have a lot of time because we had to come back and shoot some winter videos for our Must Do Canada YouTube channel. We were also on our way home from both Cuba and Mexico and we’re kind of excited to return home for a change. Despite the lack of time, we still had four additional nights we could make use of, so I began looking at the map. Google Maps in this case.

Grand Canyon in the Winter
Witnessing the beauty of the Grand Canyon in January

The first iconic park that came to mind was the Grand Canyon. Karla and I had visited the Grand Canyon many years ago during the summer but we had never seen it in the winter. As a photographer, being able to see the Grand Canyon surrounded by snow seemed like a magical experience. Located just five hours north of Phoenix, the Grand Canyon became our main point of interest. I then continued looking at areas around it and remembered a place called Antelope Canyon, which just so happened to be two hours from the east side of the Grand Canyon. Antelope Canyon is another incredible work of mother nature that I’ve been wanting to visit ever since I saw a photo in a Las Vegas art gallery. Check, Antelope Canyon added to the list. Then, all this red rock scenery got me thinking about another place called Monument Valley. This is another area I’ve always wanted to visit and it’s only 2-hours from Antelope Canyon! Check again!

Dream Trip Grand Canyon
Standing next to the edge, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Our trip was planned. After three days in Phoenix, we would travel to the Grand Canyon for one night, Page for one night (Antelope Canyon), and Monument Valley for a night, before returning to Phoenix for one last night before flying back to Canada. I especially love road trips and this seemed like a cool place to take a road trip, so we rented a small car (just $25 per day, including all taxes) and put on the best road trip songs, booked our accommodation, and prepared for what we knew would be an incredible adventure. [Read more…] about Exotic Arizona & Turning Any Trip Into a Lifelong Memory

Turning Text into a Business | An Interview with Peter Kao of Postertext

by Matt 1 Comment

A couple months back I was browsing through some AMA’s on Reddit, which led me to Canadian laptop entrepreneur Peter Kao, who started a cool and unique business that he can run from anywhere in the world.

His business is called Postertext, which sells silhouette posters wrapped in text from famous books. Now you can hang your favourite classic novel on the wall!

I thought it was a really cool idea so I thought I’d interview him to help inspire all you soon-to-be-entrepreneurs out there.

Welcome Peter.

How did you get such a cool idea for a product?

It was my friend’s birthday, and she’s notoriously bookish. I was thinking of what to buy for her, but decided instead that I would make something for me. I came across the text of her favorite book online and decided to illustrate a silhouette wrapped in the original words from the author. I thought it was a unique gift and so I decided to print it out and give it to her as a birthday gift. She was really happy with it, and so I thought other bibliophiles might enjoy the same sort of art prints as her.

[Read more…] about Turning Text into a Business | An Interview with Peter Kao of Postertext

Who Said You Couldn’t Become a Married Digital Nomad with a Baby | An Interview with Brad Hussey

by Matt 2 Comments

I met Brad for a coffee after exchanging emails a few times. He was living just two hours south of myself and had been reading this blog when it was called A World of Inspiration. Brad is a web designer who became a minimalist and now travels all over the place with his laptop, his wife and his newborn baby.

There are a lot of people who think a baby (and marriage for that matter) are a hindrance to the nomadic lifestyle but Brad is proving them wrong. While the challenges are certainly greater, Brad is a great example of what’s possible when you make your dreams a priority. In this case, Brad and his wife want to see the world and not be chained down to one location. They became minimalists and got rid of most of their stuff, took their jobs on the road and are now living in Newfoundland for the next year.

Meet Brad.

Brad, you recently had a baby girl. How’s the adventure going?

It’s been a totally transforming experience. I never knew, nor expected, what it would be like to have a child. In my experience so far, I’ve realized how much having a child puts your entire existence on this earth into perspective. You have less time to worry about stupid things, because there is somebody, here and now, who needs your immediate attention. I like saying that having a child makes every day an unpredictable adventure — and there’s something exciting about that to me.

[Read more…] about Who Said You Couldn’t Become a Married Digital Nomad with a Baby | An Interview with Brad Hussey

LL 011: An Interview with Quinn & Jonathan from Life Out of the Box

by Matt 1 Comment

In the eleventh episode of the Live Limitless podcast I chat with Quinn Vandenberg and Jonathan Button from Life Out of the Box.

Quinn and Jonathan are a young couple from the United States who decided they wanted to do something remarkable with their lives. Leaving their jobs and homes behind, Quinn and Jonathan set out to live their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs, traveling to developing countries and being able to make a difference in the world. They now live in Nicaragua where they are able to find and sell beautiful local hand-crafted bracelets while donating a portion of the profits to purchasing school supplies for children in need. They are a great example of two people who decided to live limitless while helping others along the way.

In this episode, we talk about:
  • What they were doing before moving to Nicaragua
  • What made them want to give up their home and move to Central America
  • What steps they took to start their business
  • What steps they took to market their business
  • Why they chose to give back to the community by supplying children with school supplies
  • Whether their “future dreams” have changed since leaving the USA
  • The change in mindset after living in a developing country
  • And MUCH more…

Listen below or download from iTunes by clicking here. (Please note: If you’re reading this from email, you may need to visit the site to listen)

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/livelimitlesspodcast/LL_011_-_An_Interview_with_Life_out_of_the_Box.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

If you’re running short on time;

(2:00): What they were doing before Nicaragua

(3:10): What made them want to give up their homes in the U.S and move to Central America

(5:56): Were there any challenges to making the move as a couple

(7:26): What sparked the idea for Life out of the Box

(9:41): What steps did you take in the beginning to start the business

(15:45): What steps they took to market the business

(17:20): Whether they have any plans for scaling the business

(18:35): How much their mindsets have changed since leaving the United States

(21:37): Whether there has been any safety concerns in Nicaragua

(23:55): Some of the most difficult things since beginning Life out of the Box

(27:14): Some of the most positive aspects since starting the business

(30:15): Whether their dreams and future plans have changed since leaving the United States

(32:57): Advice for listeners wanting to do something different with their lives but still feel held back and scared

 

***

Hope you enjoyed this interview with Quinn and Jonathan of Life Out of the Box.

Please leave a review at iTunes and/or share with your friends.

Want more inspiration to live limitless? Check out this interview with Colin Wright.

LL 010: A Live Limitless Interview with Colin Wright

by Matt 3 Comments

In the tenth episode of the Live Limitless podcast I chat with Colin Wright of www.ExileLifestyle.com.

Colin is an author, entrepreneur, minimalist and world-traveller. After becoming successful with his own design studio in Los Angeles, Colin realized that he wanted to travel full-time and really explore the world. To do so, he became a minimalist, selling everything he owned that didn’t fit into his carry-on luggage while scaling down his business so he could run it from the road. Since then, Colin has really carved out a name for himself, taken nude pictures with his beloved Macbook Pro, written many awesome books and recently co-founded a publishing company called Asymmetrical. Colin is getting ready to launch his latest book Act Accordingly on June 25th.
    In this episode, we talk about:
  • The difference in mindset between L.A. Colin and the Colin of today
  • What some of his initial income streams were when he first left the country
  • Why minimalism is an important skill for anyone wanting a better and happier life
  • Why having a philosophy is important in life
  • Why travel is a great way to change your mindset
  • Some important steps for finding your first 100 fans
  • How writing became such a big part of his life
  • And MUCH more…

Listen below or download from iTunes by clicking here. (Please note: If you’re reading this from email, you may need to visit the site to listen)

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/livelimitlesspodcast/LL_010_-_An_Interview_with_Colin_Wright.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Email | RSS

If you’re running short on time;

(1:20): The mindset shift from Colin in LA to Colin today

(4:25): We talk about whether or not Colin ever had doubts

(6:55): What were Colin’s initial income streams

(9:08): Why minimalism is a great philosophy for anyone wanting a better, happier life

(11:40): How writing became such a big part of Colin’s life and how he built his skills to support it

(15:55): Important tips on getting your first 100 fans

(17:25): Whether having a story (such as having readers vote where you travel) is important

(18:40): We talk lifestyle design and how it’s lost it’s way…kinda

(22:37): We talk about philosophy in life and how to develop your own

(24:45): Act Accordingly – Live now, not eventually

(26:38): Why retirement is not the smartest path

(29:50): Why travel is a great way to open your mind and change your life

 

***

Hope you enjoyed this interview with Colin Wright.

Please leave a review at iTunes and/or share with your friends.

Want more inspiration to live limitless? Check out this interview with Nora Dunn

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

About

  • About Matt
  • Contact

Travel Tips

  • Start Here
  • Limitless Travel
  • Travel Hacking

Inspiration

  • Limitless List
  • The Podcast

Courses

  • Your Complete Guide to Canada
  • Canadian Travel Hacking
  • Limitless Travel
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021