About Us
Introduction to Dale “Skip” Simonson
I am a retired professional business guy (former consulting partner with PwC, and Ernst & Young before that) who has always been comfortable and happy working in the skyscrapered landscape of the world’s financial centers like New York, Hong Kong, London, and Singapore. But what has revved me up the most in life are big, challenging adventures out in nature.
Ask my wife and she’ll agree, I’m just as happy eating a cold re-hydrated backpacker’s meal from its foil package as I am dining in a fine Tokyo restaurant. And show me a mountain with a choice of a 2-lane road or a trail to the summit and rain or shine, I’ll most often choose to hike the trail. I don’t step out of a comfortable daily routine and rough it in the wilderness to prove anything to myself or others, but rather because the experiences out of the comfort zone make me feel so much more alive, and leave such vivid and pleasant memories in their wake.
My Ambition
I had two reasons for launching this website and the accompanying “Carpe Diem – Live Your Dream” podcast – one more selfless, and one perhaps a bit selfish. My primary goal (the selfless one) is to inspire other people (perhaps you?!) to break out of their daily life and set their sights on some sort of personal challenge, some physical endeavor in the Great Outdoors, or some sort of adventure they may be dreaming about. Each story I hear back from people who found the motivation and impetus to get out there and fulfill their particular goal brings me gratification and pays forward additional encouragement to others to do the same. So please, share your adventure story on the Contact page.
A second reason is I get to meet a lot of people who have done some very cool, extraordinary things and who give me the ideas, inspiration, and guidance to get back out there myself for new and different adventures.
I hope you find some ideas, inspiration, and motivation here to shake up your daily routine and challenge yourself with something new and adventurous!
Adventure Roadmap
For the older readers among you, have you ever sat down and drawn a simple graphical representation of your life in a roadmap form? Like a curvy line that shows your life’s major inflection points where you had an experience that changed you in significant ways and changed the trajectory of your life. It’s a fun exercise, and sometimes revealing in the number and variety of “adventures” that you had never predicted during your younger years. I use the term “adventure” loosely to be anything that you chose to embark upon in life with a bit of the unknown, with a little risk to the status quo, with a break from the routine or a little out of your normal comfort zone. It might be a big expedition in the wilderness, or an ambitious goal like authoring a book or changing careers. It’s whatever event has made a significant impact on shaping who you are as a person.
For the younger readers, your adventure roadmap is still short. But if you get in the habit of periodically busting out of your normal routine to try some new, big, character-shaping experiences, you will be amazed a few decades from now how interesting your life’s roadmap has become and how much you have grown and achieved as a person from those experiences – not to mention the bucket of wonderful memories.
The roadmap below reflects the big self-chosen adventures that have altered the course of my life in one way or another, inevitably all for the better. Some tested me physically, some built my confidence or gave me grit, and some taught me life lessons. Some of these experiences required significant time, money, effort, or serendipity to happen. Some required almost nothing but the gumption to get off the couch and do it.
Hover over each red milestone for more detail.
My sisters and I spent several summers as teens at Menogyn, a YMCA Wilderness Adventure Camp in Northern Minnesota. There we did progressively longer canoe trips into the Canadian wilderness each year, culminated the summer after my sophomore year of high school when, at age 16, I traveled 500 miles by canoe through Northern Saskatchewan with four other kids and a counselor. I learned a lot about inner strength and grit, and gained a huge appreciation for The Great Outdoors.
From a young age I had an entrepreneurial itch. Finally, as a high school senior, I started my first real “business” - selling boxer shorts with my high school logo. Their popularity surprised me as it quickly became a trend for girls to wear them as shorts. Eventually the school bookstore agreed to sell them for me, and I replicated the same idea at my college. This was a super low investment (about $300 for the first order) from which I quickly profited. It was easy, fun, and I made some decent money.
In high school I suddenly had a burning desire to learn to fly. My parents said fine, but I had to pay for it. So I joined a non-profit flying club spun out of the Boy Scouts. Instructors taught for free and I earned flying credits through X-Mas tree sales and work around the hanger so it cost me less than $1,000 to get my license, but I had to ride my bicycle 20 miles roundtrip to the airfield for every flight since I didn’t have my drivers license yet! I learned so much about
weather, navigation,
and other disciplines.
Having done lots of summertime camping trip by canoe and backpack, my sisters, some friends and I started doing winter camping trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota. Yes, there were some uncomfortably cold moments, but the beauty and muffled silence of the snow-covered forest were so worth it. See the full blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/winter-camping/
I missed my high school graduation ceremony to instead spend the summer of 1985 with a homestay family in Beijing, China. I was 18, and China then was totally different than China today. Everyone wore Mao jackets, the school had a single telephone and a single car, there was no McDonalds or any other western products that I was used to… I had studied Chinese in high school, but this experience was a real eye-opener into different cultures. I made priceless friends and memories.
My China homestay the summer after high school piqued my interest in life abroad so as a university sophomore, I embarked on a semester in Osaka, Japan. My language skills were rudimentary, but because they were better than my host family’s English skills, my Japanese improved rapidly. Even better was the cultural education. So much was new to me. Everyday brought new surprises and learnings. It was probably the experience that best taught me to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
After graduating from university, I signed on to a full-time, 1-year contract with the Japanese government. This was an entirely new kind of adventure because I was now doing my first real job, but with the added learnings of doing it in a foreign language and culture. I was an International Relations Coordinator (IRC) for Japan’s JET Program, posted to the city of Gifu in central Japan. My job was to promote Gifu to the world. Working 100% in Japanese for a year brought my language skills to a whole new level.
During a gap before starting my next job in New York City, I decided on a whim to bicycle from a friend’s place in Ventura, CA to another friend in Wilmington, DE. It was by far my biggest physical challenge yet, riding 3,600 miles solo, averaging 85 miles / day. I slept in city parks, at fire stations, got invited in by strangers many times, and enjoyed a motel room once each week. It was this trip that made me realize two things:
1) The U.S. is a really big and diverse country, and
2) People are predominantly nice.
Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/trans-american-bicycle-ride/
Riding a bike west-to-east across the U.S. wet my appetite for epic outdoor adventures, so some years later I embarked on a similar journey, this time north-to-south across the U.S., rowing a boat down the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to New Orleans. Sort of a Hucklebury Finn type of adventure. Again, I traveled solo to facilitate meeting people on the way. Two months, 1,800 river miles and many major highs and lows later, I had another adventure feather in my cap, and a reaffirmed view of the USA.
Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/rowing-the-mississippi/
Ernst & Young Consulting asked me to move from Chicago to Singapore for an 18-month client project. I had just gotten married. Although I worked hard, my wife and I also enjoyed what we called our extended honeymoon, traveling extensively across Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and a dozen other countries. The experience was a rapid-fire series of mini travel adventures that broadened my cultural horizons tremendously and left amazing life-long memories
and photos.
Speaking of marriage, I know so many people who say they get no adventure in their lives. But for those who are married and/or have kids, I say the heck you don’t. Adventure in a great way, to be sure. These two things have absolutely been the biggest adventures in my life - all in a good way. My point is, they bring so much dynamism to each day, and a whole series of challenges and learnings and new experiences. Just because marriage and children seem so “common” doesn’t mean they can’t be a great adventure.
A subsequent employer, PwC Consulting, asked me to relocate to Hong Kong for a client project. That turned into a 6-year overseas adventure for our entire family. My wife is American born Chinese so our time there with kids in primary school introduced them to their heritage, their relatives, Mandarin Chinese skills, and extensive travel all around Asia. For me, it was again a challenging but fun daily adventure conducting business in different cultural environments across
the Asia Pacific
region.
I was less than a year away from turning 50. Yikes. Sort of a scary milestone in life. So in protest of Father Time’s impact on my middle-age body, I signed up for a local Marathon and dove into some serious training with a goal of a sub 4-hour finish time. I had run a 4:20 marathon at age 22, but never more than a 6-mile run since then. I discovered that the wisdom of age (e.g. following a proper training regimen) can achieve more than the brawn of youth, finishing in 3:51. Yay. And now I love running.
A marathon at age 50 whet my appetite for something more. An article about a double crossing of the Grand Canyon provided the idea. 46 miles of unbelievably beautiful trail with 10,000 feet of elevation gain and a 50-degree F temperature difference between the rim and bottom. My first go in 2019 took 20 hours non-stop. With smarter training, my 2022 go was 15.5 hours. I cannot imagine a more awe-inspiring trail for its fame and beauty, and fully expect to do it again when I’m 60 years old. I have lots of tips for anyone interested.
Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/grand-canyon-rim-to-rim-to-rim/
With a daughter in Colorado Springs, I couldn’t help but to run the Pike’s Peak Marathon route up and down Barr Trail. Not quite the epic beauty of the Grand Canyon, but at 7,500 feet of elevation gain over 24 miles (I lopped off the marathon’s approach distance), it’s one of the more difficult marathon routes out there - but also one of the most spectacular. A tree-line memorial to an 88 year old hiker was a sobering reminder that I need not stop such ambitious hikes at age 60 or 70. Just keep the body in shape. Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/running-pikes-peak/
Retiring from my established career track at age 55 was most definitely my scariest adventure - scary because of the income loss, and because my job largely defined me to that point. But a dream adventure had been brewing in my head for 15 years, and when a daughter twisted my arm to join in the dream during a post high school gap year, how could I refuse? As difficult as it was to make the leap, I will be forever glad I made it, for life is too short to not seize a few opportunities for priceless adventures and memories.
The 15-year-old dream that prompted my early retirement was to sail the oceans for a year. With a wife and daughter keen to share the dream, serious planning and preparation began in 2019, with us finally setting sail in July 2021. 18,000 nautical miles of sailing later, including two Atlantic crossings and stops in 24 countries, I can say that my most audacious adventure ever was a resounding success. Besides the incredible experience, it gave me an entirely new perspective on our world and its oceans.
Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/15-years-of-dreaming/
Following early retirement and the completion of my 1-year sailing adventure, it was time for a new path. I obtained my emergency medical technician license and began a second career as an EMT for an ambulance service. Such a different career track than my previous financial consulting for global banks! The studies and new type of people interaction were invigorating and fascinating, despite the scary pay cut. The EMT path put me outside my comfort zone initially, but that’s sort of the definition of an adventure.
It’s good to have friends or family who pull you into adventures. My older sister is into ultra-distance paddling races, and convinced me to give it a try. My debut was a 230 mile race down the length of the Suwannee River in Florida. Most participants were in canoes or kayaks. Just 5 of us chose stand-up paddle boarding. It was a big physical challenge for sure, but mostly a game of mental stamina and sleep deprivation. I finished in 1st place in 58.5 hours (on just 1.5 hours of sleep).
Read the blog post here => https://gocarpediemnow.com/racing-the-suwannee/
Like most of my new endeavors in life, the idea of launching a podcast just popped into my head one day. I cannot recall the trigger. It is not a physical challenge, but it is a wonderful adventure in two ways: learning something completely new to me, and meeting such extraordinary collection of adventurers through my podcast guest interviews. As adventurous as I may have already been, the podcast has opened my eyes to a much broader world of possibilities for what makes for a great adventure.
I don’t know how many days I have left on this earth, nor what or how many more adventures are still to come. But I do hope to continue surprising myself with a stream of challenging, interesting accomplishments. Maybe something physical like a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail or climbing all of the 14ers in Colorado. Or maybe something more intellectual like authoring a book or learning Rhapsody in Blue on the piano. If I maintain the Carpe Diem philosophy, good things are bound to happen.
Encouraging Words
This website and the associated “Carpe Diem – Live Your Dream” podcast have a lot of really amazing adventures – many of which require time, money, or expertise that might be beyond your means. Despair not. Most of these adventurers started small and allowed things to expand gradually from there. Plus, your adventure doesn’t have to be something crazy like climbing Mt. Everest. Everyone’s “Everest” is different. You just need to identify yours.
The important thing is getting started, and staying at it until you achieve it. There are lots of tips and tricks to help with that, a few of which are listed here.
Best of luck to you in your endeavors. I’d love to hear about them! – Dale
- Sign up for something (a running race, or paddling event, or whatever). Making such a commitment helps with maintaining focus on the training and preparation
- Studies show that most people stick to their goals better when they share them with friends, family, or others. It builds a sense of obligation to follow through.
- Check out the posts under the Inspiration section of this website for ideas to help you stay on goal, and posts under the Resources section for additional assistance.
- Feel free to contact me if you’d like to discuss additional ideas for an adventure, or how to make one happen
Keep Exploring
Get inspired with every story you read
Come back to this website periodically to see new content. There is an ever-growing compilation of adventure stories, resources and nuggets of inspiration. Each story is a new world, a doorway to wisdom, inspiration, and the motivation to keep moving forward. In every tale, whether of triumph or challenge, lies a piece of universal truth—a reminder of our potential to rise, to learn, and to overcome.
Introduction to Dale “Skip” Simonson
2
Boxer Short Business
3
Pilots License
5
China Homestay
I missed my high school graduation to instead spend the summer of 1985 with a homestay family in Beijing, China. I was 18, and China then was totally different than China today. Everyone wore Mao jackets, the school had a single telephone and a single car, there was no McDonalds or any other western products that I was used to… I had studied Chinese in high school, but this experience was a real eye-opener into different cultures. I made priceless friends and memories.
6
Japan Study Abroad
My China homestay the summer after high school piqued my interest in life abroad so as a university sophomore, I embarked on a semester in Osaka, Japan. My language skills were rudimentary, but because they were better than my host family’s English skills, my Japanese improved rapidly. Even better was the cultural education. So much was new to me. Everyday brought new surprises and learnings. It was probably the experience that best taught me to be comfortable being uncomfortable
7
Japan Relocation
After graduating from university, I signed on to a full- time, 1-year contract with the Japanese government. This was an entirely new kind of adventure because I was now doing my first real job, but with the added learnings of doing it in a foreign language and culture. I was an International Relations Coordinator (IRC) for Japan’s JET Program, posted to the city of Gifu in central Japan. My job was to promote Gifu to the world. Working 100% in Japanese for a year brought my languge skills to a whole new level
10
Singapore Relocation
Ernst & Young Consulting asked me to move from Chicago to Singapore for an 18-month client project. I had just gotten married. Although I worked hard, my wife and I also enjoyed what we called our extended honeymoon, traveling extensively across Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and a dozen other countries. The experience was a rapid- fire series of mini travel adventures that broadened my cultural horizons tremendously and left amazing life-long memories and photos
11
Marriage & Kids
Speaking of marriage, I know so many people who say they get no adventure in their lives. But for those who are married and/or have kids, I say the heck you don’t. Adventure in a great way, to be sure. These two things have absolutely been the biggest adventures in my life – all in a good way. My point is, they bring so much dynamism to each day, and a whole series of challenges and learnings and new experiences. Just because marriage and children seem so “common” doesn’t mean they can’t be A great adventure
12
Hong Kong Relocation
A subsequent employer, PwC Consulting, asked me to relocate to Hong Kong for a client project. That turned into a 6-year overseas adventure for our entire family. My wife is American born Chinese so our time there with kids in primary school introduced them to their heritage, their relatives, Mandarin Chinese skills, and extensive travel all around Asia. For me, it was again a challenging but fun daily adventure conducting business in different cultural environments across the Asia Pacific region