“I told myself that spreading news was part of a traveler’s nature, but if I was being completely honest, I was like everybody else: shit scared of the great unknown. Desperate to take a little piece of home with me.”
The Beach
My Story To Become The Traveling Drifter…
What to tell you…
Hello there, my name is Shaun Hammond, The Traveling Drifter. I am originally from a little town called Weyauwega, WI. And I mean little, my graduating class for high school was under 100 students.
Traveling was something that you saw on TV or in the movies but something that no one I knew did or could afford to do. I come from a middle to lower-class family which was a single-mother family rocking it the best that she could. I am beyond grateful for all that she gave up without knowing at the time the sacrifices she made herself.
Since I can remember, history has been a passion. I have wanted to see it all. Growing up it was just an illusion to see all the amazing places that I have read about or seen in pictures. These ideas changed during my Junior year of high school when I met a new friend who was a foreign exchange student from Switzerland.
He would tell me all about his travels through Europe and it just burned in my soul. I want to see these places! Ever since then, it has been a dream of mine to see as much of the world as I can, Hence this blog and the lifestyle change of becoming a Professional Blogger.
So I finally left home…
In 2007, I received a job offer to leave my small town in the frozen tundra of the north for the sunny, salty, coastal city of Charleston, SC. I am finally out and ready to spread my wings.
Charleston had so much to offer from history, food, beach life, southern lifestyle, and much more. It was all so new and exotic to me. After 16 years (2022), I still call this city home.
I have met so many great friends here, including one of my best friends, Chris. This man got me going again on travel. He is a cruise ship junkie! As of the day I write this, he has been on 25, 25 fricken cruises! He started asking me to come along and enjoy these trips with him because he knew I wanted to travel.
I have been on a handful of them now and just love the experience of traveling. It was because of these trips that I knew I wanted to travel for my life. The world is amazing and I have only seen a little bit of it. Because of my friend, he got me craving to see all that I can in my life.
Reality Punched me in the gut…
There I was, enjoying my life in Charleston working in the film and television industry in Set Decoration, when boom, the unthinkable happens. “Mr. Hammond, we found a 3-inch tumor in your right kidney. You have kidney cancer”.
“Fuck”! “Cancer?!” “I am only 35, no way I can die already!” At this point, my brother said that he was going to come to bring me home so I could be around my family in case the worst-case scenario happened.
I purge my life in a week. Went from enough to fit in a full two-bedroom apartment to a small 6’X12′ trailer. We Drove across the country and finally got home to my mother’s house. My plan is to stay there for the time being.
Luckily, the kidney cancer I had was only in my right kidney and has not spread, therefore I was able to have surgery to have my kidney removed. 5 years later (2022) I am here strong, healthy, and cancer-free!
Now What?
Here I am back in Wisconsin, stuck again. My entire life has been on the other side of the country. I made a promise to myself on my ride back to Wisconsin, “In one year I will be back to Charleston”.
My family was really hoping that I would stay in Wisconsin and as much as I love them, which I do like crazy, I just couldn’t stay in a place where I was not happy. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Wisconsin, but only to visit. Those winters!!!
360 days later, I had a moving truck packed up and made my way back to Charleston, and restarted my life with a normal job helping customers and getting my feet back on the ground. After years of getting yelled at by customers, dealing with corporate bullshit, and living your life for a job that could replace you (because of corporate America); it is time to make the change.
There is no way that I had these dreams and survived cancer to live like this, THIS IS NOT LIVING. I want to live! Living starts here with me making the decision to see the world and the beauty it holds, now is the time to officially start living!
Where I Have Traveled To…
- United States – South Carolina, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, California, Nevada, Virginia, Missouri, Washington, and Michigan
- Caribbean – The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and Grand Cayman
- Mexico – Cancun, Cozumel, and Tulum
- Central America – Roatan Island (Honduras)
- Europe – The Netherlands, England, France, Germany, Luxemburg, and Belgium
Why I blog…
- I have lived in Charleston since 2007 – I know the local life and the best places to go.
- I want to help those get the most out of their Charleston experience.
- I would like to get everyone excited about Charleston and have a good city background before they visit.
- I want people to feel comfortable with Charleston, before, during, and after their visits.
- I like to review cruise trips and the adventures on them so others can know what to expect.
- I have a passion for hiking and like to talk about certain areas that I have been to help those who are planning on going to the same locations.
Where The Traveling Drifter has been featured
- Medium – I Survived Cancer and Here Is How I Did It
- Apartment Therapy – The 13 Last Things to Always Do Before Leaving for a Road Trip
- Yahoo – The 10 Most Underrated U.S. National Parks
- Mikeandlauratravel.com – Is Charleston, SC Safe?
Connect with The Traveling Drifter on Social Media
