On September 1st I hopped a business class flight headed for Dallas.
I flew through Hong Kong (my favorite airport), then through Los Angeles (my least favorite airport), then on to Dallas.
For the first two legs of the flight I was on Cathay Pacific and the service was A+ phenomenal. For the third leg of the trip I was on the dreary American Airlines.
In Dallas I spent a few days with family. I got my food from myfitfoods.com. It was expensive but it sure hit the spot.
After a few days in Dallas I rented an SUV (a Chevy Terrain) and took a road trip 5 hours away to Wichita, KS where I grew up.
On the road trip I was flabbergasted at how clean US highways are.
When I got to Wichita, a place I really hated as a young man, I realized how nice and clean it was.
I realized I could live there no problem.
I spent a long time running away from that place, but doggone if the people aren’t friendly as can be.
I spent a few days in Wichita and drove back to Dallas on a Sunday morning. On that Sunday afternoon I caught a Virgin airways flight to Los Angeles.
I arrived in Los Angeles and stayed at the same complex where a good friend of mine stays.
I rented a place from AirBNB.com. When I got there and called the landlord I was quite surprised when they didn’t speak english.
I spent a few days in Los Angeles and loved it. The air was good (much better than Asia), the sun was shining, the people were upbeat and friendly, and the girls were pretty.
After a few days in LA I rented a car (a Dodge Challenger) and took a road trip to San Francisco.
San Francisco was full of crazy people. I’ve never seen so many homeless people and I’ve been to Manila.
I didn’t like San Francisco at all (but the weather was fun) so after a few days I returned to Los Angeles.
I had one day left in Los Angeles and thankfully I found the best fitting, most comfortable shirts I have ever had and I bought nearly one thousand of them.
The t-shirts are at the printer right now having the new b&d brand logo and label printed on the inside.
When the label is finished I’m going to release a bunch of them for sale without any design. I typically only wear plain t-shirts personally and I thought my B&D friends would enjoy some outstanding, athletic fit, plain t-shirts.
After spending the day in LA I headed to the Los Angeles airport and spent a few hours in the business class lounge. I caught a late flight to Hong Kong and on the flight I listened to a record by Mark Kozelek called Benji.
The record is an autobiographical account of the singer going back to his hometown in Ohio from his current home in San Francisco. It was very fitting for my situation.
I spent a few hours in the Hong Kong airport, utilizing a private shower in the business class lounge and then I caught a flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
In Ho Chi Minh city my elevated mood instantly turned sour. Vietnam felt like a war zone compared to the calm, tranquil week I spent in California.
I spent only a few hours in Ho Chi Minh city then I caught a 1.5 hour flight to Bangkok.
In Bangkok I was stuck for two hours in standstill traffic trying to get from the airport to my airbnb room.
People complain of Los Angeles traffic, but the traffic in LA is a joke compared to Bangkok. I thoroughly enjoyed driving in California.
That leads us to now. I’m in my comfortable $2,500 USD per month condo and, if I’m being 100% honest, missing the great States of California and Kansas.
I once said I’m not coming back, well, I’m coming back.
Superdrive Publishing articles from September:
From John Doe Bodybuilding:
- Project Shredded is Finished and the Results Are In!!
- Operation Mass Monster: Sign Up Now
- “Wild Thing” Pre-Workout Supplement!!! (Article and video review)
- 10 Steps to Get Ahead in Life Right Now
From Iron and Tweed:
- Happy 1st Birthday Iron and Tweed!
- Progressive Overload: The #1 Law of Bodybuilding
- Maximize Versatility: Your Timepiece and Interchaangable Bands
- Best Everyday Bags for Men
- LowTestosterone.com: My Experience Finding Optimal Treatment
Iron & Tweed on Instagram:
Th-th-th-that’s all, folks.
See you again soon.
Your man,
-Victor Pride
PS - We have some awesome 3/4 fit, American pride SPARTAN t shirts available. These things rock, so grab yours before they go.
Grab your American style SPARTAN shirts here.
PPS - It’s been a while since we’ve spoken, how was your month?
You have made Cali seem that much more appealing.
Keen to test out those highways.
Welcome back to the States. I still think that there is a LOT of opportunity here (and I am talking as an immigrant… legal immigrant).
Should’ve told me you were in Dallas !
Again, Welcome back.
-ea
Damn I love the evolution of Victor Pride!
I have read every single article on this site and it is just a testament to the authenticity of his writing that I can read an article and guess with decent accuracy when he wrote it.
I can’t wait to read what’s next in the Victor Pride saga!
By the way glad you enjoyed soCal Victor, I think you are spot on with the upbeat attitude of the people down there. I think you may also come to like Bay area as well, most of the normal people live in San Jose and surrounding areas. (minus tech white knights of course)
Hit me up if you ever visit Miami, I’m moving there this month for some adventure and babes.
Would love to meet the man himself.
“I think you may also come to like Bay area as well, most of the normal people live in San Jose and surrounding areas. (minus tech white knights of course)”
I just may.
Miami is too hot for me, friend.
Sounds/looks like it was a great trip. Good stuff!
I’m living in South America for a long term work assignment. It is easy to look at the benefits of living in another country, such as low cost of living, tropical beaches, beautiful and friendly women. Yet at the same time the cons are quite obvious as well.
My experience here has been wonderful, and I’d consider spending the winter months in SA. But quality of life in the USA is really wonderful.
My opinion is that every place has pros and cons, and one has to weigh them out and prioritize what matters to them the most. SA has been a paradise in the tropical and female sense, but it’s also been quite difficult/isolating/frustrating as well. The USA dominates at organization, abundance, convenience, reliability, safety (as long as you don’t live in the ghetto), and more. I will return in a few years.
Very good comment, Bob. Thanks for sharing your insights. Can you give a rough estimate of what you spend monthly living in SA?
It wouldn’t be a good comparison as my company is paying for my living expenses, and I have no incentive/need to attempt to reduce them.
I think realistically you could get away with living on about 800-1,000 USD per month assuming the exchange rate stays high. When the rate was much lower, it could easily cost double. Food, rent, shows and labor can all be quite cheaper than the USA, however everything else is as expensive if not more than the USA (clothes, electronics, etc).
Thanks for the reply. Good stuff!
Nice article.
I finally finished university, thank fuck, and then I took a ten day holiday to Spain to relax and catch some sun. Then I went back to England to start my freelance business.
Sometimes I feel irrationally nervous and afraid at the idea but then I remember a quote of yours that went like ‘The worst that can happen is nothing. The best that can happen is everything’. I like it: it makes me realise I have a lot to win but most importantly, that I have very little to lose. Dealing with accountants and setting up a page with WordPress is new to me but I know that in a year it will seem like a piece of cake, so there’s no point feeling nervous.
Thanks for B&D Vic, it’s a voice for those of us who want to be men.
Best wishes,
P.
Hi, just wondering what uni/course you went to/did?
Great article as usual Victor!
Thanks P.
Can tell from your tone you’re enjoying life. Best wishes man and keep on killing it!
My month was awesome. In september I got a gym membership and trained in the gym 6 days a week !!!
no noticeable body changes in 1 month, but I could deadlift 120 ponds. Getting stronger every rep.
My man. Every day, don’t stop.
Vic,
Hope you had a fascinating trip as it looks like from the pictures you took it looks like you already did. You can leave the states but sometimes coming back you will realize how things aren’t as bad here as some people claim it is.
My month has been good other than my blog suffering a Nuclear Meltdown I’m good work is busy as ever trying to keep this boat afloat and of course the family is better than ever.
Keep living Victor!
“Hope you had a fascinating trip as it looks like from the pictures you took it looks like you already did. You can leave the states but sometimes coming back you will realize how things aren’t as bad here as some people claim it is.”
You said it.
Been killing it at Star Fitness, fully adjusted to life in Saigon (well, as adjusted as one can get), but am still finalizing what the rest of 2015 is going to look like and am figuring out some next moves.
Life abroad is a ton of fun, but I still can’t help but miss the States a bit. Seeing your photos of you behind the wheel make me jealous. Long trips on the highway were one of my favorite things to do. But hey, you trade the convenience of the USA with the edge and thrill of not having to follow (pretty much) any rules in Vietnam.
And as always, glad to see another post from Uncle Vic.
Your friend,
Kevin
“Life abroad is a ton of fun, but I still can’t help but miss the States a bit. Seeing your photos of you behind the wheel make me jealous. Long trips on the highway were one of my favorite things to do. But hey, you trade the convenience of the USA with the edge and thrill of not having to follow (pretty much) any rules in Vietnam.”
I love driving. Love road trips. One thing I always missed. I met you at the gym, yes?
Might have to try the unplanned road trip when I come back for the holidays. Mix it up with some camping depending on the state I head to.
Yes.
Good to hear your coming back to the states Vic. Hope you do meet up events.
The month of September was good for my business. I dealt with a lot of problem customers this month. Every time I did I would think to my self “what would victor do”. I cut the bullshit and fired my customers. You can’t make everyone happy.
We worked on making sure the rest of our customers got our full attention and best service.
Hope everyone else had a great productive month.
Keep killing boys.
“Every time I did I would think to my self “what would victor doâ€. I cut the bullshit and fired my customers. You can’t make everyone happy.”
My man. No one needs the hassle of those types of people.
Hello Vic,
Couldn’t agree with you more about the dreary AA. They need to cut loose those old menopausal hags pretending to be flight attendants. After you get a taste of Cathay or Emirates or Virgin… And you get the young, good looking, friendly and eager, flight attendants that don’t have an attitude, it’s hard to go back.
I spent about 4 years overseas and coming home to San Diego I felt the same way you describe. Was so good coming back! Can go to Walmart at 3am and pick up seriously, anything you need. Or place an order on amazon and it’s waiting on your doorstep the next day. The land of convenience. No more running across town to the “chemist” for cold medicine or shops closing at 8pm. And in most countries…there’s no such thing as a 24 hour taco shop. That’s just sad.
I’ve been back in America for just over a year now and have already gotten used to it and have begun to take it for granted again. So thank you for refreshing my memory and shifting my perspective back one of gratitude. Perfect timing
“Was so good coming back! Can go to Walmart at 3am and pick up seriously, anything you need. Or place an order on amazon and it’s waiting on your doorstep the next day. The land of convenience. No more running across town to the “chemist†for cold medicine or shops closing at 8pm. And in most countries…there’s no such thing as a 24 hour taco shop.”
100%.
GLL Chris!
HAHA!! LA FTW man!! Funny to see you tromping around my hood! I moved to LA 2 years ago and haven’t really looked back. Its not perfect, but its cheap, the weathers always great, the people are nice, and theres a decent amount of work here.
Hello Victor, thanks for your update. The last time I wrote to you I was preparing my proposal on tidal pumping to make algae biofuel. It won the MIT Climate CoLab Competition on the Energy Water Nexus, but I missed out on the Grand Prize of $10,000. Persistence and visualizing will bring me success. I spent yesterday at MIT in Boston attending the CoLab conference, including a workshop about this poster that you would like, on disciplined entrepreneurship. To your wealth.
http://www.disciplinedentrepreneurship.com/downloads/Disciplined_Entrepreneurship_Poster_Aulet.pdf
Very cool! Looks like you might be on to something Rob.
Excellent work!
Nice story. Heartwarming in a nostalgic sense. My week has been great, feeling stronger than ever and about to hop on another cash call.
Business is good, family is good. What’s there to complain about?
I was interested in hearing about your trip and reconnecting with family. Was it boring? Lame? Did people judge you for being successful?
Hope all is well with you.
D/C
“Was it boring? Lame? Did people judge you for being successful?”
People tend to judge if you throw your money in their face or if you’re a braggart. I never discuss money, I never brag about it, if someone asks me I give a vague answer and change the question.
Hey Vic,
Great post. So interesting to see how you’ve changed and grown in the perception shift you have about the states and all. It’s evident in your writing and what’s that I see in the Challenger (SRT8?) picture, a… a smile?! How does it feel flooring the gas on the open road when remembering the $100 China apartment days?
I empathize with the Asia vs. USA balance; I’ve been missing some friends from back in the good ol’ USA, because I’ve been on the grind in Asia for a while now. Obviously you’ve been out here a good while longer, but I’m glad to have entrepreneur friends in the same boat and killin’ it. A year ago when I was reading B & D, I never had the understanding of this type of life first hand, but there’s far more than meets the eye…
I just got to Saigon and man it IS a jungle, a 10 million animal jungle. Crazy traffic, but I like this place and its infusion of parks and city, kinda like NY.
Keep it up, I’m interested to see what you’ll come out with next and as always thanks for moving people in the right direction!
“How does it feel flooring the gas on the open road when remembering the $100 China apartment days?”
Dunno, never once thought about China. But I wouldn’t be where I am today if I wasn’t where I was yesterday.
Living away from your home for an extended period of time causes you to appreciate all the subtle nuances of your home that you were desensitized to and took for granted while you lived there.
I can understand that you’re getting tired of weather forged from the pits of hell straight from the breath of Beezlebub in Southeast Asia. Vietnam is even worse than Thailand in that regard. It’s probably the hottest place I’ve ever been to in my life. Have you tried living in the Philliphines? It’s a beatiful place, cheaper than Thailand (and much cheaper than Vietnam), most people speak English, and one could retire there with $300k and live like a damn King (depending upon your perception of what living like a king is).
I live in California, but this is not my home state. California is inundated with transplants. L.A. is a decent spot to live, especially if you like the night life and trendy bullshit. San Francisco is a cesspool of historic streets that ascend to the sky with streams of tainted urine flowing down like a golden river straight from the bladder of entitled bums that scoff at you when you give them a little change and not a $20 bill. And that $2,500 you’re spending for your beautiful condo in Vietnam; expect to get a 400 sq ft shithole studio for that same amount in SF. Couple that with the mind-numbing acerebral political and philosophical beliefs in the minds of the average resident in California (if your so inclined to discuss politics and philosophy with a resident in California), then you might just start appreciating Southeast Asia again.
I prefer Thailand to the Philippines.
“Couple that with the mind-numbing acerebral political and philosophical beliefs in the minds of the average resident in California (if your so inclined to discuss politics and philosophy with a resident in California)”
Thankfully discussing politics is an enormous waste of time so I wouldn’t bother.
“And that $2,500 you’re spending for your beautiful condo in Vietnam; expect to get a 400 sq ft shithole studio for that same amount in SF.”
$2500 is about what I paid per week to stay in Cali.
I also prefer Thailand to the Phillipines. My wife happens to be Thai and we have a place in Nakhon Nayok (a smart man marries a foreign woman, not an American one).
What I’ve noticed in the past decade is that Thailand has gotten significantly more expensesive compared to other Asian countries in the Southeast, especially for certain luxuries and in areas like Bangkok and Chiang Mai (with an obvious influx of tourism). Even with an average inflation rate of around 5% in the past 30 years with a huge spike of 25% in the late 80s, Thailand has really become of haven for Americans and Europeans to escape and enjoy a higher quality of life even with meager savings.
I’ve been a fan of your site for years but this is my first post. Keep it up Victor the messages you send out to the American man and the world is extremely important. In a society where matriarchy is being shoved down men’s throats, white heterosexual males are being demonized for so-called inborn privileges, and media propaganda, food, and environmental toxins are contributing to male hypogonadsim on a massive scale, it is satisfying and enlightening to see men such as yourself and Danger & Play strive to keep the MAN alive within us all. Keep up the good work brother.
Great thing about America is the convenience. Ability to order online and have many products in stores. Not to mention there are different diverse cuisine restaurants around the block. Sometimes when I read these kind of articles, I look back and wonder if there were any moment I have taken things for granted. Even the smallest boring moments can become a nostalgia later.
Just like with anywhere else in the world, if you got the money which gives you more options then it just makes your life that much better.
I been checking the danger and play website lately and it seems that Mike is traveling mainly around Europe while Victor Pride travels to USA and SouthEast Asia.
I also like the fact that Victor Pride gives us links to which services he use like rental place and rental cars. I didn’t even know about these website links.
He mention “I once said I’m not coming back, well, I’m coming back.” I had those moments before so I can definitely relate to that.
I think that’s why some people say… “never say never”.
If you experience the good and the bad abroad, then people start appreciating what was back home in their own country with its own version of “good and bad”.
I saw you mentioned poverty. Will you be doing something in terms of making the world a better place? In a broad sense you’re already doing a really great job by providing valuable information and ideas to people, but are you planning other things?
I sure won’t and thanks for asking.
Thanks for answering. I respect that you took the time for this
Up and down Vic, thanks for asking.
Interesting. But obviously you didn’t encounter LA “rush hour” traffic lol. I’ve been in both LA and HK rush hour traffic (hell, I currently live in LA) and LA is much worse.
Interesting to see your takes on things. Wichita used to be nice. Having had to visit it on occasion, I can tell you that the gangs have turned a large part of a formerly nice, quiet city to garbage.
I had no idea you were from Wichita. I live 40 minutes from there. Born and raised in Kansas myself. Thanks for what you have done for me brother!
My pleasure.
Sounds like a great trip, Vic! Another Spartan and I just came back from a mancation in Denver/Boulder and the surrounding area. Talk about fresh air!
Once you get settled in, I highly recommend you make a trip over there. September is a perfect time and the ladies are bangin’ out those yoga pants!
I used to have a lot of family that lived in Colorado. We’d go visit every year. My great grandmother lived on a farm miles and miles from any city. We’d spend all day outside walking around the farm. The air there was fantastic.
Well next time you are in Dallas feel free to throw some weights at my gym! http://Www.roninfitnessdfw.com of course Dallas is the home of Dougs Gym and I train there as much as possible!
You’re a smart dude Vic. Can’t hardly believe you came from a country place like Wichita. I’m from Arkansas myself, dated a girl I met in the Marines from Wichita, and loved the snow I saw there in the winter months when I met her parents many years ago…
I just listened to the audio of you explaining how B&D came into existence, how you used to read a lot as a kid and then you found certain writers like Tynan and Maddox.
All I can say is man, you’re a smart MF. You sold a mindset and its a damn good one at that. I, like hundreds of your other readers (shit, maybe thousands) read a lot of your articles over and over again simply to gain motivation and inspiration.
Thanks man. I love your work.
Thanks Cody.
Totally agree about LAX (shithole) but the Cathay / Qantas lounge is choice, it’s the only good thing about the airport. Agree also with HK airport - have you spent much time in HK proper? It’s a great party town, best food scene in Asia by far.
Like the evolution of your site man, you’re growing into your own skin more. I’m liking the older/wiser Victor more than the young brash one ;-)
cheers
m
I haven’t spent a great deal of time in HK. Maybe 6 days total.
Reading about your travels is awesome.
Funny that you listened to Benji. That’s one of the best albums I’ve listened to this year.
I’ve been really sick for the past year and a half, but surgery saved my life. Can’t wait to start 30 days of discipline again when I get a little stronger. It was a large part in transforming my life years ago when I was in a rut so I know it will help kickstart my journey. Time to start winning again.
You seem very happy. My month was good too, for the moment I’m working a hard manual labor job and still go to the gym at the same time… More than ever do I understand the importance of eating a lot to perform and recover… or you just breakdown.
Do you still lift heavy sometimes? What are your numbers now Victor?
No, I never lift heavy anymore. I currently lift in the morning and if I go to heavy I’m too tired for the rest of the day.
You still on the T? I noticed your face is “puffy”. Are you having health problems?
Wow Vic, you’re certainly a man on the move. Glad to see you’re enjoying your travels, especially back in the States.
My life: Working hard to get lean (down over 65 pounds in a year, got about 25 to go) and then returning focus to growing a location independent business and a classic physique.
Thanks for the continued motivation man and look forward to seeing what you have in store for the new year.