Thomas Goccia

I’m Thomas Goccia, born and raised in a small town outside of Princeton, New Jersey.

I was once a Series 3 Licensed Futures and Options Trader living in Hermosa Beach, California. In 2011, while pursuing my teaching degree in mathematics, I was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that temporarily put me in a wheelchair. Later that year, I helped launch a branch office in Carlsbad, building it from the ground up. My entire life, I wanted to be like my grandmother—well-traveled and retired. So, that’s exactly what I set out to do. I bought a 60-liter backpack, gave away everything I owned, and started heading south, beginning with Puerto Rico in February of 2014.

Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through nearly every country between the United States and Argentina. I stayed in each place as long as my visa allowed, not to pass through, but to live, to listen, and to learn. I spent years in Colombia, where I ran a small chicken farm, sold quail eggs, and lived off the land. I’ve been a Permanent Resident of Mexico for nearly six years. I’ve driven across almost the entire country. I volunteered at an eco-lodge in the Sierra Tigre and worked as a roadie for the Closer to the Sun concert in the Riviera Maya. None of it was for money—it was for the experience and the passion.

I traveled to understand how people live, what they value, what moves them, and how culture shapes connection, community, and meaning. People often lump Latin America together, but every country and region teaches you something different—if you’re willing to acculturate, adopt the local rhythm, and let it shape you in ways you didn’t expect. Because sometimes, it’s in that process—of adapting, listening, and letting go—that parts of you emerge… something deeper that only reveals itself in unfamiliar places.

These days, I’m back living in San Diego. Like in The Alchemist, my journey carried me far from where I began—only to return me, not to what I left behind, but to the person I’ve become.

I’m an avid scuba diver and dive multiple times a month. I'm no longer on social media, nor am I trying to build a brand. This site is where I share my real life—thoughts, photos, music, poems, and the personal projects I’m working on—basically, the things I’m passionate about.

I read constantly and consider myself a lifelong student of knowledge—always exploring ideas, asking questions, and following my curiosity wherever it leads. I’m into philosophy, spirituality, self-growth, and living fully—through disciplined eating, strength training, bike rides, walking in nature, spending time at the beach, and enjoying live music at concerts.