Sammy Davis
2011 Spirit of Adventure Award Recipient:

The LA Council of HI-USA presents an annual Spirit of Adventure Award to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding enthusiasm and curiosity while travelling abroad. We are proud to announce the 2011 recipient of this honorary award, Sammy Davis, who will give a presentation about his travels at our Annual Members’ Meeting on Sunday, May 22.

Travel and adventure are passions for Sammy Davis of Ventura, CA. Despite his young age—only nineteen—Sammy travels in the culturally conscious manner that can take some travelers years to realize. One month after his graduation from Villanova Prep School in Ojai, CA, Sammy boarded a container ship in Long Beach that was bound for Busan, Korea. For the next six months, Sammy explored and lived in Korea, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Once in Korea, Sammy made his way to the HI Hostel in Busan. Although this was his first experience with hostels, they quickly became a safe base for Sammy. “That comfort stuck with me throughout my adventure; an HI facility was a consistent haven,” he said.

In China, Sammy experienced the camaraderie that often occurs among hostellers. At an HI hostel in Beijing, he and eight other travelers agreed to journey together to the Great Wall of China, where they decided to camp.

After the Great Wall, Sammy made his way to Hanoi, Vietnam. There, he bought a motorcycle that would take him 800 miles on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. “I learned that bigger vehicles had the right of way, but that all must stay clear of drying rice on the road,” Sammy said of the trip. “I made it all the way to China Beach, my only true destination. With little money, I sold my bike for ninety dollars.”

Sammy ended up living in Nha Trang, Vietnam for over three months. “I adapted to Vietnamese ways,” he said. “It was common to just relax on little plastic chairs with your friends for each other’s entertainment. I also worked a part time job as a preschool teacher and an assistant manager at Texas BBQ and Steaks.”

When asked more about assimilating to local culture, Sammy said, “Of course, I learn ‘thank you,’ first. The food culture is what I focus on. I feel the dinner table is where I learn the most.” Another piece of advice from Sammy: “Never judge a country by its border town.” In his experience, the people in the middle of the countryside are the most genuine.

After living in Vietnam, Sammy traveled to the last country on his trip, Cambodia, where he bought a traditional twenty-foot canoe called a tuk and took it down the Mekong River for several days. As a final adventure before heading back to California, Sammy trekked to the high jungle of eastern Cambodia, where he spent a night sleeping in a hammock in an abandoned, floor-less, raised hut.

The day after sleeping in the Cambodian jungle, Sammy was on his way home. “When I came back, nothing had changed here, except for me,” he said. “You put yourself so far out in the world, when you come back, you have the confidence to figure out your life. That ‘spirit of adventure’ won’t ever leave. The faces and places change, but my passion never will.”