Two for the Road

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Dusty and Nikki Green had what many would call the good life eight years ago. He was an executive with Channel 7 in Amarillo, she was working in a dentist’s office, they had a home in Lake Tanglewood, and they were making good money. But they weren’t fulfilled, so they gave it all up, and now they travel the world.

The Greens visited the Clarendon College Vera Dial Dickey Library last Tuesday, October 13, where they shared with students the story of their own personal version of success.

“You equate money and stuff with success,” Dusty said. “We were successful.”

Successful, yes, but not happy more than a decade into their chosen careers. What did make them happy was traveling, but they had never been very far.

“Growing up a big vacation was going to Colorado or Chicago,” Nikki said.

So they sold everything, and bought a ticket to Costa Rica.

“We moved in with a family there and entered a Spanish emersion class,” Dusty said.

It was the start of an eight-month adventure of hiking around South America with no real plan from day to day, living with people they met, and living out of their backpacks. It was a wonderful time, but money ran out, and they came back to Texas to combine their professions and start their own business.

“We moved to Austin, and started shooting videos – testimonials – for dentists’ offices,” Dusty said.

The business took off and soon they were traveling across the US and Canada to shoot videos for dentists. That business morphed into shooting videos for touring companies to promote vacation getaways, starting with the Bahamas. The Greens’ dreams really came true at that point.

“We had a company put their tour book on the table and told us to pick any place in the world,” Dusty said. “I chose Antarctica because it was a once in a lifetime chance.”

“I wasn’t sold on it (going to Antarctica) at first,” Nikki said, having read about the treacherous waters that have to be crossed to get there.

The trip was fabulous and began the process of traveling the world to shoot promotional videos enticing other world travelers to journey to exotic locations.

With roots in Claude and Borger, the couple recently decided to make the Panhandle their home base and moved into a small home in Howardwick that had been in Nikki’s family. After spending some time at home, they’ll be off to China soon and other destinations in the Pacific Rim.

They chronicle their adventures their website – TwoForTheRoad.com. They both emphasized the importance of education, but they also had a simple message for college students.

“At some point in your life, go somewhere,” Dusty said.