GLOBETROTTERS Dana Silvestri and Jon Miksis know how to get around in the desert.
WAKEFIELD — Ten years ago, Dana Silvestri and Jon Miksis graduated from Wakefield High School in 2012.
Dana then graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and created his online coaching and consulting business, Dana Silvestri Consulting Services, where he mentors others toward their goals while focusing deeply on mindset, social media marketing, sales and client fulfillment. Dana works from anywhere in the world, usually spending winters in Arizona and coming back home during summer to Wakefield to visit his family.
Jon Miksis graduated from Bentley University, then continued to create a thriving travel blogging business. He shares his travel experiences and tips through his company, My Global Viewpoint, which has over half a million views every month. Jon spends his time in Melrose now while traveling the world six months a year and frequently attending entrepreneur retreats.
After almost 10 years, Dana and Jon reunited through a Zoom video meeting to discuss their experiences in entrepreneurship. Dana and Jon made other trips like the Red Rocks of Zion National Park in Utah and driving up the West Coast from California to Seattle last May.
Last June, Dana and Jon booked a one-way ticket to backpack North Africa with no plan, visiting Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, while also having long layovers in Spain and Switzerland.
Both Wakefield High School graduates agreed that travel is much more than just staying at five-star resorts, luxury, and cocktails on the beach (Although there’s a time and a place for that, haha). Traveling is about growth, gaining awareness, and experiences, meeting other people, perception shifts, and learning about different cultures. On this backpacking trip, Dana and Jon learned what it was like to live amongst the locals, experiencing true poverty, experiencing pollution, and even getting scammed. They both learned about the different beliefs in the North African region, tanneries, visiting the Egyptian pyramids, and even walking through alleyways with locals.
A big takeaway for both was the freedom and fantastic service in the United States that many of us take for granted while most of the world lives on $2.50 a day.
Jon bypassed 50 countries visited on this trip and said, adding another continent (Africa) to his list of unique destinations that he writes about in his blog. Dana said, “My intention backpacking these third world countries in Africa was simple; most people go on vacation to escape their life for a little; this trip reminded me of how grateful I was for mine.”
Dana and Jon are inspiring others to pursue their dreams, follow their hearts, create something that solves a problem while giving them the freedom of their schedule, and travel now, not later. This backpacking trip was one of the most growth-oriented experiences for both. There is a whole world to see; you don’t have to backpack third-world countries, but do something to get started and begin to live a life beyond just merely existing.
Lastly, appreciate the little things in life and have a great 2023 Wakefield residents.