Fellow
Current Country
Thailand 🇹🇭
Current City
Chiang Mai
Intuition
Cultivating inner knowing
A question currently animating me about the inner life/spirit is:
What is the balance between enjoying the relatioships my travels bring to me and nourishing relationships over distance?
December 2, 2025
A question currently animating me about the outer world/universe/multiverse is:
What is the secret of strong and happy communities around the world?
December 2, 2025
The practices I’m finding most helpful at the moment are:
Journaling,Time in Nature
December 2, 2025
A moment I noticed my inner light kindled this month was:
When I made a beautiful friend in Langkawi, Malaysia and we swam in the ocean at 2am in a nighly adventure in the beach. The safety and energy and freedom of that moment will always live in my heart. Two souls that connected through the desire of togetherness and fun.
December 2, 2025
A moment I noticed my inner light dwindled this month was:
When I questioned myself if I had the right skills to support the NGO I am working with right now. It was not until a mentor said to me that "it takes time to create impact". I believe it takes even more to become part of a cherished community.
December 2, 2025
Courage
Aligning action
Assumptions I'm examining right now are:
Impact
December 2, 2025
I originally assumed:
I used to think that impact was about how much I can give, generate and create for a community. This month I've volunteering a lot, and I assumed that I needed to leave a footprint through tangible outcomes such as a project, a campaign, money (fundraising), etc.
December 2, 2025
These assumptions are changing:
Impact is broader, specially for community-oriented minds like mine. The moment I step into a new ground I am already leaving a handprint - through the tiniest actions. Being willing to be in community leads to more than trying to always give something more than my presence.
December 2, 2025
A moment I stepped out of my comfort zone this month was:
I decided to go to malaysia after a change of plans and I had to learn about my new environment as I lived in it. It was a moment where time gave no space for throughly research and planning, but it opened the possibility of using curiosity as a north start moving in a new place.
December 2, 2025
Compassion
Engaged Empathy
Something that is helping me build trusting relationships here is:
Patience.
December 2, 2025
Digital Detox Retreat
12
Being intentionally away from technology and distractions has taught me:
The speed and ammount of information we receive everyday from our devices made the overwhelming become normal. Just the fact of not accessing any tech relaxed and cleared my mind. At the end, I was skeptical about picking my phone, knowing that clarity would vanish.
October 29, 2025
Gratitude
Peers I'm grateful for:
Jacey Hilburn
Although we kept missing each other in our calls, our voice note updates taught me how beautiful it can be to connect with someone with intention and no burden. Thank you for being patient and open to exploring new ways of connecting overseas.
December 2, 2025
Zeiad Ahmed
Our call was such a highlight of my week. It so great finally get to know you better - and I was so happy we set the challenge of the no-yapping galery post! I am always grateful for your contributions in the session, all the best and lots of love!
October 29, 2025
Naomi Løvstad Wettstein
I simply loved that we could finally connect this month, and our talks have been the best debriefs ever! Thank you for sharing you with me, I feel honored and happy. Can't wait for what is to come in this friendship!
September 28, 2025
Tristan Herrero Picard
Our calls are always highlights of my week. Thank you for making me laugh and helping me debrief my thoughts about the session or just about life in general. I always appreciate your honesty in the contributions you give the session as well. All the best buddy!
August 31, 2025
Aissata N'Diade
I am so glad we got to be buddies now, our calls and texts were full of inspiration and laughter. I am thankful to share TFS with you, and I can't wait to see where you'll go. All the best, sha!
July 31, 2025
Peers who have expressed gratitude for me:
Aissata N'Diade
Douglas, I will always talk about you. I am so grateful for having you. From our calls where we sing endlessly to being so understanding when I could not go to Bali with you, you have become such a gift to my journey.
November 3, 2025
Wendelien van der Schaar
Doug, thanks for being amazing to talk to! Some time ago we had a few meetings which I loved, and recently you took the initiative again to plan another. Although we still need to have this one, I've loved chatting with you in breakouts! Thanksthanksthanks <3
October 31, 2025
Naomi Løvstad Wettstein
Doug🌞 Buddy for life<3 You shine through my phone when we call, and I look forward to grow alongside you as we walk on different continents. Timezone baddies 101. Big hug. I look forward to meeting you, whenever that may be.
October 29, 2025
Edom Tadesse
Douglas is currently traveling in the country I am planning to visit and therefore was the person I went to with of all my travel related questions. I want to thank him for being patient and responding to my endless questions with enthusiasm
October 11, 2025
Ruan Vitor Cordeiro da Silva
I love your laugh! Thank you so much for making my experience in São Paulo the best I could ever wish for. I hope we can soon see each other again and exchange more contagious moments of happiness.
October 1, 2025
Lauren Nietschke
Doug! It has been absolutely wonderful being able to get to know you more. Our conversations throughout the past couple of weeks have been so enriching and have really made me think more introspectively about my life, the world, and travel in general <3
September 3, 2025
Jacey Hilburn
Thank you so much for supporting me and being an amazing outlet to talk travel plans, balancing Morehead-Cain requirements with those of the Flight School, and being an overall amazing human!
September 1, 2025
Kashimani Simasiku
Thank you, Doug, for always being present during our conversations and offering such insightful questions and thoughts, as well as sharing your experiences. You have been an example of a grounded mind for me in our group discussions. Thank you for being vulnerable with me.
August 31, 2025
Aissata N'Diade
Douglas was my very first buddy, and it never stopped. I spoke to him a few days ago and it made me truly happy. He is such a gem and he listens deeply and is always kind. I hope we continue to keep in touch.
August 27, 2025
Tristan Herrero Picard
Our conversation was so fun!!! I connected immediately with you and I can't wait to have more and keep learning from you.
July 30, 2025
Magical Moments
This Birthday Felt Different
•
Dec 1, 2025
This birthday feels different. Not bad, just different. There are no cards with hand written letters, no cakes made by your best friends, no surprise party, no shower, and again, sem o pai e a mãe. In Mae Sapok, in the mother of the ever turning river there was a cake, a chocolate cake with raspberry cullie, and brownies. There were coxinhas, and pastel and feijoada. I don't even like feijoada, but I ate it, I felt loved, I felt seen. There was tight hug, flooding you with love as a waterfall fills a creed with life. This birthday feels different. But there is something that I never felt without it: love.
When I Dared to Be Bad at Something
•
Oct 10, 2025
It might have been impulsive to book surf classes that day - but something inside me knew I needed them. The first class went horribly skillwise. The first class also went amazing, I remember swallowing so much water because everything I fell, I would laugh, a lot.
I remembered the 8-year-old Doug with his foam board, spending hours in the water playing with waves. That Doug did not care if he was bad, or if people were looking, or if he looked silly - he was playing, he was having fun. Surf classes gifted that Doug that lives inside me to reminde of how fun it can be very bad at something.
It was in my 3rd class that I could catch my first wave and. what. a. moment. I couldn't believe.
Waving
•
Sep 22, 2025
When I arrived in Phuket, the first thing I did was walk to the beach, step in the wet sand and listen to the sound of the waves breaking. As if welcoming me to this new place, the water was warm, the small waves by the shore felt like gentle ripples of joy. The sun was hitting my skin and I could feel my body absorbing its energy, its rays finding me now in another direction. The blue sky by the horizon showed me immense possibilties of becoming. I wanted to stay there forever.
It's been long since I've been to the beach. This first moment in Phuket, before even settling in, was as letting my inner voice guided me to that point of contact with the ocean, and I was so glad it did.