What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been – My Crazy Path From Diplomat To Investor To Writer To Entrepreneur

One thing is for sure: the other diplomats thought I was crazy. When I announced to my colleagues at Embassy Zagreb that I would be leaving the State Department after ten years as a diplomat, one colleague whom I hardly knew said, "So you're the crazy who is quitting the State Department."

So Why Did I Bail?

• Something inside just said, "It's time to go."
  
  
• At every embassy I worked at, I clicked with the business people more than the government types.
  
  
• I missed the western United States, "The West."  The culture, the lifestyle, the people, the beauty.
  
  
• I didn't want to be halfway around the world during the twilight of my parents' lives.
  
  
• An ex-girlfriend got under my skin after we broke up when she carelessly said, "You'll never do it [leave the State Department]." In other words, pride....
  
  
• This keynote speech from a venture capitalist/entrepreneur at an event we organized in Croatia. He noted that in the modern world if you continue working at the same organization for more than about seven years you and your skills may stagnate.  I agree with this sentiment.
• Finally, a latent ambition that simply said, "This isn't the endpoint for your career."

It hasn't been totally smooth sailing since I made the jump, but few things worth doing ever are.