When some people are suffering from a broken heart, they get a new hairstyle or go on a diet – Ian Usher, on the other hand, sold all of his possessions and bought a private island.
British native Ian Usher has become an internet sensation after revealing the details of his transformation from a broken-hearted Jet Ski instructor living in Perth, Australia to a globe-trotting adventurer living on his own small island in Panama. Ian’s tale began just four years ago, after his wife left him, and, bereft, he decided to rid himself of the vestiges of his former life using the Ebay auction website. While he was unable to get buyers to pay up on the first auction for all his worldly goods, he eventually raised £192,000, or just under US $310,000.
His assets had included a house in Perth, a car, and Jet Ski and parachuting equipment. Newly liberated, Ian resolved to never look back, and hopped a plane to Dubai to start a journey that would take him to dozens of countries around the world, with stops in Spain, North America, Japan, and even remote outposts like Christmas Island. It was in Central America, however, where Ian decided to settle down – he made a successful offer of £30,000 (US $48,370) on a 2-acre islet in Panama’s San Blas Islands, where he is now in the process of building a home.
Ian summarized his last few years in the Sydney Morning Herald: “It has been the most incredible adventure – exactly what I was after. I’ve learnt that I am much happier and more fulfilled when sharing life’s adventure with a partner, and that I am very resilient and resourceful.” The partner he is referring to is a fellow adventure-lover named Moe Boksa, a Canadian woman he met while dog-sledding in the Yukon Territory. She has come to visit him on his little island, where they are both working on writing projects.
Buying his own little island was only one of a number of things Ian wanted to accomplish, as he had created a so-called “bucket list” of 100 different adventures he wanted to experience, 93 of which he’s completed. Since his life-changing decision, he has dived with Great White sharks, run with the bulls in Pamplona, learned to fly a plane, and even met fellow island-lover Sir Richard Branson. It may not have been on his list, but he may have a new adventure to add – becoming a Hollywood celebrity. Ian’s amazing journey to his new life has been optioned by Disney, and may soon be the subject of an upcoming film.
Read more about Ian Usher’s story: Daily Mail