Anyone motivated to be successful in life has a list of things they want to do before they die. Your list of life goals may not be written down on paper, but a “Bucket List” is a great way to determine what’s important to you, and hold yourself accountable for following through and executing on your dreams.

Today I share my Christmas letter to friends and family—my update on my travels, work, volunteering, and personal growth in 2009 and reflections on living an unconventional lifestyle after 1 year living abroad.

Get a taste for what the Location Independent lifestyle is like: see videos of three of my recent travel adventures and learn about some of the problems and rewards of putting your freedom and lifestyle first.

We saw the Ninth Wonder of the Ancient World, but we also saw severe poverty and the aftermath of genocide. Read what I have to say after visiting Cambodia and witnessing child beggars, the Vietnam-era Killing Fields, and schoolyards turned into prisons. And more strangely, see how I compare this living hell to the new Watchmen film.