I enjoyed David Jackson’s story of traveling around the world, how he did it and all of the other adventures he had in his early 20s. He also layered in lessons about self confidence, success and chasing your dreams.

Thank you Advantage Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. Great narration and interesting storytelling about following one’s curiosity and making the most of every opportunity. A great, short read.

David R. Jackson was born and raised in Southern California. He started his entrepreneurial life early. David was 12, when he began his first paying job as a paperboy for the Anaheim Bulletin and went on to work as a janitor for Fairmont Schools, a gas station attendant, and an aircraft refueler throughout his teen years. He earned his private pilot license at 16, that included a first solo flight that turned into a harrowing experience.
After graduating high school, David was ready for adventure. He wanted to ski! With two friends, he traveled down the Pan-American Highway to Chile, across the Andes to Argentina, and then to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil before heading back to California. This lit a fire to travel, and he vowed to tour the world and ski in as many countries as possible.
After South America, David attended college at Brigham Young University and skied on the race team for one year and at the age of 20 he was asked to temporarily manage a ski lodge in Park City, Utah for the summer. This turned out to become a full-time position during which he was also made Vice President of the Park City Hotel Association while attending BYU part time. He left Park City 3 1/2 years later and spent a year driving through Europe, the Middle East, the Soviet Union, and Scandinavia to, of course, ski and see the world.
Fulfilling the travels bug,temporarily, he started a successful aircraft cleaning business and an RV rental company and went on to become the president of the National Environmental Distribution Company. Ten years later, he sold his businesses and became the Business Manager of Fairmont Schools and was soon promoted to Director. The education world on the administrative side was new for David, but it turned out to be his gift. David dove into his position at Fairmont, starting new classes and then acquiring and building new campuses. He later expanded Fairmont's outreach by creating the Fairmont International Academy. Dedicated to serving the educational community, he served with the Boy Scouts of America, the Orange County Department of Education Committee for George H.W. Bush's America 2000 and served as President of the California Association of Nationally Recognized Schools. He was instrumental in creating the Orange County Private School Association, and the National Independent Private School Association, serving as President for years in both.
David is a man of faith, serving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in almost every leadership position to be had over a period of five decades. He and his wife, Stacey, served several humanitarian missions in Russia and Eastern Europe while he continued his work at Fairmont Schools as Chairman of the Board. In 2023, he sold Fairmont to the International Schools Partnership ISP while retaining ownership of all the Orange County campuses. He is currently the Chairman of Fairmont Schools, although semi-retired. David and Stacey spend much of their time in philanthropic endeavors with the Orange County educational community. He and Stacey recently celebrated their 52nd anniversary and reside in Orange County, where they enjoy time with their five children and 13 grandchildren. Skiing and traveling continue to be his passion, and he and Stacey are committed to growing their list of countries to visit. So far they have traveled to over 120 countries